GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 37 - February 2017

ate other marketing activities, both online and offline. Currently the majority of our customers come via our affiliates. Codetaff offers affiliates revenue share of 25-45%, with a possible 5%booster and no negative carryover. Why did Codetaff decide on this commissionmodel? I think this is a reflection of our experience, having worked with other operators for the past six to seven years, but also having been in close contact with affiliates throughout that same period.Wewanted to give affiliates an incentive to work with us both short-term and long-term, and a keyword for us is and always will be transparency. tremendous experience and with that same insight. We pay on the 20 th of ev- ery month. 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 Codetaff do to retain players sent by affiliates? CRM was already a key fo- cus for us in our research phase before launching; for example, understanding players and what triggers them to react and be retained. At the helm of our CRM, we also have a very experienced teamwith backgrounds with companies such as Pok- erStars, GVC and Betsson. where everyone is aware of them, so meetings are not necessary to the same extent as they would be in a dysfunc- tional organization. How many e-mails do you send out? I might be an e-mail junkie . . . probably around 150-200! I love e-mails. Do you spend much time on the phone or on Skype? I try to avoid it as much as possible, but always online. I’m on the phone much more, as I speak to investors and partners regularly. How many affiliates would you say you communicate with on a typical day? I probably only speak to one or two a day. The affiliate team is taking care of most of those correspondences and relationships. Describe the office culture at Code- taff. If we were a fly on the wall, what are some of the topics of conver- sation we’d hear about at the water cooler? Ideas! Everyone is very cre- ative, and everyone is very ambitious and wants to drive the business. I would say that conversations would most likely take place around the coffee machine, as our staff works extremely hard and long, so they need coffee more than they need water! Have you had a chance to attend any gambling industry conferences yet? If so, what were your first impressions? Yes, we exhibited for the first time at BAC (Berlin Affiliate Conference), and the re- sponse was absolutely tremendous. I think our stand was a reflection of what we are trying to achieve — being different, being serious, but still having a great time. Our stand became almost like a hub for affili- ates to spend time at. What do you wish you could change about the industry? I would say that the industry still is a bit too short-sighted. We are still very much at the beginning of iGaming, but the industry is focused on short-term gains more than long-term goals and vision. Affiliate Manager Interview Series The affiliate program is very much your sales arm of the company — and without having a good product, promotion, positioning and communication, you have less, if anything, to sell. Codetaff recently became a GPWA Gold Sponsor. Why do you feel it’s important to support the GPWA? And how does a sponsorship help your organization? Again, we have worked with so many programs and operators in the past, and we know how important it is to treat and respect the affiliates you work with. Our brand and our credibility is everything to us, and we have always respected the GPWA for the work they do ensuring that our industry remains fair and transparent — key words that form part of our brand promise as well. How do you ensure that payments are sent out on time? When do your payments go out? We know how important this is to affiliates, and we have a team running the program with Problem gambling is a serious issue for our industry. What does Codetaff do to protect players that may have a gambling problem? Yes, we ensure that all our communication includes links and advice to those struggling with this terrible issue. And I would say that reg- ulators have toughened up actions we as operators need to take, which I believe is a very good thing. So we follow those recommended actions. Describe your typical work day. How much time do you spend in meet- ings? I probably have, on average, two meetings per day. I would say that it is fairly few, considering the phase we are in with various market roll-outs, product development, etc. This is due to having a great team where everyone has clear responsibilities and tasks and 70 w w w . g p w a t i m e s . o r g