Marty Carroll

We’re looking at the global picture in our latest issue – the international customer experience scene.

Paul kicks off proceedings by confirming our intent to expand Foviance into new territory. Find out more about our ambitions for our latest venture – Foviance Asia. You can also read the thoughts of Frank Ma, the man that will be heading-up our exciting new Shanghai office. Staying on the global theme, Amanda Roach provides an insight into the mechanics of international surveys, while Mariana cautions businesses thinking of taking short-cuts on the road to online localisation.

We also regularly update our blog with our consultants’ thoughts and opinions which you may enjoy reading and commenting on.

As always, I’m also very happy to hear from you directly with any feedback.

Marty

In this issue:

Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’

Surveying international opinion

Localisation is required when lost in translation

Introducing the Asian Experience

This is the first Foviance newsletter of 2010; a year we believe will be remembered for the true emergence of the mobile internet as a mature, ubiquitous, mainstream technology.

I offer my reasons for this optimism with a round up of the key factors which will be driving mobile internet adoption and development in the year ahead. Paul suggests that the signs all around us indicate that mobile customer engagement is already gathering impressive momentum. Xavier looks at the shape the evolving mobile internet will take and offers some insight into for businesses planning their own strategy in the light of instantly popular app technology. And finally Clare looks at the impact all this will have for more traditional content publishers and how they are evolving to embrace rapid mobile innovation and adoption.

You might also enjoy reading and commenting on some of our consultants’ thoughts and opinions on our regularly updated blog page.

I’d also be very happy to hear from you directly with any feedback.

Marty

In this issue:

• 2010: The year of mobile
• The ‘Determined Creep’ of mobile customer engagement
• Mobile websites versus mobile applications
• An all-consuming interest in mobile content

Well, is this finally it? Is 2010 really the year of mobile? Each year since 2001 has been heralded as the year when the mobile internet would become a pervasive reality. After so many false dawns is there more reason to be optimistic this year?At Foviance we think there is. We’re pretty excited about it and here’s why: Read more…

This month’s newsletter combines November and December. In this last newsletter of 2009 we reflect on a difficult but eventful business year.

We saw customer experience play a critical role for many organisations strengthening their digital presence and cross-channel offering in order to provide the best possible levels of service for existing and new customers alike.

Looking back at 2009, Paul assesses how predictable the current landscape was at the outset, and then looks positively towards a tricky but exciting 2010. Meanwhile Amanda shares her insights from a conference on mobile, for those more concerned about sweating the small-screen stuff, and Lis takes a look down both sides of the narrowing divide between mobility and accessibility. Also, I look at the non-rational consumer, a lucrative segment.

Finally, Clare has been analysing our research into online retail habits ahead of the festive shopping season. If you would like a copy of the whitepaper as soon as it’s released, please e-mail info@foviance.com

I hope you have enjoyed your regular newsletters throughout the year. I’d also be very happy to hear from you directly with any feedback.

Marty.

In this issue:

• Looking back on 2009 and forward to 2010
• Researching the mobile experience
• The fine line between mobility and accessibility
• Tapping a lucrative segment: the non-rational consumer

Economics has not fared well in the current financial crisis. Economists placed too much of an emphasis on people’s likelihood to act rationally when making decisions. People do not always act in their own self interest and this is largely a consequence of biases that affect our ability to make decisions.

Economists and psychologists have been exploring our perceptual biases since the 70’s, but these biases have come to assume a new prominence in the most recent crisis because of the writings of behavioural economists such as Richard Thaler, Dan Ariely and Robert Shiller. Read more…

In this latest issue we take a look at the continuing transition of customer experience analysis and consultancy, from valuable but finite one-off projects, to complete end-to-end strategies that should be considered a key part of any modern business’s overall digital operations.

I kick off proceedings by explaining the imperative for companies of all sizes to begin embedding customer experience thinking across their business culture and to spread awareness of the growing power of the collective consumer voice. Billie picks up these reins and looks in more depth at customer experience in the ever expanding world of social media. Clare questions whether businesses are already beginning to focus experience strategies on their highest value customers. And Sean explains how targeted customer experience investment can be more than justified by taking a fresh approach to calculating ROI. Finally the second part of Paul’s interview with Ashley Friedlein of Econsultancy is available for download on Customer Experience.

As ever, if you’ve got any queries or would like to chat about how we can help you to align your customer experience and brand, I’d also be very happy to hear from you.

Marty.

In this issue:

• The need for customer experience strategy
• Social media strategy starting points
• Focusing customer experience strategy
• The ROI of customer experience
• Econsultancy CEO interview

Customer experience is not a fad. Yes the terminology is bandied about much more than before but before customer experience we had customer satisfaction and customer engagement. Using the words ‘customer experience’ implies that an organisation is looking at how consumers experience the brand in a more strategic way. Indeed we’ve been gratified to see a large number of organisations really grasp the concept and value of customer experience. Some initiatives have delivered excellent returns on investment and have proven very effective, but we now believe such initiatives are no longer enough in themselves, and here’s why.Modern customers and consumers have an unprecedented ability to communicate with each other. As a result of the comments, interactions and opinions of customers published across every digital channel, there now exists a vast knowledge pool of insights into every business, and almost complete transparency in every marketplace.
Read more…

This month’s newsletter revolves around squeezing every last drop of value out of customer experience technology investment.

Neil introduces us to a new partner that specialises in understanding customers’ digital interactions, and details precisely why Foviance and Tealeaf make such a great blend. Mariana tells us more about the power of multivariate testing (MVT) in converting curious customers into sales. David Mitchell tells us all a little more about his role as head of customer experience and security at Barclays. And finally Paul talks to Paul Weald from RXP and Penny Downs from Arsenal FC about the evolution of multimedia contact centres for this month’s podcast.

You might also enjoy reading and commenting on some of our consultants’ thoughts and opinions on our regularly updated blog.  I’d also be very happy to hear from you with any feedback.

Marty.

In this issue:

• Getting cosy with Tealeaf
• Multivariate testing
• Maximising Customer Experience Technology
• Multi-media contact centres