Paul Blunden

Paul's bio

Paul Blunden's career in Sales and Marketing spanned over 20 years and led him to Foviance in 2001 where he is now CEO. He holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management, a Diploma in Marketing from CIM and is a Graduate of the CIPD. Paul is a regular commentator on cross-channel customer experience at conferences and in the media.

"I am particularly interested in the delivery of service, commerce and business functions across multiple channels; how they impact the strategy and operations of new, and in particular old economy companies and how this in turn is impacting the evolution of customer experience."

Welcome to this latest edition of your Foviance newsletter. In this issue we look at the changing face of mobile customer experience and the rapid developments we’re witnessing in 2010: the year of the mobile.

Firstly, Xavier expands on the boom in mobile retail apps. Sean opens up the debate on future direction of targeted mobile advertising. And Jamie enlightens us about ‘Yam-Yams’ and the fickle world of mobile gaming.

I hope you enjoy this latest newsletter.You might also enjoy reading and commenting on some of our consultants’ thoughts and opinions on our regularly updated blog pages.

I would be very interested to hear from you directly with any feedback.

Paul Blunden, CEO, Foviance

In this issue:

Making the most of retail apps
Going local with mobile advertising
Cross-channel experience for Yam Yams!

I suppose like most people who work in the related industries, I have been having lots of conversations and thoughts about the iPad recently. Nearly all of them have ended with two conclusions: That the iPad is game changing (something I have not always agreed with); but no-one is really sure how. Well now I am convinced and I think I do know how. (more…)

Welcome to this latest edition of your Foviance newsletter. In this issue we examine how gaming companies can instil confidence and loyalty in their customers, and find out a lot more about them into the bargain. Many of the issues discussed trasfer directly to other sectors and are therefore relevant  to us all.

Neil underlines the importance of applying measurable analytics to the customer experience of gamers. Jamie highlights the value of focus groups at a Bingo summit, and provides an update on the latest in mobile gaming trends. Finally Mariana examines the phenomenon of gaming attrition in the wake of this year’s Football World Cup.

If you enjoy this latest newsletter, why not visit our website? You might also enjoy reading and commenting on some of our consultants’ thoughts and opinions on our regularly updated blog page.

I would be very interested to hear from you directly with any feedback and any ideas for topics you would like us to discuss in future issues. Think of it as free consultancy!

Paul Blunden, CEO Foviance

In this issue:

A winning analytics strategy for gaming firms

Eyes down, it’s time to focus on Bingo

Reducing player attrition

Mobile gaming: the state of play

Welcome to your latest edition of the Foviance newsletter. This issue sees the whole team mobilising to gain a more footloose and fancy-free perspective on the customer experience.

Frank Ma, our man in China, offers a fascinating insight into the mobile state of play in his own vast marketplace. Chris Holmes takes Apple’s latest toy home for the weekend but fails to be seduced by its good looks and charming first impressions. Jamie Barnett examines why Betfair is odds-on to turn its first-to-market mobile betting advantage into solid returns. And finally, Guy Stephens explains why ‘on-the-go’ points to a bright new future for customer service.

I would be very interested to hear from you directly with any feedback.

Paul

In this issue:

Mobile habits made in China

My weekend with the iPad

Gaming cuts loose

Customer service ‘on-the-go’

Welcome to the latest edition of the Foviance newsletter. In this issue we focus on the continuing evolution of social media and its impact on customer experience.

On that subject I am delighted to introduce Guy Stephens who joined Foviance this month from Carphone Warehouse, where he helped improve the customer service function by utilising social media channels. He is now advising Foviance customers in the same field as part of our wider social media offering.

This month Guy has written an article considering the implications of time in the immediate worlds of the Twitterati, Billie keeps tabs on the often torrid relationship between social media and technology, while Jonathan attempts to steer dazzled app fans clear of the permanent beta trap. Finally Catriona backs calls to ensure professionalism and standards are developed as we all grow up in the social media spotlight.

I would be very interested to hear from you directly with any feedback or subjects you would like us to cover.

Paul

In this issue:

Twitter: to SLA or not to SLA?

Don’t fall into the permanent beta trap

Seven year itch for social media?

Industry Action Required – Sharpening social media practice

A glass or two glasses of wine into a networking dinner recently, I found myself in a debate about whether the iPad would be game changing or not. I have some history of this subject as when we first started the company in 2001, we travelled the world testing Microsoft’s tablet PC to help understand how and where people would use it and what usability issues were apparent between device and software. (more…)

Welcome to the Foviance ‘crossing the channels of experience’ March newsletter. I have taken over as editor this month, as sadly Marty has decided to leave Foviance after nine years. Marty is leaving the life of consultancy to set up a new online venture and we wish him the very best of luck and success.

In this issue we focus on cross-channel customer experience. I relay my own experiences from a recent practical master class with a number of senior marketers, Sean shares his views on information visualisation, Adam points the way ahead for mapping experience, while Guy rises to the challenge of cross-channel measurement.

If you enjoyed this latest newsletter, you might also enjoy reading and commenting on some of our consultants’ thoughts and opinions on our regularly updated blog page.

I would be very interested to hear from you directly with any feedback.

Paul

Paul Blunden, CEO, Foviance

In this issue:

Customer experience master class

Information visulisation

Mapping the experience

Conquering cross-channel customer measurement

A clear customer experience strategy is critical for modern service businesses. Recently I ran a customer experience master class for Marketing Week as part of the Customer Retention conference, in which I shared my thoughts and some practical models with senior marketers.

Most organisations seem to struggle with the balance between mass customisation and commoditisation of services. Although over ten years old now, I used a concept of progressing economic value introduced by Pine & Gilmore in their book ‘Experience Economy’ to explain why customer experience strategies can help businesses differentiate. (more…)