GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 10 - Sept 2009

72 GPWA Times :: FREDRIKWADSTEIN | Buzzluck “Playersare becomingbored with thesameold casinogames.” Buzzluck is a 3D casino with entertainment–beyondthegame – built in.Do youfind it easier or moredifficulttopromoteacasino where the games aren’t the only attraction? Easier. Who needs another RTG, Microgaming or any supplier casino? Been there, done that…how’s that going to attract players? Still, one of the hurdles we had when launching was getting affiliates onboard with the idea of something new and innovative and getting them comfortable with promoting the casino. They know that the “traditional” online casinomodel works and generates earnings for them, so to enter unchartered territory, it’s understandable that theyhad reservations. I think the most common reaction from an affiliate perspective was the concern that our 3D lobby and Live Lounge, two core components of the Buzzluck experience, would distract players from depositing and playing casino games. In fact, by offering these core differentiating components, it givesaffiliatessomething to talk about to their traffic and it gives players a better overall casino experience,keepingthemengaged andonour site for a longer time. Players are becoming bored with the same old casino games. With the growth of high-speed/broad- band Internet penetration across the globe and online users’ grow- ing appetite for video consump- tion, expectations have changed. Players like to be constantly en- gaged via constantly changing social networks like Facebook or Twitter, entertained by the ever- growing YouTube; static just isn’t enough in the21st century.Hence, that’s why we say Buzzluck.com, Never bored. Always changing. Somethingdifferent. Relatively new affiliate programs and casinos often take a while to gain traction with affiliates, because they’re waiting to see a track record of performance. Howdifficult has it been tobreak through into the market? Our most aggressive measure back when we launched in February 2009 was to offer our charter affiliatesa50percentflatrevshare for 12 months. That has never beendone before and it definitely got us some good publicity, but we didn’t get a wave of affiliates registering to take us up on the offer,whichwasexpected. Asyou said, affiliates with experience in the gaming industry will wait until we’ve passed our “growing pains” period in order to get a track record of performance before joining. But at the same time, our having been in the business for years helpedenormously.Weknowwho to talk to, who the affiliate “trend setters” are, and they knew that if these guyswere associatedwith a casino, it wouldn’t be rogue. We have our charter affiliates that joined from the very beginning and I think they believed in what we were trying to do with Buzzluck in offering players a new and unique experience, and they’re seeing it pay off. And as one affiliate toldme, which sums it all up, “I honestly haven’t been excited about a new casino in a while, but this looks great.” What differentiates the Buzzluck Affiliate Program from other af- filiate programs? I would say my eight years of marketing experi- ence in the iGaming industry is what differentiates the program from others. My past work ex- perience dealt primarily with acquisition marketing activities frommedia planning and buying for both online and offline cam- paigns to implementing e-mail programs, and through the years, ithasgivenmea lotof insight into whatworks anddoesn’twork. The Buzzluck Affiliate Program has a Twitter account. How do you see Twitter helping you market yourselves – both as a casino and an affiliate program? Howdoyou seeTwitter changing thenatureofmarketing? Twitter, our boss always says, is like the U.S.CB radio fadof the seventies. Apparently ’way back in 1976 everyone was buying CB radios and had “handles” and chatted with each other, usually fairly inanely, but sometimes with useful information, e.g., “There’s a smokey up yonder at I-80 exit 19, better slowdown.” They even madeamovieandhadahitsingle, Asa rule,affiliatemanagersareuncomplicated,outgoing types leading fun,exciting lives in perpetually sunny places that most of us can’t even find on themap.Well, we’re delighted to tell you that these four managers defy the stereotype! One still has fond memories of the CB radio craze; another can barely remember anything that’s happened in the last five years; the female subject wants to run off with John Cusack – only not today’s JC, but the 1989model; and one guy wants to take Angelina Jolie away on his motocycle. Read on at your own risk! Due to spaceconstraints,wecouldnotprint the interviews in their entirety. Thecomplete textwill bepostedatgpwa.org. MEET THE AFFILIATE MANAGERS AffiliateManager Interview Series