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CUPERTINO, California and LONDON — October 8, 2015 — Apple® today announced that enhanced editions of all seven books in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are now available exclusively on the iBooks Store℠ for readers around the world to enjoy on their iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® and Mac®. Customers can download individual books featuring full original text, interactive animations and elaborate artwork bringing these beloved stories to life in a unique way. Harry Potter fans will also find annotations throughout their literary journey, written by the author herself. 

 

“I’m thrilled to see the Harry Potter books so beautifully realised on iBooks for the digital world; the artwork and animations in these enhanced editions bring the stories alive in a delightful new way,” said J.K. Rowling.

 

“Harry Potter fans are going to love how their favorite stories come to life,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “J.K. Rowling’s legendary series is perfect for enjoying on your iPad or iPhone and we’re thrilled to offer them exclusively on the iBooks Store.”

 

Until now, the Harry Potter digital books have only been available for readers to purchase through the Pottermore Shop. Starting today, iBooks® users can experience the books with all new exclusive custom covers for each title, and typography including the custom Harry Potter typefaces and new section headers and drop caps.

 

The iBooks Store is available in 52 countries and offers dozens of categories including cookbooks, history books, biographies, picture books and children’s books, with free books available in 155 countries. 

 

Availability

Today, the Harry Potter Enhanced Editions are available in English for $9.99 (USD) each in 32 countries. Pre-orders also begin today for French, German and Spanish versions, and will be available on November 9 in 18 additional countries. 

 

Harry Potter fans can explore other magical content including Harry Potter movies, soundtrack albums and apps on the custom Harry Potter page on iBooks at www.iTunes.com/HarryPotter. 

 

About Pottermore

Pottermore is the digital entertainment, news and e-commerce company from J.K. Rowling, inspired by the Harry Potter books and the wider Wizarding World. Launched in 2012, it is also the global publisher of the Harry Potter eBooks and digital audio books. As the digital heart of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, pottermore.com is dedicated to unlocking the power of imagination. It offers news, features, and articles as well as new and previously unreleased writing by J.K. Rowling.

 

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

 

Press Contacts:

Christine Monaghan

Apple

+1 (408) 974-8850

 

Howard Polskin

Pottermore

+1 (917) 751-4407

 

(Oct. 6, 2015) Loyalty360, the loyalty marketers’ association, will release its second annual CX Landscape: State of the Industry Report at the upcoming 2015 Engagement & Experience Expo.

Coming at a time when analysts are predicting that customer experience will be the next big thing in marketing, the study will explore customer experience from the perspective of marketers and CX practitioners. It will provide critical insights on CX budgets, strategies, technologies and processes that brands currently have in place, as well as plans for the future.

The 2014 CX Landscape report revealed that customer experience as a discipline was still in a nascent phase. Findings showed that as a whole, a clear definition for what customer experience is and how it should be structured within organizations was lacking. Nearly one in five companies surveyed in 2014 said customer experience was not clearly defined within their organization or a definition was in progress. The 2015 study will show if brands have come to more clearly define customer experience and are aligning internally and externally to meet consumers’ expectations for it.

The 2015 CX Landscape report will also delve into customer experience performance, as measured by the brands and marketers. In 2014, just over half (51%) of marketers surveyed said their customer experience strategies were falling short of their goals.

“Last year, if was evident that brands were struggling to define customer experience in an exhaustive, yet simple enough way that would unify their entire organization around the customer,” says Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360. “With the explosion of marketing technology providers over the last year, many of them promising to activate customer data for more effective customer experiences and engagements, we are excited to see how marketers’ perspectives of CX have changed since 2014.” 

Loyalty360 is currently conducting survey research of marketers and customer experience practitioners to gather information about their customer experience strategies for the 2015 report. Those interested in participating in the research should visit http://www.engagementexpo.com/CustomerExperienceLandscape.

In addition to the 2015 CX Landscape Report, Engagement & Experience Expo will feature the release of white papers and case studies from several event sponsors, as well as expanded media coverage and industry analysis.

Title sponsors of the Engagement & Experience Expo include: Ansira, Brierley+Partners, Clutch, Deluxe, EMC, Gold Group, Inquisium, Kentico, Lenati and Stellar Loyalty.

