Dear Reader,

We have great pleasure in announcing the launch of our first newsletter introducing you to the services of TW4 as well as sharing news, trends, business developments and events relating to mail-order, publishing, direct marketing and online business.

All around us we hear about crisis and economic downturn. I fully share the view of Richard Branson, founder and CEO of Virgin that "today offers massive opportunities to entrepreneurs to initiate new business initiatives and in particular to expand business to other markets, especially in Western Europe". TW4 is extremely well-placed to assist you in accessing these new markets.

I hope you enjoy reading our newsletter and that you find the information useful. For information about our capabilities and fulfilment services and how we can assist you in your marketing efforts, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Ron de Bos,
VP Client Services and Business Development

Newsletter Headlines:

Interview with Sue Knights, Managing Director of TW4

Question: Why this newsletter?
Because we want to be close to our clients. To reach out and help.

The world’s economy is a scary place right now. All businesses are looking for efficiencies.  Efficiencies in the way they operate and how they can reach new markets.

TW4 has practical Know How. Know How in PCI compliant multi-currency payment processing, international address validation, extensive subscriber self-service, multi-lingual capability, (e)billing and (e)renewal, warehousing, logistics and global postal expertise.
We can help!.”

Question: Why should a company choose TW4?
We are a truly global organization with fulfilment and logistic teams in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, Switzerland, Cape Town and a base in the UK as well.
Our operations work around the global clock, we can handle fulfilment services and logistics for our clients whether their customers are in the UK or Germany, Hong Kong or Africa’s. YOU NAME THE PLACE AND WE CAN HELP!
We can process orders, we can interface with your websites, we can handle multi currency payments, we can distribute your orders through our global network.
Most importantly we understand doing business locally in International Markets around the world. Our systems cater for companies of all sizes.
Our recently launched Vida system allows the processing of orders across print, mail order products and digital content – and can interface into our warehouse management systems as well!
So talk to us – we are here to help!”

The VIDA Suite
An integrated e-commerce and back-office fulfilment solution.”

In response to the rapidly growing influence of online business models, TW4 has developed a fully integrated relational database fulfilment platform that can handle magazine subscription and product e-fulfilment that is scalable and able to address the current and future needs of publishers and product marketers through a contemporary ‘one-stop’ e-commerce solution.
VIDA has seamless functionality – allowing the processing and fulfilment of orders across print, mail-order products, and digital content.

The clarity and intuitive nature of the systems we have developed gives you the ability to create added-value opportunities and to develop your web-based business on a global basis. VIDA was successfully launched at the recent FIPP World Magazine Congress and Internetworld, both in London. For further info see our website www.tw4.com or contact us.

CNP Payment Forum, Barcelona

TW4 sponsors this yearly event. Since its inception, the CNP Payment Forum has provided members with a unique, open forum for networking and education in all aspects of payment acceptance, processing and industry best practices.

TW4, amongst others, has been involved in the set-up and development of this forum as we believe that in the ever changing world of International Payment Processing sharing of knowledge and issues is vital in the servicing, successfully executing and rolling-out new payment strategies.  This year’s keynote speaker was James Roper, CEO of IMRG, the representative online association in the UK. For more information on how CNPPF can help your business www.cnppf.org

TW4 NEWS UPDATE

During the first half of 2009 TW4 extended its global operational footprint encompassing three continents Asia, South Africa and Europe. We have the ability to maximize and optimize our Customer Service and Back Office service offerings across various time zones supported by a truly international experienced team of fulfillment and customer service experts.
Our extended service solution incorporated various new systems, applications and enhanced reporting capabilities; in parallel, we took the opportunity to further strengthen our accredited PCI server environment. We are proud to announce this project was a resounding success, implemented on time and within budget delivered by a truly international team utilizing our proven project management experience and mature development processes.

May 2009 - TW4 wins Memorybits.co.uk
TW4 fulfilment services has successfully completed the integration of Memorybits from their in-house facility in Jersey into TW4’s Swiss warehousing and distribution facility in Switzerland. Memorybits is now fully operational and the management and operational staff from both companies have worked closely to deliver a robust and scalable solution that will enable Memorybits to expand in the UK, into mainland Europe and beyond.

GLOBAL NEWS

E-Commerce in Switzerland grew 28% in 2008
According to the study “E-commerce Report 2009”, e-commerce in Switzerland has increased by 28 percent in 2008 and by 122 percent since 2005, in spite of the economic downturn. The study also indicates that only five of the 19 Swiss companies involved in the study have declared that more than 20 percent of their revenues have been generated by online trading. Seven interviewees reported between 10 to 20 percent in revenues, while the rest of seven study participants mentioned less than 10 percent. Eleven participants expect that the online share of consumer spending within the next five years to double. The E-Commerce Report 2009 was conducted by FHNW and Datatrans and is available at http://www.e-commerce-report.ch (in German and in French).

Swedish e-commerce on the rise
E-commerce sales grew by15 percent in the year 2008. Total sales were up to 20,9 billion SEK or 2.1 billion euro. Online sales were up 3,9 percent of the retail sales in Sweden. In Q4 2008 growth dropped to 8.1%. With respect to the decline of both the Swedish and international economy this is still a respectable figure. Forecasts for 2009 predict a lower growth, but consumers will focus more and more on the internet. E-commerce is clearly gaining on traditional retail. This is already confirmed for Q1 of 2009 with a 7.9 percent increase in turnover. The growth has been mainly driven by convenience factors as well as the consumers' ability to use price comparison tools when making online purchase decisions. For the following two quarters, almost 77 percent of Sweden-based consumers plan to visit an online shop, according to the Trade Research Institute.

