GPWA Times Magaine - Issue 23 - February 2013

relate to certain players as exclusively “mobile.” As the mobile industry as a whole grows by leaps and bounds, it becomes an insep- arable part of life in the world today. This certainly applies to mobile gambling as well. We are seeing a huge growth in the number of mobile users, whether they are new players or cross players from online offerings. As such, our casinos have devel- oped the technology to support nearly ev- ery device on the market, so when a player searches on his mobile and reaches our casinos – whether directly or via an affili- ate – he will get a mobile page optimized for his device with a mobile-specific of- fering. And likewise, if he is searching on the Web, he will get a Web-based offering. This flexibility allows us to provide the user with the best experience, and a seam- less transition to playing. The mobile casino these days is not viewed as a separate entity from the rest of the online brand. It is simply an extension, and players are coming to expect mobile tools to enhance everything else they do in their lives. BrightShare has been in business since 1999. How important is that lon- gevity when it comes to building trust with players and affiliates? It’s of the greatest importance. Reputation, as we see it, is everything. If you can’t be held to your word, you’re not going to be able to keep your head above water for very long. Reputation goes hand in hand with long- term success. Especially in a business like this, where networking is so common and everybody knows everyone, it is essential to maintain your transparency, address the needs and concerns of your affiliates and be accountable for bringing results. That’s what BrightShare is all about. We have many partners who have been with us since day one, and this just goes to show how long-term partnership can work, with trust and success leading the way. Prior to joining the BrightShare team, you spent two years as the marketing director for Euro Partners. Was that your first experience in the online gam- bling industry? What were your initial impressions? My first experience deal- ing with online casino affiliates was a bit of a culture shock for me. In my previous position, I was used to interacting with top executives of large companies. These were mostly older men dressed to the nines in suits and ties, always very serious and formal. Suddenly, entering the online ca- sino business, I started meeting 20-some- things in jeans and sneakers, and was a bit surprised to find that these young execu- tives bore the same level of responsibility, ran highly lucrative businesses, and they had the same level of influence on their industry as the corporate execs I was used to. I must say, I think the informal atmo- sphere of the online casino business is a lot more fun! Prior to entering the industry, you worked at HOT, an Israeli communi- cations company. How is the online gambling industry similar to the com- munications provider industry? How is it different? I would say there are a lot of differences between the two industries. For one thing, in my position at HOT, my interactions were mostly offline and face- to-face, rather than the online relation- ships maintained by e-mail with affiliates around the world as we have here. This was a completely new dynamic for me, but I feel that my people skills are a good match for this business. You’ve been at BrightShare for almost a year now. How did your time at Euro Partners prepare you for your position at BrightShare? And what was it about BrightShare that attracted you to the position there? Euro Partners was where I first learned about the online casino in- dustry, and it gave me insights on how to work with affiliates. The thing I love most about BrightShare is the culture – the values of hard work and positive attitude, and of course the people themselves. We really work as a team, and this dynamic is what makes me feel truly at home here at BrightShare. It’s one thing to bring in a new person to a site. It’s another thing entirely to get them to stick around. What does BrightShare do to retain players sen t by affiliates? BrightShare is the affiliate program, and it is our job to help our af - filiates bring the best players into the ca - sino and maximize their profits. Once the player has opened an account, the casino marketing team takes over, greeting the player with optimized conversion strate - gies and transitioning the player into a regular, loyal customer. Our casinos’ conversion and retention teams are among the best in the industry , and they achieve consistently high reten - tion rates month after month. Our brands have over 12 years of experience providing players with the level of excitement and entertainment that they could otherwise only enjoy at a land-based casino. The casinos’ bonuses, competitions and first - rate customer service are what keep play - ers coming back for more. What do affiliates need to know abou t BrightShare in order to effectively market their brands? What distin - guishes the BrightShare brands from other online casinos, both in terms of the player’s experience and wha t you offer affiliates? BrightShare builds a particularly close relationship with its affiliates. For us, an affiliate is a busi- ness partner, and the affiliate’s success is our success. Our affiliate managers work hand in hand with our affiliates, to refine their strategies and get the mos t out of their traffic. Another thing that distinguishes BrightShare is, of course, our eCOGRA- certified casino brands. They run the trusted and respected Microgaming platform, and these casinos have prov- en themselves with over a decade o f experience, and continue to succeed . Among our brands are two of the mos t successful mobile casino platforms in the industry, and BrightShare has the right tools, optimized for the mos t popular devices, to bring players to the casinos and start playing. “The mobile casino these days is not viewed as a separate entity from the rest of the online brand. It is simply an extension, and players are coming to expect mobile tools to enhance everything else they do in their lives.” 65 Affiliate Manager Interview Series