North America

SOCIAL MEDIA IS ABOUT MORE THAN TOUTING YOUR OWN BRAND

WE LIVE IN A WORLD where social media has become commonplace in our daily lives. But can these platforms, which were once used as a means of staying in touch with friends, form an important part of a brand’s marketing strategy?

BY JESSICA WELMAN

Whenever a major sports news story breaks, it is inevitable. You open up Twitter or TikTok and are bombarded with sports betting social media accounts posting memes, fresh odds and the latest big bets and hot picks related to the headline.

Pat McAfee, Dave Portnoy and now

Jake Paul draw headlines for bringing sports betting brands to their massive social media audiences.

Measuring social media success in sports betting though is less about who posted first or how many likes a post got, or even how many impressions a post gets. When social media experts within the field of sports betting discuss success, the focus is on brand awareness, community building

YOU CAN’T THINK OF SOCIAL AS JUST AN AUXILIARY CHANNEL OR AN AUGMENTATION OF YOUR PRODUCT’S MARKETING CAMPAIGN

and, of course, costs per acquisition.

What they also say is that you can’t think of social as just an auxiliary channel or an augmentation of your product’s marketing campaign.

Sisca Concannon is currently the CoFounder and Chief Marketing Officer of Affiliated Sports Fans. Prior to that, she spent almost two years as Vice President of Marketing at Penn Interactive, overseeing the launch and growth of the Barstool Sportsbook brand. Speaking at SBC Summit North America earlier this year, Concannon cautioned marketers about treating social media as an afterthought.

“This is part of your relationship marketing strategy,” she explained. “If you see it purely as a way to put up your ads for your risk-free bet to sign up and that's it, then you're missing the mark. You don't know who your personality is as a brand.

“Know who you are as a personality and double down the relationship

marketing aspect. Yes, sign up, but you're not just signing up to get my risk-free bet, you're signing up for a lot more value add. What is your value add? And I think once you understand building loyalty and building a relationship with your audience, that's the strength of social. It's not about ads. It's about developing a content marketing strategy that engages and builds a relationship and loyalty.”

A major part of this relationship building is the less glamorous world of customer service. In order to appeal to the generation of sports fans living on social, you have to be able to address their problems on socials.

“You’ll find if you do not have a social customer service strategy, unfortunately, you're not going to be in the mix in five years' time. It's a critical, critical part of your social strategy to extend your customer service into a social platform,” Concannon said.

Being able to swiftly discover and solve customer issues on social both helps retention and fosters a sense of community. It is certainly not the only way to do so. In fact, community building often requires more resources than people realise.

Troy Paul, Founder and CEO of Sports Gambling Guides, an affiliate group focused on social media, works extensively at building followings with thousands of influencers. Speaking on the same panel, he warned that if you can’t walk the tightrope of commerce and community, it is often a problem you can’t come back from.

He said: “It's extremely important as you're building a social media channel

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SOCIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE STRATEGY, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE IN THE MIX IN FIVE YEARS' TIME

that you're focused on what your demographic is looking for. What is your niche looking to find? What type of content are they looking to see, and focus primarily on that.

“It's really finding this balancing act because you do want to get your ads out there, you do want to drive your customers to whatever your product is, but it's finding that fine line of not doing it too much to the point where you start to alienate your following. Because once you do that, then whatever channel that is, it's really hard to bring it back.”

Defining your niche in sports betting social media is something many operators and influencers alike are struggling with. Everyone on the SBC Summit North America panel seemed to agree that part of the problem is that the actual sports betting products in the US are not materially different. There are a few different markets and the colour schemes vary.

YOU CAN DEVELOP INCREDIBLE CONTENT AROUND PICKS THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE STALE KIND OF ‘THESE ARE MY PICKS FOR THE WEEK’

WHILE TOUTING IS EN VOGUE, MANY EXPERTS AGREE THIS IS NOT A LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR SOCIAL RELEVANCE

Nonetheless they are all going after the same audience with mostly the same offering.

