Affiliate Grand Slam: Andrea Bellezza details the work developed by KaFe Rocks

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Affiliate Grand Slam: Andrea Bellezza details the work developed by KaFe Rocks

Andrea Bellezza, vice president of markets in the European Union and Asia at KaFe Rocks, gave a recent interview to Affiliate Grand Slam talking about the company’s internal processes and objectives.

KaFe Rocks is one of the leading iGaming affiliates and develops products for the end user, offering high quality leads to the main operators in the global industry, through a fully focused SEO, content and product approach.

Launched in February 2018, KaFe Rocks works with over 35 online casinos and sports betting brands in more than 20 markets, in more than 9 languages. With an office located in Malta, the company’s aim is to ensure that its client’s action is relevant and accurate at all times.

Check out the interview with Andrea Bellezza, from KaFe Rocks

How did you start your affiliate business? How much were you willing to commit to that?

My affiliate journey started in 2016, when I was introduced by a mutual friend to one of the three founders / owners of what later became KaFe Rocks.

In the beginning there were only four of us. We didn’t have many resources, but it was certainly a unique and exciting experience that made me build strong bonds with everyone.

What were your biggest challenges when you started? And the main difficulty so far?

On a personal level, the biggest challenge was learning about the iGaming industry. Before 2016, I had minimal experience because I came from the video game industry. Rollover, withdrawal, payment, etc., all of these terms were completely new to me.

I had no idea what they meant! Fortunately, my marketing experience helped me to quickly understand and get a better sense of what people needed and were looking for.

In relation to the company, one of the biggest challenges at the beginning was the limited resources we had at our disposal. It meant compromising certain things, but on the other hand it helped to select people with the right attitude for our growth.

What do you know now that you would like to know when you started?

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different things, even if it may turn out to be wrong. At first, everything was new to me, so I tried to do everything according to plan.

However, as soon as I started to gain confidence and implement new ideas on our sites, I started to learn a lot. I was also incredibly lucky, as the work environment within the company allowed for maximum freedom and no repression for errors.

What were the main challenges for the sector in 2020, especially during this pandemic?

Sports betting suffered a blow, but this was partly offset by increased interest in the casino and even poker. However, I would say that the real challenge is to keep your team and co-workers happy and motivated as much as possible.

Everyone is going through major changes in their daily routines, so at times like this, a little more support and flexibility definitely helps.

What sets you apart from other affiliates?

From the beginning, our company has focused on building strong and lasting relationships with operators, based on trust, transparency and quality. This may have meant less profit during the initial stage of each partnership, but it was certainly worth it in the long run.

What makes your traffic proposal / traffic sites unique?

Our policy of trust, transparency and quality does not apply only when dealing with operators. We have also implemented it on our sites, which, in turn, makes players looking for us aware of what they can expect from an iGaming portal. We help users make the best choices, and informed users are probably satisfied customers!

Do you create all the marketing material you need or outsource?

Yes, we create everything internally. We give our products a unique and personalized touch that makes them instantly recognizable!

How important is social media activity for your affiliate business? How difficult is it to handle constant Google updates?

While there is certainly value in that, we focus primarily on SEO, so social media activity is currently not one of our top priorities.

Constant updates from Google are what make it interesting for us. Imagine how boring it would be if things that worked 10, 5 or even 2 years ago were still the best practices to reach the top.

How important is SEO? How has SEO changed in the past few years and how will it change in the future?

As mentioned, we mainly focus on SEO, so for us and our partners it is very important. One of Google’s goals is to provide users with the most valuable and reliable results, so things like filling in keywords no longer work.

As you can imagine, Google’s mission is particularly challenging and, of course, is constantly changing. Good quality content and great user experience are increasingly being rewarded, and that is what we focus on.

But there are many SEO tricks that still work (and will always work). In certain markets, SEO is also one of the few ways in which operators can reach new users, so we believe it will maintain a certain level of relevance in the future.

How is your company structured and what part of business development are you currently focused on?

As you can imagine, we have the departments that take care of the various aspects of the business: Technology, Content, Product, Affiliation, Finance, HR and so on.

Currently, and although we already have more than 100 people in the company, we have a very flat structure, where everyone can easily interact with each other, regardless of position.

In my opinion, this is one of the main factors that make KaFe Rocks a great place to work – the overall atmosphere is exceptionally light and pleasant.

