Contacts:

Dr Niall Caldwell
London Metropolitan University
n.caldwell@londonmet.ac.uk

MA in Digital and Experiential Marketing Launched in London

A Masters degree in Digital and Experiential Marketing has been launched at London Metropolitan Business School.

Students on the new course will explore the latest thinking on technology, digital marketing and brand experience campaigns, and then explore how they apply to brand management. The one year full-time course (or two years part-time) will combine contributions from London Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Computing and Department of Applied Social Science as well as the London Metropolitan Business School.

“Making sense of digital marketing is a top priority for most marketing professionals. This new course has been designed to explore the new digital world and expose students to the technical, social and commercial factors which are shaping the digital consumer. We want to equip students with the tools, understanding and skills they need in order to manage brands in the digital world,” said Dr Niall Caldwell, course leader at London Metropolitan Business School.

The new MA in Digital and Experiential Marketing will run for the first time in September 2010.

The course structure includes six taught modules and a dissertation: Brand Equity; Data Mining Business Applications; Digital Marketing Fundamentals; E-Solutions and Digital Media Applications; Experiential Marketing; Marketing Research.

Full details are available at:

http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/pgprospectus/courses/digital-expe…

Background on London Metropolitan Business School
London Metropolitan Business School (LMBS) is the business school of London Metropolitan University. LMBS is located in the City of London and other central London sites and is the largest business school in the UK.

LMBS offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and has achieved an excellent rating for its teaching and research. In addition to full-time study, LMBS also offers part-time courses, professional courses and executive education as well as conducting research and consultancy.

The current range of courses includes the following subject areas:
Accounting, Arts, Events and Sports Management, Aviation Management, Banking, Business, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, Human Resource Management, International Business, Marketing, Music and Media Management, Tourism, Transport and Travel Management.

Further information on courses and forthcoming open days is available at:

http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/open-days/calendar.cfm
– Gareth Thompson 17-06-2010

Hampshire, UK, 16th June 2010: A new study by Juniper Research forecasts that the value of digital and physical goods that people buy with their mobiles will reach $200bn globally by 2012, compared to just less than $100bn this year. Digital goods include entertainment and tickets, whilst physical goods include groceries, gifts and books.

The new study on Mobile Payments for Digital and Physical Goods found that the availability of secure, easy-to-use, payment applications and the growing realisation of users that they can make ecommerce purchases by mobile will drive the market.

Report author Howard Wilcox gave more details: “Our research showed that the purchase experience has been enhanced by improved mobile commerce transaction processes due to faster mobile networks, more powerful devices and much more user friendly Smartphone apps. Amazon Payments for example has recently introduced payment-processing tools for mobile devices, enabling Smartphone users to buy with one click.”

However, the Juniper report also underlined that retailers and merchants need to communicate the cost of transactions clearly so that people are not discouraged from buying by mobile.

Further key findings from the mobile payments report include:

•The frequency of physical goods purchased will be higher than average in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe;
• Brands, retailers and merchants have a significant opportunity to increase their revenues through highly targeted marketing campaigns, using apps and mobile web payments as a convenience play for users.

The report adopts an innovative new quadrant approach to compare the positioning of mobile payments vendors. The forecasts provide detailed five year regional data for mobile payments for digital & physical goods, showing key parameters including subscriber take-up, transaction sizes and volumes. The study also reveals the strategies that are being used to enable users to pay by mobile through case studies from companies such as 1-800Flowers.com and Zong.

mobile payments whitepaper and further details of the study ‘Mobile Payments for Digital & Physical Goods: Players, Markets & Opportunities, 2010-2014’ can be freely downloaded from www.juniperresearch.com. Alternatively please contact john.levett@juniperresearch.com, +44(0)1256 830002.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.
– John Levett 16-06-2010

New not-for-profit video site See The Difference contains a diverse range of video projects from UK charities working at home and abroad. Visitors to the site can choose a charity project that means something to them, know exactly where their money is going and for the first time, then See The Difference they make through feedback that each charity has pledged to provide on every project.

Founder of See The Difference Dominic Vallely said: “We know that people today want to understand exactly where their money goes and see how it will be used. Whether it’s helping orphans in Malawi or bats in Barnsley you will be able to See The Difference you make every time.”