Noam Klivitzky, VP of US Marketing for 888 Holdings, knows he can't compete that way.

“Just repeating the news all the time in your social feed is not going to create any differentiation to any brand. Because these are exactly the kinds of things customers can acquire in 10 other places, so there is no reason they won’t do that on social media,” he said.

“One of the things we've been trying to do is get them a much more unique experience that when they think about it in the future, they will always remember what brand is offering it to them.”

Klivitzky used a campaign SI Sportsbook did where the company’s social channels gave away popular covers of Sports Illustrated magazine. Internal research indicated 60% of sports fans had an SI cover on their wall to begin with. Giving away something so tied to a brand not only engendered goodwill from its customer base, it gave them a means to literally put the brand up on the wall where they would never forget about it.

Working with an established brand like SI is much different to smaller brands or sports betting influencers trying to build a community. One of the most popular ways these brands and personalities aim to gain traction is with touting their picks across social media channels, including TikTok, which currently has a ban on gambling content.

While touting is en vogue, many experts agree this is not a long-term strategy for social relevance. David Woodley, President and Chief Revenue Officer of Playmaker, concedes some of these methods may be good for shortterm results. For Playmaker’s media arm, those wins are not worth the long-term losses they could create.

“We'll never do anything that hurts our audience. We've built a lot of trust with them over the years, and they are young. If we give them bad advice, they will not cancel us, but we'll hear about it and it will make my life awful,” Woodley said.

Playmaker has a no-pick policy and tells its influencers as much from the jump.

“We don't do any picks and we have a lot of athletes that work for us. So we just say no picks and I think that's because I think we're honest with people and we say, ‘you're taking a pick from anyone, you're not going to be profitable long-term’,” Woodley added. “And that said, if anyone could actually pick at 60%, they wouldn't be frickin’ hustling on social media for a $30 Discord or Patreon. Then beyond that, I think if you make a pick, you're gonna piss off your audience 50% of the time.”

Concannon has seen picks work for groups like Barstool, but with a caveat. You have to create unique content around the pick, not just throw out a number with a meme and post it.

“You can develop incredible content around picks that doesn't have to be the stale kind of ‘these are my picks for the week’,” she explained.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS A LONG PROCESS, AND ONE THAT INVOLVES SO MUCH MORE THAN BEING FIRST WITH A MEME

Social media is fast-paced, but in order to succeed over time, it is a long process and one that involves so much more than being first with a meme. You have to build a brand while building community, entertain while providing service, and companies and influencers have to think beyond what is working now to build a brand that will work for years to come. •

DAVID HIGHHILL: NFL WILL ‘REMAIN THOUGHTFUL’ ON RELATIONSHIP WITH SPORTS BETTING

AHEAD OF THE 2022 NFL SEASON, David Highhill discusses the responsibilities in his new role, why the league has decided to focus more on sports wagering this season and the NFL’s perspective on the potential future direction of its relationship with sports betting

BY CONOR PORTER

Since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, the NFL has become more ingrained in the world of sports betting as each season has passed. Many of the league’s teams have partnerships with gambling operators, and some are even looking to open sportsbooks inside their stadiums.

Last year, the NFL agreed a number of collaborations with sportsbook operators, including appointing Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel as its Official Sports Betting Partners.

This summer, the league appointed its first executive to direct its sports wagering strategy, naming David Highhill as Vice President and General Manager of Sports Betting.

For the past decade, Highhill has been working for the NFL in several different roles, including the Vice President of Strategy and Analytics, Director of Consumer Products Strategy, and Director of Corporate Development.

SBC: Congratulations on your appointment as the NFL’s Vice President and General Manager of Sports Betting. What will you be responsible for in this role?

DH: Thank you! It is very exciting to be able to work with such a talented team across the NFL and our partners. I’ve been lucky enough to work at the

League Office across a variety of areas, including strategic planning, esports, and club services group. However, sports betting represents our most interconnected and cross-functional opportunity across our game, fans and partners.

