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Affiliate Manager Interview Series: Will Gatten - Superior Share
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What differentiates SuperiorShare.com from other affiliate programs?
Well, just for starters, you have the opportunity to promote an online poker room, an online casino and an online sportsbook under the same brand. As an affiliate, that means convenience and ease of use plus the freedom to make as much revenue as you really want… and you control all of it via ONE very user-friendly admin interface.
But it’s not only that … It’s the human touch. We really believe in the power of affiliate marketing - the program itself was designed by a guy who was an affiliate webmaster - so we like to go the extra mile. We will work with any of our business partners to make the best of any given campaign and we will always do our best to provide them with all the tools they need upon request. In two words, WE CARE.
We want all affiliates to know that our job is not only to create a business relationship, but actually is to invest time and money on making that a very healthy relationship once you’re aboard.
With SuperiorShare, affiliates can market a poker room, a sports book and a casino. How does affiliate marketing differ for each type of game? What tends to work well in each category and what doesn't?
I think affiliates for these are all different; they all tend to promote one or the other. And I think this is rooted in the fact that the players that are drawn to all 3 show completely different interests. Sportsbook players, for example, love playing poker and maybe some casino table games like BJ, so you usually get more opportunity for crossover marketing. But it’s a totally different game with casino players, who usually don't bet sports or really play poker at all. And I think poker players will play some casino games, but won’t mess around much with sports betting.
In either case though, people love having fun with as much privacy and as little hassle as possible. They love getting the most fun for the money they’re investing in their amusement and they don’t like to be inconvenienced at all. So we strive to provide a professional service, where a player can really enjoy himself in whichever way he chooses. We’re in the business of providing cool ways to have fun while at the same time offering top-notch assistance if required. That will always work.
How has attracting and marketing to U.S. players changed since the passage of the UIGEA?
There are various answers to that question. I think that online gambling will never really be rooted out of American culture, not as long as people enjoy themselves when they gamble. In a very real manner, the thrill of laying down the fate of your money in the hands of random fortuity in such a delightfully irresponsible way is exhilarating to many of us. Gambling runs in the veins of America, and the UIGEA has increased the interest that the average player feels towards the industry; it has made it all more attractive. I personally believe the government will have a hard time enforcing this law.
Also, less competition in the market is always a good thing. There’s this ‘funnel effect’ happening, where an always increasing amount of players now have less choices. With so many big names leaving the U.S. market behind, we are now looking to fill the void.
Now, the hard part comes when we talk about processors. Not only is it hard to provide successful processing these days, but when you actually find a processor you can work with… you gotta hope they will come through when reconciling. That part has proven particularly hard for us, but we’ve come to a point where we hope we can return to our usual operational manner.
In short, the best marketing effort has now become finding the right processor to be able to pay swiftly and upon request. The rest is just business as usual.
What songs are currently on your iPod (or mp3 player)?
I've got Third Day, Day of Fire, 12 Stones, Delirious?, The Kry and Telecast among many others.
What’s your next big purchase (personal)?
I am really looking forward to buying this beautiful piece of land up on the hills of Eastern San Jose (Costa Rica), where I want to build a house designed to become an atelier.
What was your favorite subject in school? And why was it your favorite subject?
It had to be arts and P.E.… I went to this really strict German school where the academic curriculum was extremely demanding and I remember vividly how I would look forward to Fridays, as that was the day that we did arts and sports in the afternoon. Fridays afternoon was a good day.
What’s the key to building successful relationships between affiliates and affiliate programs?
I truly believe it’s the ability to communicate as business partners. I firmly believe that having healthy open channels of communication is paramount to anything else. I mean, once you have built a proficient platform to develop your business, having the ability to create personal relationships with your business partners is - without a shadow of doubt - a key factor.
How did you get started in this business?
I got a little gig as a marketing consultant while still attending university to get my MBA. I took a peek at how profitable the industry was and I decided I’d give it a shot. That was 7 years ago.
What’s the first concert you attended in person?
It was The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was totally psyched about it too, because I was going with a really nice group of friends and this girl I really liked a lot was coming along. I was ready to have a great time with her… but as it turned out, she almost had a panic attack due to how crowded the place was and I had to get her out of it. I ended up seeing the RHCP from about 300 yards away.
What are your three keys to success for an affiliate?
I’d say innovative ideas, as you need to put some distance between you and the other million people doing exactly what you do. But a great idea is just that if you fail to follow it up with honestly hard work. And it takes a lot of self-discipline to keep on keeping on… even after you think you have hit it off.
Please describe your ideal day off.
I am currently living in Costa Rica. This is one beautiful country with a whole bunch of great places just 2 hours away from the city. My ideal day off has to be a good day with the family in some exotic tropical cloud forest down here called Monteverde; where it’s cool enough to not find any mosquitoes at all but you still have the opportunity to hike in the jungle and take a dive in some fresh water pond. And then finish the day having a really nice dish of pasta with a sauce of asparagus & salmon with a nice bottle of cabernet… and a big bed.
If you were throwing a dinner party with any 5 people throughout history, who would you invite? And why?
Wow, that’s a really cool question. And I think I’d have to shoot off the hip to answer it, otherwise I’ll simply start blabbering nonsense for hours… let me think:
First, I’d invite Jesus. I would love to hear the Word made flesh speak and find out how a heart can be capable of such an outrageous love as to temporarily forfeiting his divinity and die for the redemption of the entire human race. That would definitely be taking a peek into a mind of eternity. I’d also invite Mother Teresa of Calcutta, just to feel humbled by the presence of another human being dedicated to the service others… I don’t think there’s a higher purpose than that.
Vasily Kandinsky, because I would like to hear from the guy whose Cyrillic perception of the world is so brilliantly expressed in his paintings. I’d love to have Cleopatra roaming around naked. And finally, I’d invite George W. Bush… he sure looks like he can party. I bet he’s the kind of guy that knows how to mix all kinds of drinks and who will really add a kick to any dinner party.