“We are bringing choice, real stories and the chance to know where your money goes. There’s a huge mix of projects, people can discover smaller charities like MapAction, who made a difference in Haiti as well as projects from the likes of Oxfam, Macmillan and The Children’s Society.”

“We want to bring charity to a new generation. In an era of global travel, video messaging and Facebook, seeing the difference you can make is a natural next step.”

This initiative has inspired the support of 25 corporate partners including Accenture, EMC, McCann Erickson, Microsoft and Reed Smith. See The Difference has partnered with Virgin Money Giving to provide the platform to manage the financial transactions, which means their donations will go quickly and securely to their chosen charitable cause.

Virgin Money Giving’s Marketing Director, James Potter comments: “See The Difference offers charities the opportunity to engage with new and existing givers in a unique way whilst simultaneously delivering choice and transparency. Virgin Money Giving is looking forward to this exciting new journey in the world of charitable giving in partnership with See The Difference.”

If you’re having a World Cup Party, why not build a footy pitch for street kids in Mombassa or make a difference through football to disadvantaged young people in the UK or bring clean water to South African townships.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

* Research notes:

Over 2000 UK consumers were polled in this research commissioned by See The Difference and conducted by Vision Critical. Data was collected in December 2009.
The top five things that would make people give more to Charity were:

1. Knowing exactly where my money has gone (51%)
2. Actually seeing the difference my money has made (40%)
3. Feeling like I’m helping real people and not just a brand / organisation (37%)
4. Knowing that the charity won’t use the money to cover admin costs (30%)
5. Being told who benefited (29%)

Contact:

Josephine Corbett / Rosie Dodd
0207 269 7250 / 0207 269 7112
seethedifference@fd.com

About See The Difference
http://www.seethedifference.org

See The Difference is a not-for-profit video site where you can literally see the difference you make to specific charity projects.

With See The Difference, people can now choose a charity project that means something to them, know exactly where their money goes and then See The Difference they make through feedback that each charity has pledged to provide on every project.

Launched in June 2010 with support from over 150 UK charities large and small See The Difference was created in response to the demand from UK donors to know exactly where their money goes and to See The Difference it makes. Research of over 2,000 UK consumers in December 2009 found that 51% of people would give more to charity if they knew exactly where their money goes.

See The Difference aims to help charities engage more deeply with the 23 million strong “facebook generation”. It has pioneered low cost video film-making and uses social media and a cutting edge “cloud” based platform to engage audiences and share their favourite video stories.

See The Difference is supported by 25 corporate partners including Accenture, Audio Network, EMC, Microsoft, McCann Erickson, Reed Smith, TwoFour and Virgin Money Giving and is a registered charity in England and Wales (1127980).

Quotes:

Marketing Manager at The Children’s Society Liliane Dwek said: “See The Difference gives the donor a unique opportunity to see firsthand what we are doing and we are delighted to be able to use video to tell our story and engage and new generation of support.”

Amanda Bringans, Director of Fundraising, Macmillan Cancer Support said: “Out of all the projects I hear about, this was one that really excited me as it allows Macmillan to make a direct connection with donors and to enhance our brand using contemporary technology; we are proud to have helped develop this amazing project.”

Institute of Fundraising’s CEO, Lindsay Boswell, said: “Charities put a huge amount of energy and effort into trying to reach a younger audience. See the Difference brings charities work alive to the laptop and You Tube generation, and I think they will open up giving in a new and innovative way.”

ACEVO’s CEO, Stephen Bubb said: “It is clear that the third sector needs to embrace technology, and look at more efficient ways of delivering their message. See The Difference is championing charities in telling their stories through innovative and enterprising methods. This will be a significant addition to the economic and social force of the third sector.” – Rachel Hawkes 15-06-2010

UK. 14 June 2010 – Panasonic today launched its new Toughbook CF-F9, the perfect business rugged companion for mobile office professionals. Delivering productivity boosting technology and fail-safe business support, the CF-F9 replaces the CF-F8 – previously the rugged business notebook of choice – with a higher resolution display, increased computing power and enhanced connectivity.