My role is to help coordinate the League’s strategy in our key sports betting pillars - driving fan engagement, advancing our brand and protecting the integrity of our games. This includes coordination with the League Office, our clubs and our partners. It's a wide remit, and one of the most exciting opportunities to drive fan engagement in sports.

SPORTS BETTING REPRESENTS OUR MOST INTERCONNECTED AND CROSS-FUNCTIONAL OPPORTUNITY ACROSS OUR GAME, FANS AND PARTNERS

SBC: With your new role, why has the League decided to focus more on sports betting this upcoming season?

DH: There has been a cross-functional team at the NFL that has been laserfocused on sports betting for several years. We’ve benefited greatly from the expertise and dedication of this team, and I’ve enjoyed working with them to develop and advance our plans over the past seasons.

As the scope of sports betting continues to expand across so many disparate areas of our business, it was time to have a dedicated unit to manage this increasingly complex initiative.

SBC: Sports betting adverts were aired for the first time during NFL games last season. What has been the League’s evaluation of this development in its relationship with sports wagering?

DH: Our approach to sports betting has been deeply informed by data to understand our fan perceptions and to serve those who are interested in betting while not disrupting the experiences of our fans who are not interested.

We rely on our blue-chip partners to deliver incremental experiences to our betting-interested fans - this includes an array of shoulder programming, data, statistics and second screen experiences like free-to-play games. It is critical to pair these initiatives with a robust platform supporting responsible betting, as well as avoiding oversaturation of betting messaging across our platforms.

We continue to monitor our fan behaviours and attitudes in this space and we will evolve our approach as the research informs us.

SBC: Several NFL teams have already secured partnerships with sports betting brands. What limitations has the NFL set for teams regarding these deals? Is it just market access or can they go beyond that?

DH: Our Clubs can sign their own sports betting partnerships, which are separate from our League partnerships. Clubs have been excited about the opportunity to serve their fans with new content and to enhance the in-stadium experience.

We’ve seen a variety of innovative activations from clubs, including sportsbook credits with ticket purchases or renewals, unique hospitality and access, in-stadium sports betting lounges, free-to-play games and a range of digital and TV content. Our clubs and their partners have been creative in their approach, and our research shows fans have been receptive to these activations.

Several clubs are also located in states that provide sportsbook operators market access benefits if they partner with a professional sports team. With these arrangements, the partner operates all elements of the sports betting business.

SBC: In the future, will the NFL allow advertisements on their jerseys? If so, will sports betting operators be allowed to advertise?

DH: The NFL does not have any plans to allow sponsor branding on game jerseys. Broadly, we want to remain thoughtful about how sports betting shows up in and around our games, and to ensure that we are targeted in our approach.

SBC: Will the NFL ever operate its own sportsbook or allow teams to do so separately from their current partnerships?

DH: Our policies do not allow for clubs to operate a sports betting business. We think it is in our collective best interests to serve our fans the ways we know best through live experiences and content, and have no plans to operate a sportsbook.

SBC: For both NFL fans, players and staff, what is the League doing to protect the integrity of the game as sports betting becomes a larger part of its ecosystem?

DH: The integrity of the game has always been a central point of focus for the League and our clubs - well before the repeal of PASPA, and of course afterwards. We have a multifaceted approach in this space. We have a comprehensive integrity and compliance program that focuses on education and training modules related to our gambling policies.

We also have robust integrity monitoring software and services, which include in-house resources and external providers. We continue to

advocate for key integrity provisions in legislation, including know your customer, anti-money laundering, and information sharing. We continue to identify and assess integrity risks across the League and clubs to evaluate and enhance our integrity and compliance programs.

CLUBS HAVE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THEIR FANS WITH NEW CONTENT AND TO ENHANCE THE IN-STADIUM EXPERIENCE

integrity and compliance program that focuses on education and training of our gambling policies. Calvin Ridley’s situation is just a reminder of why that program is vitally important.

