GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 17 - September 2011

SIVAN KASPI Rummy Affiliates MEET THE AFFILIATE MANAGER It’s usually a long, winding road that carries people into our industry. Our latest affiliate manager interviewee is a prime example. Sivan Kaspi tells us that she’s “moved around quite a bit.” Raised in Los Angeles, a student in Boston and now living in Tel Aviv, Sivan has taken all the experiences she’s had along the way and skillfully applied them to her job at Rummy Affiliates – a job she truly loves. She also lovesWoody Allen, Beyoncé and Mark Twain, although she’s totally lost count of how many times she’s started reading (and failed to finish) The Innocents Abroad . Rummy is a game that a lot of af- filiates may not have expertise in promoting. In terms of demo- graphics, how are rummy custom- ers different from online casino or online poker players? What’s their average age? What’s the male/female breakdown? And if you know, how do their interests differ from the typical online ca- sino/online poker customer? The main difference between rummy and other games is that rummy is entirely a skill game. Casino games rely on luck, and rummy players cannot depend on “bluff- ing” to win a game as poker players do. Rum- my is an international game, one that families can play together. Rum- myRoyal offers its new players the opportunity to play at beginners’ ta- bles, only against other beginners, so that they will gain confidence before playing against more experienced play- ers. RummyRoyal has about a 60/40 male to female ratio, and our average age range is from 25-45 years old, the median being 32. The biggest difference with our players is that since rummy is a house- hold game, most people do not know that they can play rummy for real money online. Rummy is a game known around the world by its local variations, which RummyRoyal recognizes by offering 15 brands of the game, including: Remi in Romania, Okey in Turkey, Burraco in Italy and Kalooki in the U.K. What other major differences are there between promoting online rummy vs. online casinos? It’s pretty simple – we are not a casi- no. Rummy is a different product in and of itself. Many of our play- ers are poker and casino players, so there is a nice overlap there. Same goes for our affiliates. The great advantage of being a rummy affiliate is that you gain a popu- lar product to promote to poker players who can use their skills at rummy, or a sports better who may take a break from betting and play an interactive game. In terms of lifetime player value, what can affiliates expect out of a rummy customer? Affiliates can expect pretty much the same play- er value as from a poker player. What differentiates Rummy Af- filiates from other affiliate pro- grams? I like to think of Rummy Affiliates as a boutique program. We don’t represent five different casino brands like other pro- grams do and we employ more affiliate managers, so the ratio of affiliate accounts to manager is really nice for the affiliate. Our affiliates have more direct contact with their account man- agers, especially managers who speak the affiliate’s native lan- guage. Our top three concerns are customer service, reliable and timely payments and re- ports, and having a great prod- uct to offer. What is the biggest challenge fac- ing RummyRoyal in 2011? We are growing and expanding at a very fast pace and we are always trying to keep up. We just added a new white label with Offside Bet, and are currently working on others. We have many projects in process right now. It’s a really exciting time for us. You studied at Brandeis University inMassachusetts.What experienc- es have you taken from Brandeis that have helped you in your job at Rummy Affiliates? I have moved around quite a bit. I was raised in Los Angeles, studied in Boston and now I am living in Tel Aviv, so I have learned how to easily adapt to a new place. At Brandeis, I re- ceived a dual degree, both parts of which were interdisciplinary, so I have learned how to take many different experiences and sub- jects, and combine them to formu- late one solution. This technique comes in handy in marketing, and has assisted plenty with my job at Rummy Affiliates. How did you end up studying at Brandeis? And how did you end up moving from Brandeis to Rum- my Affiliates in Israel? I applied to Brandeis as a fluke (Boston is great, but who would choose Boston over the sunny beaches of LA??) but I saw a good opportunity and went for it. It’s the best fluke I ever took advantage of, and I am very grate- ful for my education. It has always been my dream to live in Israel. When I arrived in Israel, I met Udi Abudram, who “ Rummy Affiliates is very strict about making payments on time. . . . Our affiliates know exactly when t hey will get paid. This punctuality builds trust and is extremely important in any partnership. ” 52 Affiliate Manager Interview Series