SBC News Asaf Peled - 90min.com - Creative storytelling is key

Asaf Peled – 90min.com – Creative storytelling is key

Asaf Peled, 90min.com
Asaf Peled, 90min.com

With such an overwhelming amount of content at our fingertips as readers we have the option of being picky. No longer does the typical consumer need to ingest whatever’s printed in the tabloids, the internet ensures that they can be both demanding and selective. As such packaging and marketing content becomes almost as important as the quality of the content itself.

Asaf Peled is the Founder of 90min.com, a platform which excels at both of these. 90min has established itself as a global football media and technology company which is available in ten languages and boasts over 40 million monthly users. At the time of writing there are 3,331 writers operating on the platform.

Here Peled discusses what he’s learnt, and how content marketing is changing rapidly.

Peled is a speaker on the ‘Read All About it – Content Marketing and Football’ session at Betting on Football Conference (#bofcon) at Stamford Bridge on April 21st. 

SBC: How important is producing targeted content at a local level?

 Asaf: This should be at the heart of any new media business. Simply put, a local, targeted approach delivers increased relevancy and engagement. At 90min, we began by building club-specific communities across social platforms delivering the content that football fans care specifically about the clubs they support. This local-level approach has been at the heart of our growth story and will continue to be as we grow and expand into new sports and languages.

SBC: What are some of the issues with running a self-publishing platform?

 Asaf: Perhaps the biggest challenges that publishers face with a self-publishing platform is how you get creators/contributors to return on a regular basis, (for example do you reward them and if so, what does that look like?) and how you manage the forum of content created.

 The solution is not as simple as it might seem, platforms such as Bleacher Report and Buzzfeed have slowly moved away from this model because of the complexity in creating a consistent approach. Where 90Min has seen success, is by enabling football fans all over the world to have their voice heard by developing a rich and interactive content management system to create content that is not only authentic and by the fan, but that is visual and interactive, designed for a young, social audience. We believe because we are fan-first and celebrating the passion of one subject matter, football, our creators are happy to return and excited to contribute.

SBC: Why did you choose to get involved with one of the panels at #bofcon?

 Asaf: As a new media football business, we have consistently looked to push the boundaries when it comes to traditional betting partnerships. We see #bofcon as the ideal forum to discuss new opportunities which can help drive the world of betting forward and keep ahead of the latest innovations in media.

SBC: How has content marketing changed over the past five years and in what ways do you think it will continue to change in the next five to ten?

 Asaf: For me, content marketing is about first-person perspectives. While there will always be room for the ‘professionals’ in the traditional sense, the real experts are the ones who live, breath and showcase their passion for their topic every day. 90min is the home for these football experts who love and cherish their chosen team as an extension of their own existence.

For 90min, content marketing has developed to a point where brands can stand alongside these experts in a credible way and be part of the conversation, integrating their themes and objectives as the conversation starting point – which is an incredible opportunity when done correctly. Most recently, the whole industry (not just betting) has finally caught up with the idea that we need to put the consumer first when it comes to advertising, couple this with the rise of ad-blocking, brands have been forced to become more creative when it comes to storytelling.

 In the next five to ten years we will see more brands looking to build in-house content-marketing teams or partner with content experts to innovate when it comes to engaging their target audiences. Within the betting world specifically content marketing has really matured and brands are willing to take more risks when it comes to their activations, though there is still an old perception that both the acquisition model and content marketing worlds cannot work hand in hand.

Want to hear more of what Asaf Peled has to say? Get yourself along to #bofcon at Stamford Bridge on April 21st.

Peled’s on a panel along with other content kings LADBible Co-Founder Arian Kalantari, Sportlobster’s CEO Andy Meikle and GiveMeSport Founder Jae Chalfin. Don’t miss out.

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