Matchbook #bofcon2017

Beehive – Sponsor Profile – #bofcon2017

SBC News Beehive – Sponsor Profile – #bofcon2017
Adi Dagan, Beehive

Beehive is sponsoring Betting on Football 2017, the fourth edition of the largest international football and betting trade conference at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge.

Ahead of the 3-5 May event, we spoke to Beehive CEO Adi Dagan about why football is such an attractive sport for betting, how the market is changing from a consumer perspective and how betting and football stakeholders can work more effectively together.

SBC: Why is football such an attractive sport for betting?

AD: The volume of games and accessibility of leagues speaks for itself, but football also has the benefit of lending itself to in-play and mobile betting perhaps more than any other sport. Given the predominance of the sport in social settings, and the growing number of variables within any given game (as well as away from the pitch), football has no equal.

Even when it comes to team sports, the relative rigidity of action and positions limits the number of available betting markets – few have the flexibility or the visibility of football, and none have both in unison. This, in turn, allows for efficient marketing by allowing a genuinely granular segmentation of bettors and betting patterns, the like of which isn’t seen elsewhere.

SBC: From a consumer perspective, how is football betting changing?

AD: Consumers have never had more choice when it comes to betting on football, and it can sometimes be daunting when faced with an influx of odds and markets from all corners. But this also helps drive operators to introduce greater choice and more innovations to help savvy punters get the most from the experience, be that through competitive promotions, custom bets or whatever the next innovation ends up being.

It has never been more important to make consumers feel important and wanted, which is where Beehive’s use of big data comes into play, making relationships personal in order to retain the trust and support of players.

We have always seen it as our task to offer omni-channel marketing solutions, something which lends itself to football betting due to its own omni-channel nature. And within that framework, our refusal to stand still means we have adapted, and will continue to adapt, to any changes within the industry to ensure our partners are perfectly placed to stay ahead of the curve.

SBC: How can betting & football stakeholders work better and more effectively together?

AD: It can be tempting to get complacent when it comes to betting and football, and to fall back on the benefits offered almost naturally by the world’s most popular sport. Instead, if stakeholders want to truly maximise what they can get from the football space, a marriage of effective marketing and promotional tools can be vital in setting oneself apart from others in a hugely crowded space.

The more attention-to-detail, the better, and an attentive approach can be achieved effectively through a proper harnessing of big data in analysing existing and new customers, both individually and as a small, medium and/or large group.

Not only are new consumers arriving with different demands and expectations, but the demands and expectations of existing consumers is changing (and may continue to change) as the industry itself develops, so it has never been more important to adopt a marketing approach that leaves no stone unturned and makes no assumptions about a certain demographic of player without this being backed up by hard data.

SBC: What new technology do you feel will have the biggest impact on football betting?

AD: The growth of AI has near-endless potential when it comes to an understanding of customers in all aspects of sports betting, but especially in the realm of football betting where stakeholders have reams of data with which to work.

At Beehive, we anticipate seeing the benefit of AI in helping improve marketing strategies through an even stronger understanding of bettors’ needs and expectations, as well as helping tailor promotions to patterns which can be missed – or picked up more slowly – when more traditional, pre-AI approaches are used.

By realising the opportunities afforded by the rise of AI, those at the forefront of football betting will be well-positioned to remain there, while newcomers to the industry can make up significant ground and make strides towards being able to deliver the best strategic approach possible.

SBC: What key agenda, debate or discussion do you want to hear at BOFCON 2017?

AD: As we have made great strides in the field of VIP detection, a discussion of the relative value of VIP programs and their changing value in the football betting space. As we make it our priority to develop a personalised experience, we see value in any discussion of how those within the space are adapting existing programs to changing audience behaviours as the landscape of football betting shifts along with technological developments.

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