Our vast network of monitoring services also helps us quickly detect policy violations, which helps enable us to address them early.

SBC: Last year the NFL pledged funding and efforts to a responsible gambling initiative. We saw a couple of ads run in the US last season, what can we expect in the 2022 season on this front?

DH: Last year, we launched a responsible betting campaign in collaboration with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). This partnership came with a $6.2m grant that funds problem gambling resources (all found at responsibleplay.org). This funding also supports NCPG’s Agility Grants – a platform that funds other non-profits focused on problem

SBC: Atlanta Falcons WR Calvin Ridley has been suspended indefinitely through at least the conclusion of the 2022 season for betting on games. What has the NFL learned from this incident?

DH: As mentioned, the integrity of the game has been and will always be a top priority. We have a comprehensive gambling prevention programs.

Our platform was supported and amplified by our clubs and our corporate partners. We will continue to be a leader in this space. Expect to see additional fan-facing communications, PSAs and support from our partners. Responsible betting is an area that is critically important to us. •

IGT PLAYSPORTS: READY FOR GRIDIRON GLORY

AS THE WORLD GETS READY for a new NFL season, IGT PlaySports’ Joe Asher and Tony DiTommaso discuss why the NFL is a true juggernaut for betting engagement across the US

BY ERIN GALLAGHER

While NFL teams were busy at training camps all summer, top-tier sports betting supplier IGT was in an intense ramp up period of its own.

“The lead up to the NFL season is one of the most exciting times of the year in the sports betting industry,” noted Joe Asher, a sports betting industry veteran and IGT PlaySports President of Sports Betting.

“During the summer months, most of our customers are gearing up for football season, thinking of ways to enhance their sports betting offering for the upcoming season.”

In a discussion with SBC Leaders

Magazine, Asher described the NFL as at its “zenith” in terms of ratings, revenue, distribution and insatiable fandom. He is right. The 2021 NFL regular season averaged 17.1 million viewers – the highest regular season average since 2015 and up more than 10% from 2020.

NFL games ranked 48 of the top 50 telecasts on TV in 2021, making up the entire top 16. On an individual game

THE LEAD UP TO THE NFL SEASON IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING TIMES OF THE YEAR IN THE SPORTS BETTING INDUSTRY

Joe Asher, IGT PlaySports President of Sports Betting Tony DiTommaso, Director of Trading at IGT

level, the Las Vegas Raiders game against the Dallas Cowboys racked up 40.8 million viewers.

“The US sports betting market is driven by fan engagement across all of the sports, but the NFL is the true juggernaut in terms of accelerating handle, engaging bettors and increasing sportsbook visitation nationwide,” added Asher.

“Sports betting makes the NFL more popular and drives fan engagement. And, the NFL continues to occupy an ever-increasing prominence in American culture.”

So, what does a blue chip sports betting supplier do to ramp up for this demand? According to Asher and his Director of Trading, Tony DiTommaso, they do a lot.

“As a B2B supplier, IGT is committed to our customers’ success and that definition of ‘success’ can vary quite a bit from one customer to the next. For example, the Rhode Island Lottery and the Oneida Nation, both the sole sports betting operators in their respective jurisdictions, will have drastically different market conditions than say a FanDuel Sportsbook, a casino on the Las Vegas Strip or a rural tribal casino,” explained Asher.

“The great thing about IGT and our scalable PlaySports solution is that we’re uniquely capable of servicing all of these customers.”

The moment the Super Bowl champ is crowned is the very moment oddsmakers such as DiTommaso turn the page and look toward the next season.

He said: “IGT is currently providing trading advisory services to nearly 20 retail and online sportsbooks across the US. Through the summer months and into the fall, I work very closely with our customers to help manage liability based on their individual appetite for risk.

“For example, having the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, conference and division future pools would create additional fan engagement and thus requires significant attention from IGT and our great customer Oneida Casino in Green Bay.”

