GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 10 - Sept 2009

46 GPWA Times :: licensee site depending on their location. This has tremendous value for us as a brand licensee, sowhileweareallseparate businesses, thecustomers’perception isof one worldwide Bodog family, albeit with products tailored to their individualneeds dependingon themarket theyare in. Let’s talk more specifically about Bodog88.com. How is it different from Bodog.com and Bodog.co.uk? How does Bodog88.com fit in with the “work hard, play hard” Bodog lifestyle? Each of the brand licensees have their own strategies and objectives, but wewill all share the common goals of delivering a great product range tailored to our own individual markets under the Bodog brand and brand values. In the Asianmarket Live Dealer is a key differ- ence; RNG casino games are viewedwith distrust here. Haydock offers a great Live Dealer experience, one which we will look to develop further over thenext year.On the sports betting front, football is our main product, although in Asia, the focus is on handicap betting and in-running. We have spent a lot of effort to customize our football betting coupons to accommodate our target market, which right now is young Chinese male across the region. We currently offer English and Chinese language options and will be looking to extend the range in the future. We have a young, talented, multicultural workforce based in Manila. They work hard, and if you’dbeenhere to experience our recent office party, you would have seen for yourself they can reallyplayhard as well. Actually this is my experience of manyAsian cultures, particularly theChi- nese; hard work and success are key in- gredientsof theirculture,but comeFriday night it’snoholdsbarreddownat the local bar or nightclub. Bodog’s ethos of “work hard, play hard” is a perfect fit with both our teamhereandour customers. What’s the typical demographic pro- file for an Asian player? How does that differ from European andNorth American players? Ignoring the credit market, I believe our target customer sharesmanysimilardemographic features with European and American customers. Wewant to focus on thealready largeand growing youngmalemiddle class, people withdisposable incomesandapassion for sports andhaving fun. What futureplansdoyouhave in store for Bodog88.com? New games? Lan- guages? Promos? Land-based events? Haydock’s objective is to be the largest online provider of betting and gaming in Asia. Right now I cannot give you adefini- tive time linebut I am convinced thatwith the strength of the Bodog brand behind uswewill get there.We have plans to roll out exciting newproducts and games over the next year or so and a significantly en- hancedLiveDealerproduct.Aswesucceed in each individual territorywewill look to enter new ones. Asia is a big place; it will keepusbusy forawhileyet. Howdoesadvertisingchange inAsia? What do you have to do differently there thanyouwould inNorthAmer- icaorEurope? I cannot comment on the North Americanmarket as I have no ex- perience there, but inour chosenmarkets in Asia, advertising is a challenge. What would be deemed acceptable in Europe is frowneduponhere.We are sensitive to local regulations and media restrictions, and themessages we use to promote our products are less hard hitting than they wouldbe inEurope.Conveying thehistory of the Bodog brand and all that it stands for is akeymessage forus. What is Bodog’s reputation in Asia? What was it before you became the licensee?What do youwant Bodog’s reputation in Asia to be? Bodog is a truly global betting brand and I cannot thinkof anotherbrand that is represented inmarkets right across the globe. Asia is probably the region where the brand is leastwell known, but it stillhassignificant traction. Our challenge at Haydock is to make sure the brand values that have served other brand licensees so well becomemorewell known inAsia. Thehugeamountof informationavailable about Bodog via the simplest Internet search is a great boost for us. Trust is a big issue in the Asian bettingmarket and our potential customers can easily check the brand out and start betting in full confidence that they are dealing with a trustedandhonest brand. How areAsian iGaming affiliates differ- ent fromAmericanandU.K. iGamingaf- filiates? Do youhave your own affiliate teamforBodog88.com? Affiliates are the same theworld over – if you offer them a compellingproduct topromote supported by a great brand, and give a fair reward for their work, they will deliver custom- ers. While the affiliate networks in Asian bookmaking are not as sophisticated as those in the West, things are changing rapidly. Haydockhas just launched its af- filiate site and affiliates will be as impor- tant to our success as the agent network was to the underground bookmakers. Having the ability to market ourselves under theBodogbrand, with its deephis- tory and large amount of relevant content about it on theWeb, gives our affiliates a hugeadvantage in themarketplace. Doyouplantohaveapresenceatsome of theupcomingAsian-facingaffiliate conferences? If so,whichones? Weare still working on our approach to this, but yes, wewill be represented atmost of the Asianaffiliate conferences. Does Bodog88 participate in any of- flineadvertising in theAsianmarket? If so,what kind? We do run some cam- paigns based around offline advertising with ourmain focus based onplacements in sports related papers and magazines. We are also focusing on getting good edi- torial coverage in the same media. Hav- ing Bodog88 as our brand is a real asset here as many Asian editors, in particular the sports press, already know about the Bodogbrandand itshistory.Mostbiteour hands off at a chance to do a story about Bodog. What do you like todo in your spare time?Haveyouevertriedwakeboard- ing? Well, Imight not beas goodas some oftheotherBodog licenseesatwakeboard- ing, but I have tried it and I did stay up. I was immensely pleasedwithmyself, until I sawmy children doing all sorts of com- plicated jumps and turns. Other than that life isprettymuch focusedon thebusiness rightnow; it’sanexciting time forall of us here inManila;we’re all focusedondeliv- ering success. Rumor has it that you are one of the more senior Bodog brand licensees. Do you feel older andwiser than the rest of them? Youhave certainly putme on the spothere. Yes, I supposeat 50 Iam one of the more senior Bodog licensees, but that’s another great thingaboutAsian people.Onthewholetheyrespectusoldies andperceiveusasbeingwise, deservedor otherwise. Bodog shooting for the stars