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Timbre Smartphone Seatwave

Seatwave enters live music through Timbre concert ticket buying app

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By Jennifer Faull, Deputy Editor

June 10, 2014 | 3 min read

Seatwave has bolstered its mobile offering with a new concert listing and booking app – Timbre.

Originally born and launched in the US by Intrepid Pursuits, Timbre was acquired by Seatwave earlier this year for an undisclosed sum before being revamped ahead of a UK roll out.

The app will help fan find gigs and listen to artists before they buy tickets and also allow tickets to be bought directly from venues, or through Seatwave if the event is sold out.

The push into mobile by Seatwave came as it saw mobile users exceed desktop over the past year.

The newly appointed marketing director, Martine Purnell, who was brought in specifically to drive the business’ digital growth, told The Drum that 50 per cent of Seatwave traffic now comes from mobile and tablet.

“It’s been growing month on month over the past 12 months and continues to accelerate,” she said.

Seatwave has initially relied on word of mouth to promote the iOS app, having kicked off a PR campaign. However, a wider marketing push is planned for the second half of the year.

Beyond the roll out of Timbre, Purnell said she will be focused on “building the core competences in the business around digital by using all of the new tech and marketing channels to bring Seatwave to a new audience.”

The brand and fellow secondary ticketing websites have courted criticism in the past over a lack of transparency in how they operate.

A Dispatches documentary, which aired on Channel 4 two years ago, exposed some of the questionable practices around secondary ticketing sites and a call by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ticket Abuse last month for more transparency ensured the issue remain on the agenda.

On the public perception of Seatwave and the challenges around marketing the brand, Purnell said: “Seatwave is very well perceived by its customers. And it resonates with consumers because it’s a UK brand that came out of the London start-up scene.

“We’re working closely with the Government on their recommendations but we believe that consumers should be able to sell a ticket that they no longer need.

“People frequently come back and repurchase from us which is testament to the trust that they have.”

When asked if there were plans for a push into the US market, Purnell said that an update for the Seatwave app was being considered but the main focus of the business remains in Europe.

Timbre Smartphone Seatwave

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