To register for the upcoming Engagement & Experience Expo, please visit: http://www.engagementexpo.com/Registration

About Engagement & Experience Expo

Engagement & Experience Expo is a forum to openly discuss customer, brand and channel challenges and solutions. Discover how to optimize the customer experience at all touch-points and increase the impact of engagement throughout the customer lifecycle. Learn more here.

About Loyalty360

Loyalty360 is an unbiased, market driven, voice-of-the-customer focused clearinghouse and think-tank that is committed to bringing customer loyalty to the forefront as a critical marketing strategy. A trusted source for cutting-edge research, best practices, and networking opportunities, Loyalty360 gives members the expert insights and guidance they need to better understand loyalty and develop programs that effectively engage their customers and employees and build stronger relationships with them. Learn more here. 

 

Purchase, N.Y. – Oct. 6, 2015 – MasterCard today introduced MasterCard Identity Check, a suite of technology solutions that leverage advanced technologies to prove a consumer’s identity and further simplify the online shopping experience.

Existing methods to prove an identity online can take shoppers away from a retailer’s website. This final step can be time consuming and potentially result in the purchase being declined or abandoned. MasterCard Identity Check will put identity verification at the cardholder’s fingertips using technologies such as biometrics and SMS-delivered one-time passwords.

“Today, people shop on all sorts of devices, and they expect technology to simplify and secure the transaction,” said Ajay Bhalla, president of Enterprise Security Solutions, MasterCard. “This is exactly what Identity Check delivers.”

MasterCard Identity Check extends the company’s commitment to upgrade to online payment security. The use of technology and data will move from a reliance on what the consumer knows (passwords), to what they have (mobile phone or other smart device) and who they are (biometrics). Hundreds of cardholders in the Netherlands began using biometric-enabled payments last month, while a similar trial is also underway in the U.S.

U.S. financial institutions can choose to participate in MasterCard Identity Check beginning in the middle of 2016, with a global expansion in 2017.

New Global Consumer Survey Supports Next Generation Checkout

This next generation of consumer authentication is verified by recent research. According to a MasterCard survey, 53 percent of shoppers forget crucial passwords more than once a week, losing more than 10 minutes when they reset their accounts.

As a result, more than a third of people abandon an online purchase, while six in 10 said it led to missing a time-sensitive transaction like buying concert tickets. More than half of people want to see passwords replaced by something more convenient, while continuing to deliver the same levels of protection and peace of mind.

About the Survey

The poll of about 10,000 general population consumers was conducted between Aug. 13 to 21, 2015 by Norstat. Consumers in 17 markets across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia Pacific were surveyed on their perceptions related to online shopping. The total sample has a margin of error of +/-0.80% at the 95 percent confidence level.

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

Media contacts

Jane Khodos This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +1 914 327 0820

Original author: Jane Khodos

Global Partnership Delivers Personalized Offers and Faster, Easier Way to Pump, Pay and Go Using Mobile Phones

Purchase, NY and Houston, TX – October 7, 2015 – MasterCard today announced a global partnership with mobile commerce provider P97 to make it easier for consumers to find, buy and save on gasoline and convenience store purchases through their mobile phones. Tweet: MasterCard and @P97Networks partner to bring #MobilePayments to the gas pump http://ctt.ec/L2P15+

Last year, in the U.S. alone, consumers pumped more than 135 billion gallons of gasoline, according to MasterCard SpendingPulse. As trips to the pump continue to increase, along with competitive pricing strategies, fuel companies and store operators are increasingly looking for ways to differentiate their services and build loyalty among their customers.

The MasterCard fuel solution will leverage a wide range of MasterCard’s marketing and technical assets, and will utilize P97’s PetroZone® mobile commerce platform to integrate to existing gas station infrastructure. The new solution will enable fuel companies to develop innovative mobile apps for consumers to search for and navigate to the nearest or preferred gas station, make fast and simple mobile payments at the pump and convenience store, and receive personalized offers for in-store purchases.

“We know that when a consumer pulls up to the pump, they are not thinking about making a payment. They just want to get what they need and go as fast as possible,” said Felix Marx, executive vice president of Mobile Transaction Solutions at MasterCard. “This is one way that we’re helping our customers create safer and richer experiences to deliver exactly that.”