Payment Fraud: a serious threat to online retailing
Of nearly 75 percent of UK e-tailers involved in a recent survey of Sage Pay, who have expressed their intention to make investments in their business throughout 2009, more than two thirds fear that payment fraud will become an impediment to their business growth. In spite of such beliefs, only a small percentage of respondents have a thorough understanding of the risks that conducting a business online poses. Almost 60 percent of online retailers could not tell whether they are currently PCI DSS compliant, while only 39 percent of online retailers could understand what PCI DSS compliance really means, according to the survey, which was conducted by Sage Pay, a division of Protx, a UK payment service provider. In 2008, the value of international internet payment fraud was valued at almost USD 7 billion, the 'Recession proof economy report' released by security services developer Symantec indicates.
(NB: PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard) is a multifaceted security standard that includes requirements for security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design and other critical protective measures. This comprehensive standard is intended to help organizations proactively protect customer account data.)

The Netherlands: total homeshopping nearly 5,5 billion euro in 2008
According to a recent study by Blauw Research, the Dutch homeshopping sector realised in 2008 a total sales in all channels of 5,46 billion euro (€ 340 per capita). This means an increase of 14.3% against 2007.  Most of these sales were generated by the online segment: 4,85 billion euro or 88,8%. Forecast for 2009 is €6,5 billion of which €6 billion online.

UK publishers failing to monetise international traffic
UK publishers are losing millions of pounds in revenue because they are struggling to turn international web traffic into profit, claims the Rubicon Project. New research by the internet advertising infrastructure company, Every Impression Counts: Making the Most of Your International Traffic, outlines key reasons why publishers are failing to monetise international traffic and suggests solutions. Highlights of report include exploring the inefficiency in the sales process, the difficulties in monitoring the advertising quality of international networks and ensuring they adhere to the publisher’s quality standards. “Almost half of UK publisher revenue is trafficked through online advertising networks, a testament to the efficient revenue stream they provide,” said Jay Stevens, vice president and general manager, international for the Rubicon Project. “However, many publishers fail to effectively yield as much value from their inventory as they could be earning. Added to that, brands have different values in different territories, which can further affect rates.”

Source: M and M – www.fipp.com

URLs boost magazine ad response
New research shows that as advertisers seek to drive consumers to their websites, web traffic is increasingly regarded as a measure of success.
The research confirms that magazine ads with URLs are more likely to drive readers to advertiser websites overall, as well as across a range of editorial genres. Even if ‘drive to web’ is not the goal of the advertising campaign, including a URL to boost web visits is a benefit most advertisers will appreciate, says the report.
The study from Affinity's Vista Print Effectiveness Rating Service is based on an analysis of 833 ads in seven different magazines representing several distinct magazine genres.
This study reinforces earlier work:
Additional work from Marketing Evolution aggregated nine studies that had quantifiable data on web visits to examine how magazine ads contributed to building web traffic. Findings showed that when the URL was included in the magazine ad creative the percentage change in website visits tripled from two to six points:
Both pieces of research underscore the importance of accountability for magazine ad creative. A number of initiatives have shown that creative quality is the most important factor in affecting advertising results, although media engagement also plays a role.
Finally, research from a variety of third-party surveys from the American Advertising Federation (AAF), BigResearch (for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association), Mediamark Research, the Magazine Publishers of America and the Online Publishers Association, as well as new quantitative analyses from Marketing Evolution, shows the impact of magazines in affecting web visits, examining results throughout the purchase funnel. Overall conclusions of the compiled data suggest:

• Offline media perform well in driving web traffic and search, often better than online media, even when URL addresses are missing or not prominently displayed in offline ads.
• Media synergy is important, though each medium influences online behaviour differently and plays a distinctive role.
• Looking at qualified search, those consumers ready to make a purchase, paints a different picture of media usage than total search, which is most often the focus of advertisers.
• When looking at the role individual media play in driving web results, magazines most consistently drive web traffic and search, Quantitative research from the American Advertising Federation (AAF) shows that magazines outperform other media at driving consumers to the web.

Global ad recession to end in 2010
The global advertising recession is expected to end in 2010 due to recovery in high growth economies including China, according to a new report from media buying outfit Group M. Global ad spend will contract by 1.5 per cent in 2010, an improvement on the 5.5 per cent drop expected this year and sign that the slump is ending. Group M said the improvement in the global advertising outlook was due to a recovery in the high growth economies, such as China and Russia, and the “next 11” emerging markets including Mexico, Indonesia and Bangladesh. However, the report notes that the developed advertising markets of Europe and North America will continue to lag behind in the recovery phase over the next 18 months. Group M forecasts that the US market will be in a worse state next year than in 2009. In the UK, Group M is predicting a decline of 2.7 per cent in 2010, a marked improvement over the 13.9 per cent drop in ad spending this year. In 2010 most media sectors in the UK will see an improvement on the steep advertising revenue declines of the past 12 months – although only regional papers are forecast to see year-on-year growth. Adam Smith, futures director at Group M, commented: “Our global forecast for 2009 has finally stopped tumbling. The 15 countries still reporting positive ad growth in 2009 [will] become 33 in 2010 and this number could rise as we phase through the year. Group M expects China and Russia to be the turnaround stories of 2010."

Source: TMB Weekly - www.fipp.com

Meet TW4 at these Coming Events