“If Most Gaming Operators Use Optimove, Should I Do So Too?”
A prospect in the gaming world recently asked: "If I buy Optimove, and all my competitors are using Optimove, how can I possibly differentiate my CRM Marketing?” We saw this as an opportunity to talk about rock guitarists
First things first, yes, the most successful gaming operators use Optimove. We admit it. In fact, while the average gaming operator’s revenue growth is 9%, those using Optimove to grow through their existing customers average a whopping 23.5% growth. That is 2.6 times more! But it isn’t only quality. It’s also quantity.
50% of the top 20 EGR US Power Rankings and 15 out of the EGR Global Power 50 are Optimove clients. Last year, 41 new operators put their pen next to ours on the dotted line.
However, while this may sound like a humblebrag, this blog post’s point is to explain how come, even though most of the market uses Optimove, new vendors continue to choose us. And why those who haven’t, shouldn’t doubt to join in on the success.
Optimove to Gaming CRM Marketers is like Guitars to Musicians
Nothing explains life like analogies. If you doubt it, ask Forrest Gump and his famous chocolate box. And when I say that Optimove is the guitar for gaming’s CRM musicians, I mean it that way: If you were to give the same guitar to Slash, Carlos Santana, Keith Richards, and myself, you would get extremely different results. While the first three will each play very different music, they’ll all yield fantastic results. I, on the other hand, won’t give you anything other than a headache.
The same goes for operators using Optimove. Some will create CRM classics, while others won’t necessarily. The reason is that Optimove is an instrument that lets marketers imprint their creativity, experience, and curiosity on it, amplifying it exponentially.
You bring the data and curiosity; we bring the exploration tools
One reason operators choose Optimove is that it gives them access to their player data in realtime. But as the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” Those who have their player data in order, that use a known gaming platform, or have more player data by virtue of being around longer will extract more value faster. This isn’t to say that only those will thrive. Our customer list is full of operators who began using Optimove on day one and perform better than many incumbents. But these variables may affect the results.
Additionally, it isn’t just a matter of having good or a lot of data. It’s also about wanting to learn from it. Optimove gives every non-technical marketer the same tools to explore and discover customer insights. However, CRM teams differ greatly in how and how often they dig into their player data to discover these insights.
You choose the segments, creative, and channels. We’ll make sure they reach the best target
A second reason CRM Marketers choose Optimove is that it was built for the industry. It is a well-known fact that Optimove is the only vendor that Gartner recommended for the gaming industry in last year’s Magic Quadrant for Multichannel Marketing Hubs.
However, as good as Optimove’s orchestration engine is for the industry as a whole, the results it brings will depend on the combination of player segments, creative, offer, and channel each operator decides to deploy for their campaigns.
Yes, Optimove recommends segments, and yes, Optimove will identify the best campaign for each player to map journeys with AI, but these will all be defined and guided by the unique elements each operator brings to the table.
You bring the scientists. We bring the lab equipment
A third reason operators prefer Optimove is because it provides them with all the experimentation tools they need to optimize their CRM initiatives.
Whether you want to run a simple A/B or test/control campaign or are looking to test a complete marketing strategy against an alternative one, Optimove allows you to do so quickly. But again, just like with the guitar, the results will vary.
Some operators do not believe in a test and control philosophy, so it will be difficult to know what is actually working for them. Others will prefer to let a self-optimizing algorithm decide the best treatment for each player, every time, instead of determining a single winner in an A/B/n test to be sent to all customers, every time. Understandably so, the results each one obtains and the differentiation they will gain from their competition will diverge.
Differentiation is driven by you, not by a tool
Although I could go on and on with reasons why even though most operators use Optimove they still find ways to differentiate themselves from others, I must say that the number one reason is that Optimove helps amplify your differentiators, but you are the one bringing them to the table. If any vendor comes to your door and tells you they will be why you stand out from your competition, do yourself a favor, and close the door. I would also argue that such an approach is at least somewhat condescending towards the user.
Just like with the great Gibsons or Fenders and the legendary musicians who played them, Optimove is the preferred CRM Marketing hub for most leading gaming operators. The next-gen instrument that allows them to bring their best. What each marketer and operator get out of it, depends on that marketer’s and operator’s craft. But one thing is for sure, it will help you be smarter, scale faster, execute better, and, as a result, differentiate from your competitors as well. And you won’t even need to smash it on the stage.
Rony Vexelman is Optimove’s VP of Marketing. Rony leads Optimove’s marketing strategy across regions and industries. Previously, Rony was Optimove's Director of Product Marketing leading product releases, customer marketing efforts and analyst relations. Rony holds a BA in Business Administration and Sociology from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.