Increased performance

The CF-F9 delivers increased CPU performance over the CF-F8 in the same sized, 14.1” notebook – the lightest on the market. Its desktop-performance computing power is delivered by the Intel® Core i5®-520M with vPro technology. The device is designed to take advantage of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and Intel® Multi-Threading to maximize the performance of the CPU.

Enhanced widescreen resolution

The CF-F9 also has an enhanced resolution widescreen display ideal for viewing mapping applications or multiple applications while on the move. With its 14.1” WXGA+ type (TFT) display with 1440×900 dot resolution, the CF-F9 is the market leading rugged business notebook for a high resolution, visual experience.

Built to stay connected on the move

Mobile workers need to stay connected on the move and the CF-F9 achieves this effortlessly with its embedded antenna offering optimal radio performance over WWAN, WLAN, and Bluetooth (optional WIMAX).

The Toughbook CF-F9 also includes Gobi™ 2000 mobile broadband technology from Qualcomm. Gobi 2000 simplifies multi-carrier wireless deployments for IT departments and allows a company’s mobile workforce improved connectivity options while travelling at home or abroad.

Better than ever reliability and durability

As the most durable and lightest 14.1” wide notebook PC on the market, the CF-F9 has been designed to protect its display, hard disk and keyboard – the most commonly damaged components in conventional business notebooks.

The CF-F9 is tested to withstand a fall from a height of up to 76 cm without damage, even when in operation. The CF-F9 is also tested to withstand accidental drink spillages because its special drainage system reliably protects the keyboard, touchpad and other sensitive components from splashes. Even a full 200ml glass of liquid spilt directly over the keyboard and touchpad simply flows out through the drainage channels with all the electronics in the notebook remaining dry and intact.

Thanks to optimal pressure distribution, the CF-F9 can also withstand pressure of up to 100 kg/f and the expanded 320GB hard drive disk is surrounded with shock-absorbing pads made from high-tech material, to protect against vibrations and shock.

The power to last

To ensure that mobile professionals have a device that can meet their needs throughout the day, the CF-F9 can operate for up to 7 hours running Windows 7. All units also use the Panasonic Power Management Utilities technology to maximize power efficiency by managing the power of all relevant resources required by the CPU for each task. In addition, the CF-F9 runs on Panasonic’s own high-capacity battery cells designed to deliver maximum device performance and safety.

Designed for use on the move or in the office

To ensure that users can make the most of the CF-F9 whether on the move or in the office, Panasonic has also designed a new docking station for the CF-F9, available at £207 (excluding vat).

Backed by outstanding service

Every Toughbook comes with a 3-year warranty covering hardware failures for systems used as designed; with a 96-hour repair commitment and a 5-year spare parts guarantee.

Availability and pricing

The CF-F9 is available immediately and costs £1742 (excluding vat).

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.77 trillion yen (US$78.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2009. The company’s shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE: PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company’s website at http://panasonic.net.

Press contact:

Paul Smith
paul@ambergroup.net
Tel: +44 (0)7770 828525

– Paul Smith 14-06-2010

This new app means you can now support the England football team the way your dad and grandad used to…. but with an iphone.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re at the game, in the pub with friends or even at home, this app is simply the best and most fun way to show your support for the England team.

It works just like a normal football rattle. You wave your iPhone or iPod Touch as if were a football rattle handle and the rattle sound is created. The rattle will speed up or slow down according to the speed and vigour with which you wave your device. It really is great fun.

PS Ventures Limited director Philip Simpson commented “We’re very excited to be bringing such an interactive app to England football fans in time for the biggest competition in the football calendar. We have taken advantage of Apple’s advanced technology to create a truly convincing football rattle experience. If you close your eyes, you could believe you are waving a real football rattle”.

The App can be downloaded at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/england-football-rattle/id373….
The App’s own webpage is at http://www.psventures.co.uk/pv_view_iphone.php?iphone_id=1&i…

PS Ventures Limited is a UK based company specialising in web design and iphone app development. The company website can be found at http://www.psventures.co.uk. All enquiries should be directed to marketing@psventures.co.uk.
– Philip Simpson 11-06-2010