My focus at the moment is to manage and grow several markets, such as Latin America, Japan, Italy, French-speaking countries and others. With the collaborative effort of my teams, we guarantee users the best experience, personalized for each market.

How can affiliates be more unique in their approach?

This has been repeated several times by everyone, but I must reaffirm that the key to being unique is always to innovate and present solutions to improve the user experience.

Although this has been one of our main characteristics since the company’s launch, we kind of neglected this aspect at some point. Fortunately, we realized this quickly and have made it one of our priorities ever since. And yes, it’s worth it!

Which markets are you looking at as a priority and why? Do you see any potential in emerging markets?

At the moment, Asian markets and the USA. There is clearly great potential there, but entering these areas is not an easy task. As a European company, you need a substantial amount of resources and focus on hiring people who really know the ins and outs of these markets.

Which market areas work best for your affiliate marketing and which are the most profitable? How did you find your most profitable market area?

In each market there is always a area to be discovered that other competitors are forgetting. The best way to find them? Hiring the right person, who is often natural, with specific knowledge of the topic and the market.

Are you thinking about attracting investors or do you want to expand your business? Or, with such a large market, have you thought about selling the business?

We are an affiliate and that is the focus of our business, so it is very unlikely that we will become an operator in the future. We are also privately owned, with three committed owners and the company is in a solid financial position, with our main objective of growing organically.

However, we made our first acquisition in February 2020 and keep our eyes and options open for further non-organic growth.

Which skills are essential in an affiliate team / company?

Flexibility certainly plays a big role in our industry. As things are constantly changing, it is vital to be able to adapt and improve always.

Although we have many tools that help us in our daily work, a clear understanding of the user’s needs is important. This helps us to browse all the data and information we collect.

What is the role of technology on your everyday?

Simply put, it is vital! And not just because our entire industry is based on technology and innovation. We have a legal office in Malta, but many of us are located around the world and always work remotely. If it weren’t for technology, we couldn’t do that.

Which emerging technologies, such as AI and big data, will impact the affiliate industry?

I firmly believe that AI will have a big impact on our industry. On a large scale, perhaps not in 2021, but it is coming. There is some AI out there that is already doing exceptional work and it won’t be long before more affiliates start to realize its importance and adopt it.

How has the fragmentation of regulated markets affected your business? The UKGC, the Swedish regulator and now also the German regulator, are considering regulating this space.

When a market becomes regulated, it is generally good news for many operators and affiliates who wish to abide by the rules.

However, I am not entirely convinced that the German case falls into this category, as some heavy limits have now been imposed by the government. I think we will have to wait and see how things evolve there.

How is the Asian market for affiliates?

There are opportunities and potential there, and many companies are already capitalizing on that. But regulations are a major complication in most of these countries, and I think that’s what’s holding them back.

In your opinion, is the affiliate business still expanding?

On a global level? For sure. In Europe? We are probably very close to the limit.

What can operators do to increase support for affiliates? Do communication and support with operators meet your expectations? How do you manage your relationship with them?

We manage our relationships with operators through our Affiliate department and make sure we have one person dealing with the same account. In this way, communication can grow and develop over time, being the best way to build trust for a lasting partnership.

What are the benefits of attending major events in the iGaming industry?

It’s always a great way to meet the people you usually deal with via email or Skype. It is always good to reconnect and update, and there is always an interesting panel to listen to. You rarely go home disappointed after these events!

Have you been to SiGMA? SiGMA Europe, Africa, Asia or the Americas – which of these four events would you probably reserve space on your agenda for 2021, if COVID-19 allowed?

Yes, I was at SiGMA Malta, and if COVID-19 allows it, I will certainly participate in SiGMA Europe and I will consider SiGMA Asia a lot!

Tell us a little about yourself – after all, business is done with people, not just companies! Your hobbies, favorite book, favorite quote, if you like iGaming, etc.

I’m not an avid iGamer, but I like to play in a live casino every now and then. Especially when it is done socially (ie with friends), it can be a lot of fun!

Although I am a modest gambler, I am nevertheless a maniac when it comes to video games. Time is an issue, so I can’t play much, but I love collecting multiple titles from a wide variety of consoles. I have over 1000 different games in my collection over the past 35 years.