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PADDY POWER’S ISAAC WARD TELLS TOM WASHINGTON HOW PADDY POWER’S WELL-OILED MACHINE WILL KEEP IT AHEAD OF THE PACK FOR YEARS TO COME.
Innovation is a word often associated with Paddy Power. The company swept the board at this year’s inaugural eGaming Review Innovation Awards, taking home seven gongs. Yet despite the attention it receives for its eye-catching ad campaigns and cutting-edge product launches, the Irish bookmaker seldom discusses the internal processes behind its unique reputation. One vital cog in this slick machine is a small team of employees whose sole job is to keep a close eye on technology developments in the wider world, and to funnel it back to see how Paddy Power can use it. It might seem like a luxurious allocation of resources, but this group of half a dozen staff is emblematic of how the operator is positioning itself to stay ahead of the game by being the ?rst and the best at implementing new ideas. Indeed, as Paddy Power’s head of gaming Isaac Ward is keen to explain, what the public sees and what goes on behind the scenes are two very different things. “One of the key areas we have historically done well in is staying ahead of the competition,” he says. “So in the next six to 12 months there will be some de?nite focus and attention around obvious things like mobile and tablet, but also around internal processes, platforms and analytics. With the company performing so well, it’s a good time for us to consolidate some of those pieces and set them up for more growth in the future. “The innovation team is constantly looking for trends and techniques in terms of user interfacing, such as how the BBC website uses columnised data and the way it surfaces content. It will then ?lter that information and give the user experience team ideas on how to improve our offering.”
ISAAC WARD
There is a misconception – often shared by those applying for jobs at the company – that the key to the success is nothing more than its clever branding. They arrive at interview, says Ward, having seen all the wacky promotions in the media expecting everyone to be “romping around dressed up as whatever” and coming up with crazy ideas. “But we’re a professional organisation and we work very hard,” he says. “The public sees the fun campaigns and so on, but people don’t see the level of effort and innovation that is required to do something as simple as getting a hot air balloon in the shape of Paddy Power pants which actually works.” Ward explains that whereas its competitors might produce an impressive Cheltenham sign or campaign, what sets Paddy Power apart is ensuring the acquisitions, product and marketing teams are working in unison to bring the idea to life and cash in on the success of the brand. “If you just innovate in one area it’s like having a very strong leg or arm but overall the body doesn’t carry it,” he says. “Our innovation permeates the entire organisation. When you bring all those things together and execute them, the quarter per cent improvement in each team doesn’t mean much, but added up across everything it means a hell of a lot.”
IN GOOD COMPANY
To the consumer, this forward-thinking culture manifests itself in headline-grabbing PR stunts and product launches. Yet as Ward explains, the ?rm has become adept at making these things look far easier than they are. In fact, each pair of Paddy Power underpants spotted in the press and every comedy poster is part of a highly sophisticated operation encompassing far more than just its infamous ‘mischief department’.
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WHAT'S NEXT FOR MOBILE?
For the time being it is mobile gaming, already an area of huge focus and investment for Paddy Power, which dominates the operator’s agenda. The launch of its two iOS-speci?c apps, Vegas and Roller, have exceeded expectations and Ward’s opinion that there’s a “genuine consumer appetite” for more standalone apps hints at what the future holds. Paddy Power’s ?rst foray into standalone apps was its singlegame Deal or no Deal product, which harnessed the strong
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