DiTommaso, who boasts nearly 40 years’ experience in the industry, labelled himself as “old school” when it comes to certain aspects of his bookmaking process, including maintaining certain notes with a

PRE-NFL PREPARATION FOR SUPPLIERS IS MORE THAN JUST A NUMBERS GAME

THE NFL IS THE TRUE JUGGERNAUT IN TERMS OF ACCELERATING HANDLE, ENGAGING BETTORS AND INCREASING SPORTSBOOK VISITATION NATIONWIDE

THE NFL SEASON SHOULD ONCE AGAIN VALIDATE THE FACT THAT PLAYERS ARE EMBRACING THE LEGAL SPORTS BETTING MARKET

clipboard and pencil.

He also emphasised the passion and talent of the trading advisory services team, and the company’s state-of-the art facility in Las Vegas.

“The PlaySports team is engaged around the clock, armed with the industry’s most respected data resources and skilled at quickly identifying opportunities and threats.”

Pre-NFL preparation for suppliers is more than just a numbers game. Asher and his team invest many hours implementing systems upgrades, submitting products for regulatory approvals and providing counsel on a range of topics.

“Given the collective tenure of the IGT PlaySports team, we find ourselves helping our customers gear up for NFL season in practically any way that you can think of. I’ve been asked by customers for my perspective on topics ranging from TV viewing angles, sportsbook menus and responsible gaming policies, to user experiences, kiosk functionality and everything in between,” shared Asher.

In terms of betting behaviour, both Asher and DiTommaso agree that the NFL season should once again validate the fact that players are embracing the legal sports betting market, and illuminate the aspects of the US industry that are still in their infancy.

“At IGT, and as an industry, we have accomplished a lot in the four short years since the Supreme Court overturned PASPA. But despite that explosive expansion and market penetration, there is still so much opportunity for growth, both in terms of geography and product maturity.

“In the US, we’re just skimming the surface of high-engagement inplay products and menus. We at IGT PlaySports are future-focused.”

Asher’s sentiments are supported by IGT’s trailblazing demeanour. In the coming months, the company is due to release its highly popular PeakBarTop video poker cabinet with sports betting and its award-winning CrystalFlex betting terminal, which is a one-of-a-kind VIP terminal that allows players to enjoy casino games and bet on sports at the same station and with the same wallet.

Although the industry may not agree on who will lift the Lombardi Trophy come February, or which quarterback will throw the most touchdown passes this season, all will concur that the start of a new NFL season signals game-on for sports betting. •

THERE IS STILL SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH, BOTH IN TERMS OF GEOGRAPHY AND PRODUCT MATURITY

THE START OF A NEW NFL SEASON MEANS GAME-ON FOR SPORTS BETTING

HOW CAN US PROSPECTORS CRACK THE IGAMING ‘POT OF GOLD’?

THE GROWTH OF COMPETITION in the US market, made up of the many veterans and new entries, means there is now an even greater demand for differentiation

BY JESSIE SALE

Speaking at the SBC Summit North America in July, Marina Bogard, Managing Director of Betsson North America; Bobby Soper, CEO of Sun Gaming & Hospitality; Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer of BetMGM and Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive spoke to host Cathryn Lai, CCO at OpenBet, about the use of technologies and innovations for individual growth.

Prevost’s first observation was that companies must firstly get the basics right. He said: “Frankly, bet placement and how it works across the various jurisdictions is absolutely vital. For us, specifically with MGM Resorts, we spent a lot of time trying to work through the integration between MGM Resorts and the whole omnichannel experience and our digital platform.

“I think that's a place where we want to continue to differentiate - taking that set of customers and working with them across both channels.”

Schwartz agreed that differentiation is critical - stating that from day one at Rush Street, the firm has recognised that it “should not be about marketing acquisition, because you can get a lot of players in the funnel”.

“If you don't have the retention mechanics built the right way, you’re going to lose a lot of those players and be very inefficient,” he continued. “So the goal, I think, for success is to create a great user experience, earn the trust of the players, make sure they realise when they play with you.

