The IAB, the retailer trade body IMRG and interactive media association AIME have announced their joint leadership body aimed at providing best practice in the mobile commerce sector.
The long-winded Mobile Commerce Joint Industry Committee (MCJIC) will provide research and best-practice guidelines, as well as regulate each of its members’ m-commerce activity.
The move follows a recent research collaboration between the three associations which found that more than half (59%) of UK retail brands expect their mobile revenues to increase over the next 12 months, with 94% regarding it as a real opportunity for their business.
According to the IAB Consumer M-Commerce Study October 2010, 43% of people have transacted on their mobile phones, with 42% saying that they use their mobile as it is the easiest way to research and buy products.
The full MCJIC board line-up is:
- Steve Ricketts, Head of Mobile Marketing and Payment Services, Everything Everywhere
- Toby Padgham, General Secretary, AIME
- Jon Mew, Head of Mobile, IAB
- Andrew McClelland, Director of Operations, IMRG
Each of the industry association representatives will be supported by additional members within the respective organisations. MCJIC also has as founding members:
- Patrick Munden, Head of Seller Communications UK & Ireland, eBay UK
- Richard Mann, Chief Operating Officer, Mobile Interactive Group
- Nick Lansley, Head of R&D, Tesco Direct
- Sienne Veit, Business Development Manager – New Technologies, M&S Direct
Retailers have been slow to respond to the potential of m-commerce, with just four of the top 20 most frequently visited retailer websites being presently optimised for mobile, and only eight of the top 20 with any kind of mobile application at all. The research concluded that much more training and awareness is needed on the retailer side to maximise the mobile opportunity.
Andrew McClelland, director of operations at IMRG said: “We’ve set up the MCJIC initiative specifically to address this issue, and to give retailers guidance to find the right m-commerce strategy for them and grow the market in general.”
Adding “The team, made up of retailers, mobile specialists and industry bodies, will draw on their expertise from their place within the m-commerce value chain, and develop key projects including educational programs, research, best practice guidelines and standards for the benefit of all.”
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