Affiliate Industry

Interview w/ Andre Machado, Head of Publishers Relations and Affiliation at Sportradar

Published

1 month ago

May 14, 2024

Interview w/ Andre Machado, Head of Publishers Relations and Affiliation at Sportradar

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Before taking the stage at EEGS’ upcoming Free Webinar, ‘The Relevance of Media Buying Activity in the Affiliate Space’, Sportradar’s Head of Publishers Relations and Affiliation, Andre Machado, sat down with EEGS for an exclusive interview. In this in-depth conversation, Andre shares his expertise on the importance of media buying, affiliate marketing, and navigating the complex compliance landscape. Get a sneak peek at his insights and expert advice before he shares his knowledge with attendees at the free webinar.

Can you share some key insights into the evolution of digital marketing within the iGaming industry over the past decade, and how it has influenced affiliate marketing strategies?

Operators are subsequently turning to automation technology to scale their campaigns and streamline their marketing processes. Automation has been the key and is being used within programmatic advertising technology to efficiently acquire new bettors at this critical time. Programmatic automates the buying of online advertising in realtime to serve highly targeted adverts to the most relevant audiences, which is highly efficient and limits ad wastage. In fact, our proprietary ads programmatic marketing service has enabled our global operator clients to increase click-through-rates by up to 60%, while increasing net gaming revenue by as much as 110%. We estimate that reducing the manual inputs in this process saves our clients up to two months’ worth of productivity annually.

Automation is similarly enhancing operators’ advertising performance across publisher sites, such as high-proﬁle sports and media news websites, and for their sponsorships. By using data to understand fans’ most consumed online content, Sportradar’s Engagement Tool, the adtech we are using in our Affiliate Project, uses automation to display contextually relevant betting ads across both premium publishers and rights holders’ websites. The range of these adverts and the speed at which they are delivered increase click-through-rates by up to 2,2X which would be impossible to replicate manually. The affiliate space is following these macro trends and we are seeing a more sensible vision from the Operators to new ways of cooperation, and Media Buying is one of them.

With your extensive experience in digital marketing, what do you believe are the most critical factors for success in affiliate media buying specifically within the iGaming sector?

If operators can better understand their fans’ interests and browsing habits, they can more effectively target and engage them with personalised content. This is key to acquiring new customers, re-engaging existing players and building brand awareness. Marketing solutions that would enable them to fully understand where and how bettors were interacting with their brand. These customer insights power digital marketing technologies, which decide the most relevant bets to serve to players, on the right platform at the right time. This personalised approach engages fans more deeply, delivers greater conversions, customer loyalty and revenue growth, while limiting advertising waste and compensating the right partners/affiliates.

How do you see the role of data analytics shaping the future of affiliate marketing, and what tools or methodologies do you find most effective in optimizing media buying campaigns?

AI’s role cannot be understated, but it needs data to deliver marketing efficiency. Similarly, data is a resource that is only as useful as how effectively you use it. Therefore, the real game changer is when the two are combined. Operators possess deep pools of anonymised customer data, which offer valuable insights into fan behaviours and interests, such as previously bet-on teams or most frequented digital channels. AI algorithms within digital marketing technologies process this data to create personalised dynamic football adverts that can be delivered on fan-favourite channels. For instance, a FCPorto fan who regularly uses Instagram might receive dynamic ads containing the odds for their team’s next ﬁxture across the platform’s story’s function. With this data readily available, the AI capabilities within marketing services allow operators to truly create highly targeted and customised fan experiences that achieve greater acquisition and brand awareness.

Given the dynamic regulatory landscape surrounding iGaming advertising, how do you advise affiliates to navigate compliance risks effectively while still maximizing their efforts?

By focusing on the content that fans care most about, AI-driven personalisation tools can drive efficiency and limit advertising waste, everything aligned with the current local regulation. This is essential at this moment, when operators must supply advertising creative for the hundreds of weekly matches played across football’s biggest competitions, as an example. While this was previously a protracted, manual process for creative teams, AI and automation technologies are powering Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) solutions to address this operational challenge quickly and at scale. We use DCO in our industry-speciﬁc Dynamic Display solution to engineer an unlimited supply of personalised betting advertising creative, based on fan content preferences and the most popular pages on operators’ websites. The customised content within these creatives engages end users more deeply and improves click-through-rates, while automation saves valuable time and money to achieve more effective budget spend and higher ROI.

Given the ever-changing landscape of digital advertising, what emerging trends do you foresee shaping the future of affiliate media buying, and how should marketers adapt to stay ahead?

In the same way that football clubs allocate their transfer budgets effectively to deliver the best performance on the pitch, operators who execute efficient marketing strategies are most likely to succeed in the marketplace. By leveraging data and AI within the latest advertising technologies, operators can better understand their customers, find their audience quickly and serve them with the content that’s most relevant to them. As with player scouting, to find a hidden gem, you often need to search where others aren’t looking. Similarly, with betting customer acquisition it pays to have exclusive access to audiences. With our Engagement Tool, we work with a single operator in each geographic market to gain visibility on premium publishers in the region, while using our unique adtech to deliver automated, contextually relevant ads that subsequently delivers strong acquisition performance. This might be a trend, it would help to balance the competitiveness within the markets.

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Affiliate Industry

GiG Media announce rebrand following spinoff announcement from Gaming Innovation Group

Published

8 hours ago

June 18, 2024

George Miller

GiG Media announce rebrand following spinoff announcement from Gaming Innovation Group

Reading Time: 2 minutes

New name. New logo. Same great affiliate.

Today marks the day of the official launch of GiG Media’s rebrand following the announcement of the spinoff from Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) platform and sportsbook.