“You're doing the little things for them that make a difference, including automating a lot of functions - and maybe things that some other operators don't do - to show the player that you care about their time, that you respect them and that you're being transparent with them.

“So all these things added together end up creating an experience that retains the players. I think ultimately you're gonna see a big shift happen from marketing to try to establish market share and bonus players a tremendous amount to get to a position where you have to retain the customers through treating them well, and having all little things working the way they should.”

For Betsson, the Swedish company could be considered ‘late to the market’ after only entering Colorado

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE RETENTION MECHANICS BUILT THE RIGHT WAY, YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE A LOT OF THOSE PLAYERS AND BE VERY INEFFICIENT

this calendar year. Lai asked Bogard to discuss the firm’s strategies and if there is a bridge from what the operator has been doing elsewhere.

In response, Bogard noted that Betsson has long maintained an extensive international presence in multiple markets, but agreed with Prevost and Schwartz that user expectations among US consumers are high.

“But I do think from a retention

standpoint, the innovation then has to kick in; we really have to take a look as an industry,” the MD replied. “What's currently happening right now from an acquisition standpoint is just not sustainable. No one is making money.

“Everyone's in the red and over the long term it doesn't build loyalty either. So really kind of finding those niche areas - that is important. To a specific company to really take their brand and and take the value of that brand to create that stickiness is what I think is going to be important for a lot of the B2C players.”

Looking at the current US legislation, although sports betting has been widely accepted, less than a handful of states have regulated igaming. This, according to Soper, is somewhat frustrating for operators, given that the nascent igaming sector represents the real ‘pot of gold’.

He noted: “I think a lot of people have said, look, let's start with online sports wagering and hopefully it catalyses and morphs into igaming eventually, and I sort of view it that way.

“I think that's going to be the real opportunity in the United States when,

WHAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW FROM AN ACQUISITION STANDPOINT IS JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE

Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive

Bobby Soper,

CEO of Sun Gaming & Hospitality

ultimately, igaming comes online.”

On this point, Schwartz added: “People often don't realise that in the states where both sports betting and icasino have both been legalised. Typically you'll see two thirds of the revenues or more generated from the icasino.

“Clearly, I think there's this focus on sports initially, but as the opportunities arise to cross sell and to grow the industry, I think the focus on icasino is going to be embraced by more and more operators.”

Moving forward, based on player segmentation data, there has been a notable crossover with sports betting players and vice versa. Prevost highlighted how his firm has experienced this on a ‘tremendous’ scale.

The CRO said: “A lot of our customer journeys that we inherit from Europe are all very focused on making that transition as seamless as possible. With all due respect, sports betting is much bigger than poker is - much, much bigger.

“And I think it can absolutely be a profitable business in its own right in a given state with the right tax - very importantly with the right tax setup.”

Bogard added that she thinks it is important for sportsbook providers to incorporate an omnichannel approach, asserting that this is where the success and the margins will come in.

Even without a retail establishment, she argued, bringing igaming as another avenue for players to wager will create a bigger share of a wallet.

In terms of the next wave of innovation, the panel discussed how the US naturally lends itself to micro markets, and how there will be an increased focus on parlay products as firms try to increase their margins.

“I haven't really seen streaming presented in a way that is comparable to Europe, some of that is just due to the cost of rights,” Prevost noted, while underlining how exchanges, NFTs and blockchain are not a focus for his firm. “We think that our core business is much more important than NFTs.”

When the time comes to be truly innovative, having the ability to implement new ideas, recruiting a strong engineering team and probing emerging technology could be vital.

Schwartz added: “You have to have the ability to actually know what to build, take the insights from the gamblers, make sure you understand what they're looking for.

“Sometimes the players can't tell you what they're looking for, you have to anticipate it and build something that you think, based on your knowledge and insights, is going to resonate with that player base.

