INSIGHT
Q&A: MARIUS FILIP
,
BONNIER GAMING
Marius Filip made the move to Bonnier Gaming last year to spur development of its affiliate program,
a decision subsequently borne out when he won Best Overall Affiliate Manager at the 2015 iGB Affiliate
Awards. We spoke to Marius about his achievement and how he intends to build on this in 2015.
First off, how does it feel to be recently
voted Best Overall Affiliate Manager by
your peers in the iGB Affiliate Awards?
I’m delighted and honoured to receive
this great award and for being recognised
by my industry peers. This was a hugely
exciting start to the new year! In short,
I won the most-sought-after award in the
industry, and I would like to take this
opportunity to express my gratitude and
thanks to all Bonnier Gaming affiliates,
Bonnier Gaming colleagues and especially
[Bonnier Gaming CEO] Mr. Marcus
Forsell, who strongly supported me.
Which factors do you see as having
played the biggest part in your success
this past year?
I believe one of the most fundamental
factors was the level of trust developed
between myself and my affiliates. I make
my life all about my affiliates by having a
happy-to-help and hardworking attitude at
all times, which subsequently allows them
to see me as a welcoming, approachable
manager. Furthermore, my friendly and
receptive personality gives me the ability
to connect with affiliates in all contexts,
including socially. Our affiliates play a
profoundly important role at Bonnier
Gaming, and it is therefore essential for me
to show a high level of enthusiasm towards
them at all times. Finally, another major
factor in my winning this great award
was my talent and ability to build affiliate
programs and brands from scratch.
How will you be looking to build on this
during 2015?
I will be relying on my personal drive
and motivation to help me continue to
attain my professional goals. Problems
and challenges along the way give me
more invaluable experience and help me
grow stronger. My primary goal for 2015
is to continue my hard work and act as
a catalyst for Bonnier Gaming affiliates
by providing key, up-to-date information
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iGB Affiliate Issue 50 APR/MAY 2015
about products and offering them a vast
range of marketing materials, supporting
them with the resources to promote
Bonnier Gaming to the best of their ability.
I am also constantly looking for innovative
and unique solutions aimed at ensuring my
affiliates succeed in our joint venture.
Bonnier Gaming is well-known in
Scandinavia, but may not be that familiar
to our English-speaking readers. Can you
tell us a bit more about the business?
To give you a bit of a background, Evoke
Gaming is part of the Bonnier Group,
with 350 companies and brands operating
in 16 countries. We operate within the
iGaming space, where new and endless
opportunities and challenges are constantly
arising. Thanks to our long history as a
trusted company and our focus on modern
technology we are able to stay flexible
in this ever-changing environment. Our
products and brands are managed by over
200 employees, with operational aspects
such as services and game management,
sales and marketing the responsibility
of our Malta office, with technical
development and finance managed by the
Stockholm office.
What was it about Bonnier Gaming that
spurred you into making the move there?
Bonnier Gaming is most probably the
largest Scandinavian affiliate program,
trusted by partners since 2002. It currently
works with over 15,000 worldwide affiliate
partners promoting its six online brands. So
when I was offered an opportunity a year
ago to contribute and develop one of the
biggest affiliate programs in the iGaming
industry, I went for it.
What brands are included within the
Bonnier Affiliate Program, and in which
geographical markets are these focused?
We currently promote six online brands:
www.redbet.com; www.vinnarum.com;
www.mamamiabingo.com;
www.bertil.com; www.heypoker.com;
and www.whitebet.com, all of which have
earned a strong reputation among players
and affiliates. Redbet/Whitebet/Heypoker
are casino, sportsbook and poker sites,
operating locally in six languages, mainly
focused on Scandinavian and international
markets. Vinnarum is a stylish online casino
focused on the Swedish and Norwegian
markets. MamaMiaBingo offers casino and
bingo, with a focus on Sweden, Norway
and Finland. Last but not least, Bertil is a
Swedish-facing online casino.
You recently acquired a UK licence
for your six brands and will soon start
offering GBP as a currency. How are you
finding this market, widely predicted to
be a tough one for smaller brands?
Indeed, and in order to enter this great
market, we have been preparing our
platform for H