European Gaming Q3 Meetup Part I: Mastering the Player Lifecycle

The European Gaming Q3 Virtual Meetup that took place on 13 September had it all: from Commercial Marketing and the Player Lifecycle, to Employer Marketing, Talent Acquisition and Retention, industry experts from the European iGaming scene provided insights in two informative and honest panels that no professional should miss! Read on and find the link to the Livestream recordings to watch the EGQ3 Meetup on YouTube!

The European Gaming Meetups by Hipther Agency are designed to keep you up-to-date with what is fresh in the European gambling industry.

The meetups feature several panel discussions per region and topics that are joined by key industry experts, CEOs, C-Level Executives, Business Development Managers, and sometimes government officials/regulators.

The European Gaming Q3 Virtual Meetup featured two thought-provoking panels: “Mastering the Player Lifecycle” and “The Importance of Company Culture in iGaming”.

Panel 1: “Mastering the Player Lifecycle”

Speakers: Domenico Mazzola, Sales Director at Flows | Thomas Kolbabek, CTO at Golden Whale Productions

Moderated by: Zoltan Tundik, Co-founder and Head of Business at Hipther

Watch the Panel Discussion on YouTube and HiptherTV!

The panelists kicked off the discussion by delving into the fundamentals of mastering the player lifecycle. Domenico Mazzola emphasized the importance of Marketing Campaigns Automation, highlighting the need for real-time data to inform successful marketing strategies. He stressed the significance of A/B testing and underscored the competitive landscape, where companies vie for players’ attention amidst constant distractions from platforms like Netflix and social media. Therefore, data should be harnessed for precise player profiling and segmentation, enabling customized promotional strategies.

Domenico furthered his analysis by pointing out that while leveraging data is ideal, many corporations lack the necessary focus. Startups often cut corners and prioritize rapid acquisitions, while established organizations move slowly, missing out on technological innovations.

Thomas Kolbabek concurred with the data-driven approach and stressed the importance of data collection for effective segmentation, allowing for personalized customer targeting and messaging. He advocated for engaging all players, not just VIPs, to achieve higher retention rates. Real-time data, according to him, is crucial for tracking player activity and tailoring the player experience, incentives, and messaging accordingly.

The panelists also explored psychological triggers and personalized experiences. Thomas discussed player types, their preferences, and the need to identify the reasons behind their behavior for a successful retention strategy. He distinguished between immersive players who appreciate gaming details, such as animations, and money-oriented players who focus on gameplay and winnings. With recorded gameplay data and identified psychological triggers, online casino companies can personalize the player experience by adjusting gaming details and messaging.

Domenico took personalization a step further, emphasizing the importance of creating original, personalized content and offers. He concurred with Thomas on the necessity of having the right system and tools in place for real-time data collection. He acknowledged that many companies face challenges in this area, often stuck with legacy systems that are difficult to update. He stressed the need for companies to recognize the importance of appropriate data tools for the success of acquisition and retention strategies.

Regarding case studies of successful retention strategies, both guests refrained from providing specific examples due to privacy concerns. However, Thomas shared a successful “formula”: running test campaigns for incentives, bonuses, and customized messaging, leading to the development of automated machine learning models, resulting in a 75% uplift in retention and a 25% uplift in player activity.

Domenico shared that his experience with B2B and B2C companies has shown that focusing on specific KPIs can significantly accelerate the development cycle, reducing it from months to days.

Both speakers agreed on the value of AI and technological advancements, particularly in graphics resources and highly customized messaging.

In conclusion, Thomas summarized the process of building a successful retention strategy, emphasizing the importance of identifying specific problems, gathering data, and hypothesizing to create machine learning models under a top-down KPI-based approach. Domenico reiterated that data and automation are imperative for retention strategy development, stressing the importance of investing in the right tools for the retention process.

Read more about the second part of this exciting and informative edition of the European Quarterly Meetups, a panel discussion on Company Culture in iGaming!