“But I think there's a lot of opportunity to build some promotional capabilities and engines that will bring some fun to the players, in addition to the bet slips that might be unified in a way that the players can differentiate between a promotion and a bet.” •

I THINK THE FOCUS ON ICASINO IS GOING TO BE EMBRACED BY MORE AND MORE OPERATORS WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, SPORTS BETTING IS MUCH BIGGER THAN POKER

I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN STREAMING PRESENTED IN A WAY THAT IS COMPARABLE TO EUROPE

TROY PAUL: MICRO-INFLUENCERS ARE THE FUTURE FOR SPORTS BETTING MARKETING

IN A CHAT WITH SBC

LEADERS, Troy Paul, SGG Media President and Co-Founder, discusses how his up-and-coming company has disrupted the traditional affiliate marketing space by harnessing the power of social media

BY ERIN GALLAGHER

Utilising a network of more than a thousand microinfluencers, SGG Media is able to deliver relevant content and advertising to fans of individual sports, leagues and teams, allowing them to provide highly-focused posts that are far more likely to generate user engagement.

With the CEO believing this to be the most targeted and cost effective form of marketing currently available to companies, we picked his brains on the do’s and don’ts of using social media effectively and how the idea behind SGG Media first came about.

SBC: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us! For those that might not know you yet, can you give us your elevator pitch on SGG Media - who are you and what do you do?

TP: To give you some background on SGG Media - we're all about social media! We're the top social mediabased marketing company in the sports gambling space. Our brand has partnerships with 1,176 sports content creators with a combined social media following of 24,756,430 followers.

We’ve been in the space for three years and conduct branding and player acquisition campaigns for our clients. Our vastly experienced team of 17 creates custom graphics, implements campaign design and distributes to our network of 25 million followers. We have partnerships with BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Fliff, Prizepicks and a number of others. When it comes to social media marketing, SGG Media has created a turnkey marketing/ media team that runs between 20 and 30 campaigns a day.

I SAW HOW SYNONYMOUS SOCIAL MEDIA HAD BECOME WITH THE ACT OF WATCHING MY FAVOURITE TEAMS

SBC: At 24 years old, you’ve already made a name for yourself as President of your own company. Can you tell us more about your roots and the journey to creating SGG Media?

TP: My journey to SGG Media all began during my university years at NYU. As an avid sports fan, I saw how synonymous social media had become with the act of watching my favourite teams. I noticed during NFL RedZone Sundays that my friends were no longer just watching the games – they also all had their phones out and were logged into Twitter and Instagram the entire time.

Things like injury news, line changes and score updates were all being viewed instantaneously through social media – which led me to the idea that the future of cost effective sports marketing was going to come from social media platforms. Once I discovered the magnitude of microinfluencers in the sports space, I knew there was a business to be formed connecting B2C companies with sports social media fans.

ONE BIG MISTAKE IS INVESTING TOO MUCH OF THEIR ADVERTISING SPEND ON THE BIG-NAME INFLUENCERS YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THE SOCIAL MEDIA LANDSCAPE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING – PERHAPS MORE SO THAN IN ANY OTHER MEDIUM

SBC: What would you say are the biggest mistakes that other companies make when it comes to harnessing the power of social media as a marketing tool?

TP: There’s a lot that goes into utilising social media marketing effectively, but there are definitely two major mistakes that I see other businesses make virtually every week. The first is companies not focusing on the specific niche within their content. The market is already saturated with talented accounts that are regularly posting picks and general sports news. So in my opinion, every company needs to find their own audience and focus the majority of their content around catering for their specific tastes and preferences.

The second is investing too much of their advertising spend on the big-name influencers. The majority of celebrities and ex-athletes charge a significant premium for postings made on their social accounts purely based on the strength of their brand name. Many companies buy into this logic because of the reputation of the influencer they’re advertising with. But in doing so, they overlook the amount of engagement the posts themselves actually receive. As such, they often end up paying 5x-10x the cost of what using a ‘micro influencer’ network would be just to have a name attached to their brand, regardless of its actual impact.

SBC: What tips would you offer to those looking to explore the world of social media? Are there any platforms you’d recommend or is it more important to have a range of channels working for you?