“This is an exciting new chapter for P97 with the combination of our PetroZone® mobile commerce platform and the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service to deliver more secure mobile payments,” said Donald Frieden, president and CEO of P97. “With the addition of other MasterCard services, such as MasterPass, we believe this solution will deliver the best possible mobile experience for the retail fuels market and their consumers.” 

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), http://www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

About P97

P97 Networks provides secure cloud based mobile commerce and digital marketing solutions for the convenience retail and fuels marketing industry under the brand name PetroZone®. P97’s mCommerce solutions enhance the ability of convenience store operators, marketers, and oil companies to attract and retain customers by providing technology that securely connects millions of individual mobile phones and connected cars with identity and geo-location based software technology to create truly unique connected-consumer experiences. P97’s software personalizes the “find-buy-save” experience for every mobile consumer. For more information follow us on Twitter @p97networks or visit www.p97.com.

Media Contacts

Brian Gendron

MasterCard

914-325-1799
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Monica Danna

P97

281-687-7515

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Original author: Brian Gendron

Meineke to Discuss Its Road to Delivering High Performance, Personalized Brand Experiences to Customers

 

Meineke will present a fascinating session titled “Delivering High Performance, Personalized Brand Experiences to Customers,” at the 5th annual Engagement & Experience Expo presented by Loyalty360 – The Loyalty Marketers’ Association, which is set for Nov. 9-11 in Dallas, Texas at the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Center.

 

Artemio Garza, Meineke’s Chief Marketing Officer, will share with attendees how Meineke has become a household name in an industry saturated with immense competition and commoditized services, by understanding its customers and deploying personalized communications. This session will review how Meineke leverages Consumer Management technology to deliver personalized engagements and enhanced experiences focused on motivating desired customer behaviors. Garza will provide attendees with invaluable insight on multiple advantages of Consumer Management, focusing specifically on three vital areas: Customer Intelligence, Targeted Engagement and Memorable Experiences to help marketers set themselves apart from competitors.

 

“Meineke is an amazing brand that wants to share its story with our Engagement & Experience attendees,” commented Loyalty360 CEO Mark Johnson. “Meineke will demonstrate how marketers can differentiate themselves to stay on customers’ paths.”

 

The 2015 Engagement & Experience Expo will include a full slate of best-in-class speakers and interactive sessions by esteemed industry leaders, a celebration honoring the winners of the 2015 Loyalty360 CX Awards, and insights uncovered in the 2nd annual CX Landscape: The State of the Industry report. Brand marketers will participate in structured networking with their peers during meet and greets and interactive sessions. These networking sessions enable brand marketers to connect with others who are facing similar challenges and opportunities.

 

“We are excited to bring a full agenda of top-notch brands and speakers to Engagement & Experience Expo attendees,” shared Johnson. “Over the last year, we have heard from many brands that say their customer experience and engagement strategies are challenged to establish or maintain simplicity, truly listen to customers and align internally and with customers. The sessions and other content available to expo attendees will provide an opportunity for marketers and other industry thought leaders to share how they are tackling these universal challenges.”

 

 

The Engagement & Experience Expo is quickly earning the reputation of being one of the industry’s premier events. The 2015 Expo will also feature the release of white papers and case studies from several event sponsors. In addition, the 5th Annual event will have more media partners and analysts present in show history. Title sponsors of the Engagement & Experience Expo include: Ansira, Brierley+Partners, Clutch, Deluxe, EMC, Gold Group, Inquisium, Kentico, Lenati and Stellar Loyalty.

 

About Engagement & Experience Expo 
Engagement & Experience Expo is a forum to openly discuss customer, brand and channel challenges and solutions. Discover how to optimize the customer experience at all touch-points and increase the impact of engagement throughout the customer lifecycle. http://www.engagementexpo.com/Home

About Loyalty360 
Loyalty360 is an unbiased, market driven, voice-of-the-customer focused clearinghouse and think-tank that is committed to bringing customer loyalty to the forefront as a critical marketing strategy. A trusted source for cutting-edge research, best practices, and networking opportunities, Loyalty360 gives members the expert insights and guidance they need to better understand loyalty and develop programs that effectively engage their customers and employees and build stronger relationships with them. http://www.loyalty360.org

 

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