We are pleased to announce that GiG Media has undergone a rebranding process in light of the spinoff and it’s thereof with great enthusiasm that we present our new independent brand, Gentoo Media.

The company will from now on be trademarked under Gentoo Media, and will operate under the name Gentoo.

Whilst introducing our new company name, along with our new logo and visual identity we ensure that Gentoo remains the same great affiliate, with the same great people, and the same great brands that we have become recognised for.

The rebrand marks a significant milestone in the company’s history in becoming a stand alone business in the second half of 2024*, continuing our track record of dominating the iGaming affiliate market with 13 successive quarters with all-time high revenue and strong EBITDA-margin reaching 48% in the last quarter.

Gentoo will continue to focus on our unwavering commitment to deliver superior results, growth and sustainable long-term partnerships, ensuring our partners that with Gentoo, you get more.

Our new company name Gentoo Media pays a tribute to GiG Media’s Rebel Penguin heritage, as Gentoo is an Antarctic penguin species known for prospering by coming together as a unit to survive and thrive. Gentoo further symbolises the next generation of the company’s legacy, opening a new chapter while continuing our path as a market leading affiliate, shaping the future of affiliation.

GiG Media will from today be found under a new array of assets under the Gentoo brand.

“The launch of our new brand is a big milestone for us in the process of separating GiG Media from Gaming Innovation Group. Gentoo has been created with all our partners and employees in mind, ensuring to communicate an accurate and genuine view of ourselves, the business and what we stand for and believe in. The launch of Gentoo marks a new era and we couldn’t be more excited for the future prospects of the business.” – Jonas Warrer, CEO

“The rebrand of GiG Media marks a pivotal moment in the separation of Gaming Innovation Group into two independent businesses, and is a vital step in the process of increasing shareholder value. The launch of Gentoo is a testament to the organisation’s dedication in delivering superior quality and results in every aspect of the business, and is setting the company off to a great start.” – Mikael Harstad, Chairman of the Board

Affiliate Industry

Exciting Changes to the European Gaming Congress 2024: More Value for Operators & Affiliates!

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2024

George Miller

Exciting Changes to the European Gaming Congress 2024: More Value for Operators & Affiliates!

Reading Time: < 1 minute

HIPTHER is thrilled to announce a dynamic shift in focus for the upcoming European Gaming Congress (EGC) 2024, taking place in the vibrant city of Warsaw between 15-16 October! Our aim is to better serve our community of operators and affiliates by offering a richer, more diverse range of topics and panels.

While we will continue to provide critical insights with two compliance panels focused on Poland and the combined Nordic + D-A-CH regions, we are expanding our agenda to include exciting new topics that cater specifically to your interests and needs:

Esports: Exploring the rapidly growing world of competitive gaming and its integration with traditional gambling.

SEO: Strategies to optimize your online presence and drive more traffic to your platforms.

Marketing & PR: Innovative approaches to branding, customer engagement, and public relations in the gaming industry.

Fintech: Discovering the latest financial technologies transforming the gaming payment landscape.

Blockchain: Understanding how blockchain technology is revolutionizing transparency, security, and operations within gaming.

Special Offer: 30 Free Tickets for Affiliates and Operators!

To celebrate these exciting changes, we are offering 30 FREE TICKETS exclusively for affiliates and operators. This is your chance to gain invaluable knowledge, network with industry leaders, and stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving gaming landscape.

Don’t miss out! Secure your free ticket today and be part of the transformation at EGC 2024.

Claim Your Free Ticket Now: https://hipther.com/events/egc/freetickets-egc2024/

Join us in Warsaw for a groundbreaking event that promises to deliver unparalleled insights, innovative discussions, and exceptional networking opportunities. We look forward to welcoming you to the European Gaming Congress 2024!

Stay tuned for more updates and detailed agenda announcements.

Affiliate Industry

SOFTSWISS Triumphs at EGR B2B Awards 2024

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2024

George Miller

SOFTSWISS Triumphs at EGR B2B Awards 2024

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Affilka by SOFTSWISS, a leading provider of affiliate management software for iGaming, wins in the Affiliate Software Supplier category at the esteemed EGR B2B Awards 2024.

The EGR B2B Awards celebrate the very best service providers in the online gaming industry. The accolade recognises the achievements of suppliers from across all the major industry spheres, including gaming and betting software, IT and infrastructure, payments and safer gambling tools.

Award-winning Affilka by SOFTSWISS provides top-notch affiliate management software that integrates with any casino, sportsbook, or poker platform, ensuring productive operator-affiliate relationships. Currently, the software powers over 360 brands, having almost 260 thousand affiliate accounts.

The software includes integrated payment systems, which help operators to process payments directly from the Affilka’s back-office in a few clicks. The software also provides interface customisation, multi-product management and dedicated support. Zero setup fees and real-time tracking and reporting also represent significant advantages of the platform.

Vitali Matsukevich, Chief Operating Officer at SOFTSWISS, expresses his pride: “The team is honoured to achieve such a valuable accolade. Our unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of possible and changing the iGaming industry for the better through technologies and innovations made this prominent win real. On behalf of the entire team, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our partners and clients, whose trust and support fuel our enthusiasm.”

Success at the EGR B2B Awards is the second accolade to the Affilka by SOFTSWISS’ collection in 2024. In March, the company was named the best Affiliate Marketing Solution at the Asia Gaming Awards.

SOFTSWISS was also named as a silver winner in the Sportsbook Platform Supplier category at the EGR B2B Awards. The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook covers 2,000+ unique markets with 100,000+ live events in 200+ sports, including esports and premium cricket. It provides a seamless, secure, and efficient environment for both operators and players.

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 20,000 casino games, the Affilka affiliate platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.