MICRO-INFLUENCERS ARE 100% THE FUTURE WHEN IT COMES TO SMART SPORTS AND BETTING MARKETING

TP: I think one of the most important things is to keep an eye on the competition to see what they’re doing and then find ways that you can improve on them. As a first step, I’d recommend doing research into the other successful social media accounts in your field, because discovering things like posting schedules, content ideas and platform distribution is extremely important when you launch your own social media.

Beyond that, you need to remember that the social media landscape is constantly changing – perhaps more so than in any other medium – and that keeping up with where its heading is really important to long-term success. What worked for you one month may no longer be viable the next month as things like technology and social media habits evolve, so you have to keep upto-date with the latest developments.

SBC: Are micro-influencers the future when it comes to sports and betting marketing or do traditional channels such as affiliation, billboards, TV advertising and so on still have an important role to play?

TP: In my opinion, micro-influencers are 100% the future when it comes to smart sports and betting marketing. The amount of targeted engagement that a micro-influencer network can generate for the costs associated with it is truly game-changing. It goes back to one of my previous answers – would you rather spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on posts that generate little to no engagement from a big-name influencer’s account or use a targeted network of micro-influencers who can post laser-focused league or team-specific content for a fraction of the cost?

I really think that with the sports gambling industry trending towards profitability becoming a priority, the answer is a total no-brainer. There’s simply no more cost effective way to advertise currently. On top of that, I also believe social media will continue to dominate screen time with sports fans for years to come. This gives it the longevity that sports and betting companies are looking for, as finding the marketing platform of tomorrow is even more key than looking for shortterm marketing methods today.

SBC: You recently received a $2m cash injection from Astralis Capital and other experienced investors in your previous round of funding – how will this help SGG Media further expand its reach within the sports marketing world?

TP: Astralis Capital was one of our most significant contributors in our

SOCIAL MEDIA WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE SCREEN TIME WITH SPORTS FANS FOR YEARS TO COME

last fundraising round. This capital, along with the expertise they bring in the gaming space, will help SGG Media continue to expand our partnerships with over 1,000 sports content creators and counting – enabling us to provide an even further-reaching network that can supply highly focused sports and betting content to many more fans.

We’re also planning to make a push into podcasting and short form social media video content in the coming months, and now having over $3m in total funding – this will be important for the continued growth of SGG Media. It’s certainly an exciting period for us and we’re very much looking forward to helping businesses connect with countless more sports fans in the future. •

WILL CLASSIC THEMES CONTINUE TO BE REINVENTED?

“IF YOU’VE PLAYED ONE SLOT, YOU’VE PLAYED THEM

ALL.” Not a quote that can be attributed to any specific person but one that is nonetheless repeated by many, particularly when they learn what you do for a living

BY CRAIG DAVIES

The multitude of flaws within this statement are seemingly as clear as the difference between night and day, but how much of a role does remaining the same play among the endless efforts made to be different and push the industry forward on all fronts?

Despite what may seem to be confusion with that previous sentence, reinvention through additions to a slot series or continuation of a specific theme or IP are commonplace.

The importance of offering something familiar while simultaneously presenting a new game to entice players is a challenge that is, and will continue to be, endured by many.

As generations come and go, one thing remains the same - that is a love for the classics. However, will such games continue to be reinvented to meet the needs of a user base that is constantly evolving?

The answer to many may not necessarily be as straightforward as a simple yes or no, with a number of components, both internal and external, having to be factored in when venturing down that well trodden development avenue.

Jo Purvis, Director of Key Accounts and Marketing UK at Blueprint Gaming, cites the importance of the player in this conundrum, with the necessity of building upon a solid foundation in a bid to engender a sense of familiarity a key component.

“Blueprint Gaming has a focus on giving players what they want and listening to the market, rather than dictating to it. If a release proves particularly popular then we’ll consider it for a follow-up,” she elaborated upon being quizzed on the studio’s rich history of reinventing either games or themes.