i-movo Limited

At i-movo we provide a Secure Digital Voucher service to consumer goods companies, publishers and retailers, enabling them to issue paperless vouchers to consumers and have them redeemed electronically. Paper vouchers have been around for over 100 years and the evolution to digital vouchers has been slowed by fears of the viral effect and multiple use of vouchers; vouchers are after all a currency so they represent a risk to issuers and are subject to fraud. The solution is to check the validity of vouchers in real-time at the point of sale, using existing systems that retailers already have installed such as credit card terminals, electronic point-of-sale systems, mobile top-up payment terminals. The i-movo service does exactly this.

i-movo’s innovation is to use existing retail payment systems to check the validity of vouchers, in less time than it takes to process a credit card payment. Unique codes are issued to consumers, by text message, email or plastic card. When a consumer redeems their voucher, the retailer uses their existing card payments system to check immediately with the i-movo system that it is valid. i-movo vouchers are impossible to use more times than intended by the issuer, may not be used after a promotion has finished or at the wrong location. This process allows our real-time reporting to show exactly which vouchers have been used, where and when, the instant activity takes place.

The unique codes issued by i-movo can be distributed by any electronic medium, often as a text message after a consumer sends a keyword by SMS in response to some form of advertising. However, i-movo vouchers can be delivered using any method of digital distribution such as email, via websites or mobile phone WAP messages. The codes can also be rendered as a barcode as well as a numerical code or may be encoded onto magnetic stripe or “contactless” cards (similar to the Oyster card in London or Octopus scheme in Hong Kong). 


The rendering of the voucher number as a barcode is a feature of our new Enhanced Digital Voucher service. These vouchers can be scanned at over 20,000 existing outlets throughout the UK and are viewed using the mobile internet browsers on most mobile phone sold over the last three years. The use of such phones is ever more prevalent given the increase in flat data tariffs offered by the mobile networks and is set to increase further. Our Enhanced Digital Vouchers are able to show full colour brand imagery and are not limited to the 160 character limitation of text messages. In addition, we can offer features such as links to store finders, making the experience much richer overall for the consumer.

i-movo’s Secure Digital Vouchers take out the risks associated with paper coupons and can remove all possibility of processing errors including misredemption (where a voucher is accepted as payment against the wrong product). In addition, i-movo enables clients to amend campaign mechanics during the campaign itself such as shortening validity times or putting a daily limit on voucher distribution. Retailers gain from efficiency improvements as they are paid automatically rather than having to count coupons, fill in forms and send away envelopes of coupons to claim payment. The consumer has the convenience of vouchers stored on the device most never leave home without and can receive vouchers while they are out by responding to offers advertised in-store or other out-of-home media.

The service we provide uses technology hosted by a secure near-shore facility with 100% uptime since launch and communicates with networks of payment devices and retailer systems using widely-used payment message standards over secure http.
Currently there are over 30,000 outlets already integrated to our service within the UK, principally within the convenience and impulse sector and have delivered several national campaigns for brands that are household names. More details are available in our many case studies details which are available by email request to info@ i-movo.com.

Vouchers issued by one party (e.g. brand owners) and accepted by another as payment (e.g. retailers) often carry a settlement risk as the voucher represents a claim on the issuer for the face-value of the voucher. Without any validation process, vouchers distributed by digital media carry a significant financial risk to the issuer if the vouchers were to be distributed virally and used more times than intended. In addition, the results of traditional paper-based promotions tend not to be available for many months after the campaign has finished. Apart from creating a “long-tail” of financial liability, no action can be taken to affect the performance of a campaign until after it is over. In effect, issuers are powerless to avoid under-performance or over-performance of a campaign from the moment it is launched. By validating vouchers in real-time, i-movo is able to both prevent financial exposure to over-performing campaigns while providing management information required to improve the performance of activities. Both measures assist meeting predicted Return-on-Investment targets while staying within campaign budgets.

Since launch in 2003, i-movo has been used for many diverse applications including:

Mobile ticketing for sporting and entertainment events both a major sportswear manufacturer and a premium drinks brand
Multi-channel customer recruitment for product sampling by one of the world’s leading energy companies
Measurement of in-store, email and telephone promotions recruiting new readers for most of the UK’s popular and broadsheet newspapers
National competitions run by all the UK’s major mobile phone operators
World’s first newspaper payment and loyalty card
Mobile loyalty scheme introduced by leading motorway service area operator and supported by three leading consumer goods companies
National sample distribution by one of the world’s largest FMCG and Healthcare companies
eMail voucher distribution featuring real-time validated barcode for major international newspaper


CASE STUDIES
Lucozade - At the leading Edge of mobile marketing; May 2008
Evening Standard Eros Card - Read All About It; September 2007
Daily Mail & Martin McColl; March 2007
BP Wild Bean Cafe - Making the Connection DVD; December 2006
Making the Connection at BP Wild Bean Café; December 2006
Financial Times - Still in the pink; November 2006
Nike Midnight Madness - More than just a game....;August 2006
Record response rate with Cuervo de Mayo party invites; May 2005

COMPANY PROFILE
Established: 2003
Registration: UK 04877651
Patents: Electronic Vouchers GB2432702 -14 October 2007; Electronic Voucher Redemption GB2435342 - 28 January 2009
Contact: david.tymm@i-movo.com