Stickyeyes is sponsoring Betting on Sports 2018, the 3rd edition of the largest international sports and betting trade conference at Olympia London.
Ahead of the 18-21 September event, we asked William Conboy – Head of Paid Marketing Comms & Stickyeyes’ iGaming Division, to disclose some of the firm’s plans for #boscon2018 and to pick out the sporting event he would most like to attend.
SBC: What are you looking forward to at Betting on Sports?
Sharing the Stickyeyes story! We are exhibiting and hosting a roundtable, so I am very much looking forward to meeting, sharing and learning the latest and greatest in the gaming world.
Improving technologies and innovation is always a hot topic given the potential industry impact and as social, AI, data et al become more prominent amidst the world of gaming, I’m very keen to hear both the ‘Innovation & Technology’ sessions, particularly the talk around how operators seek to enhance real-time player engagement through improved machine learning and behavioural profiling.
That said, my most anticipated sessions are around gamifying and spotifying one’s sportsbook. Here at Stickyeyes, we are leading the charge for adding more engagement to gaming operators through content enrichment. The opportunities in this arena are endless, and sports + content offers infinite possibility. Finding ways to improve a customer’s experience beyond the primary service is essential as online audiences become more accustomed to a better experience across other online industries.
Oh, and of course listening to the Rocket himself, Mr O’Sullivan.
SBC: What are you promoting at Betting on Sports?
How to supercharge one’s online visibility. Stickyeyes is an award winning, multi-discipline digital agency with over 20 years’ experience of working in the igaming sector and we focus on finding solutions to improve all-round online performance. Initially, we understand a brand / where they are / what they are missing and develop a strategy to improve all facets with improved performance directing our methodology.
As content becomes ever more important, we believe the key to unlocking full potential is rooted in delivering the right content, to the right people, at the right time (and through the right channels). We still think the gaming industry, including sportsbook, has yet to truly embrace engaging content. Can you name an outstanding blog or hub from any operators?
However, the ride is turning and where all other industries have had to shape up in response to search engine enhancements, it’s only right the gaming industry will need to follow suit. It’s also important to give back to your customers and seek to enhance their all-round experience beyond simplifying the betting process.
SBC: Which sports betting company has impressed you the most in 2018?
bwin’s World Cup feature, ‘Who Stole the World Cup’, for me was the highlight of sportsbook creativity throughout the summer tournament. Creating a premium-quality, staggered-release short story, coupled with star turns from some of the game’s grandest legends – Maradona, Del Bosque, Effenberg, etc., ensured their reach transcended their typical customer base.
With an event as epic as the World Cup, the potential target audience broadens considerably so seeking methods to reach that across one campaign is quite the challenge.
Just to heighten the relevancy, site visitors could ‘bet’ on who they thought was the culprit. And of course, the campaign was multi-territory (highlighted with a cast drawn from across the globe) which is integral to bwin’s global approach.
They saw a phenomenal increase on video view counts compared to their typical output, and received endless volumes of coverage and links from all over the web, adding oodles of priceless SEO value. This seemingly assisted in adding around 40% additional online visibility during the summer months. Quite the achievement for such a juggernaut.
Whilst not a perfect campaign, primarily due to distribution, it’s a huge step in the right direction. Top quality, unique, relevant content that was designed to deliver engagement through suspense. Top work.
SBC: What sports betting partnership has stood out in the past 12 months?
The NBA and MGM Resorts. Two super brands. And the NBA’s first ever sports betting alignment. As the US market slowly starts to open up to operators, or at least is somewhat expected to, it’s set to be an exciting development for both industries. The interesting nugget for me was around the data access MGM shall receive from the NBA to help MGM improve their in-game betting offering.
SBC: If you could attend one sporting event, what would it be?
The Champions League Final. The pinnacle of the greatest show on earth. The world’s greatest players seem to reserve their finest moments for this tournament. Being an Arsenal fan does not permit me much joy, or indeed any currently, in this competition but the latter stages, particularly the final, is a feast for any true football fan, highlighted by the outrageous worldwide viewing figures. Put simply, a scriptwriter could not devise better tales than what reality delivers on this, the grandest of stages.
Alternatively, and perhaps more realistically, the greatest sport (betting) event at this year’s conference has to be the Stickyeyes Roundtable: driving better performance from your organic and paid campaigns
Driving online traffic for the sports and igaming sector remains challenging. Alongside the ever-changing rules of organic engagement, the pressure to drive as many FTD’s at the most competitive CPA brings really challenges for your paid media teams. And, with customer acquisition teams often working in separate silos, often with separate agencies for channels, territories and products – spend efficiency and the customer experience often suffer as a result.
Join your peers and digital agency Stickyeyes at our roundtable on Wednesday 19th October (2.30-3.30 at Stand I17 on the exhibition floor) to discuss:
- How to drive a lower CPA without compromising your player value, retention and ROI
- How you can compete and dominate with safe and sustainable organic strategies
- How to bring best practice customer engagement and UX to the fore
- How you can reduce wasted investment and increase higher value FTD’s