GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 13 - June 2010

reallyallow for long-termprofitabilityand mutuallybeneficial partnerships. How can affiliates help in retaining players? I verymuch see it as beinga joint effort between affiliates and operators. Affiliatesneed toensurewhat theypromise theirplayersor subaffiliates ismanageable by the operator, while the operator needs to ensure that theCRM strategy employed isefficientandeffective inhelpingaffiliates understand their differentiated player base so that they may target and achieve results accordingly. Affiliates can also contribute to theoperator’sunderstanding of their respective player profiles, allowing the operator to manage players in the most effective way possible. Sound communicationwithall parties iskey! Most of the affiliatemanagerswe talk to say building trust with their affiliates is critical to success. How do you go about building trustwithyouraffiliates? Having a transparent programwith reliable stats and a strong, dedicated affiliate team be- hind the scenes are inmy opinion the key ingredients. Clearly communicated terms andconditions thatareadhered toarealso important if youwant to build solid long- term relationshipswithyourpartners! Besides trust,what are the keys tobuild- ing successful relationships between af- filiates and affiliate programs? Trust is a major factor as I previously pointed out, but tobuild this trust oneneeds to ensure efficient internal and external channels of communication,operational transparency andanaffiliate team that takes the time to listen andunderstand the current and fu- tureneedsofaffiliatesand theirrespective playerbases. What are the threemost important attri- butes an affiliate manager must have in order tobesuccessful? Persistence, deter- minationand theability toworkhardand partyharder! How long have you been in the online gambling industry? Why did you decide toenter the field? I actually startedwork- ing in gaming three years ago as an ac- countmanager atNetRefer. Prior to that I was interested in the field and relatedmy Marketing Master’s studies to the online gambling industrywitha specialization in affiliatemarketing. Rumorhas it that you loveMalta.Didyou growup there?Whatdoes theworldneed to know and understand about Malta – and your love for Malta? I amMaltese born and bred. I grew up there most of my life but I did spend quite a few years studying in England. First things first: Yes, it exists; no, it’s not part of Italy; yes, the Internet has finally arrived; and no, we aren’t all related! LOL. But seriously, Malta is a great place to be...its climate, rich historical background, friendly peo- ple and overall relaxed atmospheremake it an ideal homeorplace tovisit! Where have you lived in Europe? What wereyourfavoritethingsabouttheplaces you lived?Howdid thoseplaces compare to Malta? England and Sweden – both places proved to be a great experience. Living on an island sometimes tends to lead to quite a narrowmind frame. Get- tingawayhelpedbroadenmyperspective, and ensured I came to understand that there is a lotmore to life than the sun the seaandpartying inPaceville! Time to represent the Scorpios. What is greataboutbeingaScorpio?Whatdoesn’t theworldunderstandaboutScorpios? I’m not one to go by the bookswhen it comes tohoroscopes... Ido read them ... but only believe themwhen itpaysme todoso–so Iwon’t commentmuchhere! Doyougambleyourself? Ifso,whatgames do you like to play?Were you an online player before getting into the industry? I’m not much of a gambler myself...my last trip to Vegas was spent in the shop- pingmall atCaesarsPalace,whichgoes to prove thisall toowell!! Iobviouslymake it apoint tounderstand the productswe of- fer and thepsychology behind theplayers and the games... but as for money spent online... it’s shopping rather than gam- bling that drainsmybankaccount! Whatadvicedoyouhaveforsomeone just starting in the industry? Don’t let anyone or anything knock you down...hard work andperseverancepayoff in the long run! If you couldhavedinnerwith threeother people, livingordead,whowould theybe andwhy? JesusChrist–Havea fewques- tion here I need to ask the big guy!! Sig- mundFreud–Think it’s high time some- one analyzedhim rather than vice versa!! MarcJacobs– Ineedanewbag! What’s the best movie food? And why? Chocolate. I’mawoman–chocolate is the answer to all my problems and the ideal food for any situation! What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? It was an academic book read in preparation for my post graduation viva – I enjoyed the fact that it backed upmy research findings, but to be totally hon- est there are farmore interesting books I wouldhave rather read. What is your favorite movie? And why? This verymuchdepends onmymood... it could be a chick flick one day and an ac- tion-packed thriller another...but “The Godfather” is amovie that has passed the test of time and remains onmy hit list... that andall otherAl Pacinomovies! Ifyouhadathemesong,whatwould itbe? Andwhy? “TheseAre theDaysWorthLiv- ing.” Imay not always relate to the lyrics but that song always helps me recharge, refocus andget right back in thegame! If you could change one thing about the onlinegaming industry,whatwould itbe? I think it wouldhave to be the reputation it has in some countries. If someone is visitingyou,what’s theone placeyouhave to take them tosee? Given Malta’ssize, I’d take them tosee thewhole place ... in less than threehours!!! 67 AffiliateManager Interview Series