Affiliate Manager Interview Series | Peter Arena - WBX Affiliates

**GPWA Aaron** · 2 January 2014, 9:49 am

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You joined WBX Affiliates a little over a year ago. Did you have any previous experience in the industry?
I've always had an interest in sports and sports betting, though my background was in the scientific field. I enjoy working in this industry as it's much more social than my previous role working at a laboratory.

You've been with WBX Affiliates since it opened its dedicated affiliate portal, correct? Why did the company switch its strategy in terms of affiliate marketing?
Yes, that's correct. We decided to reposition WBX Affiliates as a fair affiliate program. The software integration was part of a complete affiliate program revamp strategy. There are several aspects we streamlined, while providing enhanced affiliate support. We now offer our affiliates an affiliate portal with reliable tracking, reporting and automated monthly payments. We felt it was necessary to make these changes in order to provide an experience affiliates expect from a leading program. With the launch of the affiliate portal we have achieved these goals while also improving the reward plan for our affiliates.

You mentioned in a GPWA Forum post that the program had previously only offered a CPA, but switched to a 50 percent revenue share. Why was that switch made? You also said that, based on historical data, affiliates should expect to make roughly twice as much on revenue share deals than on CPA deals. Has the last year borne out that theory?
GPWA regulars will know that the age-old debate of CPA versus revenue share is a topic heavily discussed on the forum. CPA deals can be tricky to balance in a way that is profitable to both parties and there is always the potential for abuse on a CPA agreement.

In my experience a majority of affiliates prefer the long-term benefits of revenue share. As you can see in the "CPA or Revenue Share" poll on GPWA, more than 80 percent of responders voted for a preference of revenue share or hybrid plans.

After discussions with affiliates on their expectations we made the shift to a generous 50-50 split in revenue. This is a fair way to share the rewards, where we earn the same as our affiliates.

Over the last 12 months we have observed that the claim of "more than double" is an understatement and that the actual revenue affiliates have made greatly exceeded this. For instance, one affiliate's earnings on a monthly average increased 600 percent on the revenue share plan. The reason is that with CPA, affiliates are limited to a single bounty payment, and once they have been paid for that referral that's the end of the line.

Many programs utilize tiered revenue sharing schemes, whether it is a number of active players or revenue generated. Why did WBX Affiliates choose to go with a flat revenue share scheme?
Most programs offer 25 -35 percent revenue share based on how much revenue is generated. We wanted our reward plan to stand out so we decided to offer 50 percent revenue share for every member referred, with no hidden tiers. We feel it is fairer to offer a flat revenue share since everyone has the opportunity to earn at the same rate. If affiliates generate ? or ?0,000 of revenue ?they will receive an equal share of the revenue.

With the seasonality of sporting events we do not want to penalize affiliates with predatory terms such as activity quotas during their slower months of the year. No two affiliate sites are the same. Unlike a horse racing website that has markets year round, an American football site tends to have slower periods during the off season, where affiliates would find their earnings reduced even further on a tiered reward plan.

We understand that the small affiliates of today may become the super affiliates of tomorrow and encourage our affiliates to promote WBX without discriminating against one or the other.

WBX is a betting exchange. What are the major differences between betting exchanges and sportsbooks?
On a betting exchange, members set their own odds and are betting against people rather than against a bookmaker. As such WBX does not take on any risk regarding the outcome of a wager like traditional sportsbooks and we do not discriminate or penalize winners. Since members set their own prices, betting exchanges often have better odds than sportsbooks, which is one of the primary motivations for a member using an exchange. It is also possible to back or lay (bet against an outcome) on an exchange. If a member spots a weak favorite in a horse race, the exchange platform allows him to profit from this prediction, even though he did not pick the winner.

What markets make up WBX's primary target audience? Where do you make most of your revenue? Any emerging markets affiliates should know about?
WBX is licensed and regulated in the United Kingdom (U.K.). The U.K. is considered one of the primary target audiences, with British members contributing significantly to the success of WBX. The betting exchange is also growing in popularity across Europe, with the most active sports betting markets being soccer, tennis, and horse racing. Golf, cricket and greyhound betting markets are also gaining in popularity. We offer a variety of sports betting coverage across geographical sports markets such as darts, volleyball and handball.

What role do conferences play in terms of spreading the word about a brand like WBX Affiliates? What kind of presence does WBX Affiliates expect to have at upcoming conferences?
We are living in a digital age with face-to-face communications being just one of the ways we can stay connected. I'm in touch with affiliates by e-mail, phone or Skype on a daily basis and I am able to get to know our affiliates quite well and develop a mutual trust with them.

So far a large focus of our efforts is primarily through online marketing though you can expect to see WBX attending conferences in the future. I do look forward to meeting everyone in person.

It's one thing to bring in new people to a site. It's another thing entirely to get them to stick around. What does WBX do to retain players sent by affiliates?
Aside from the free bet offer that rewards members for their betting activity during the first month of registration, WBX also offers a member loyalty program. Members are rewarded in the form of discounted commission for Loyalty Points that are generated when they place wagers. The more members bet, the more loyalty points they earn, which increases the discount they get on commission.

We encourage active sports punters to move their business over to WBX. If members can prove their existing discount rates with competitor exchanges we will happily match their rates at WBX.

What do affiliates need to know about WBX Affiliates in order to effectively market their brands? What distinguishes the WBX Affiliates brands from other online sports books, both in terms of the player's experience and what you offer affiliates?
WBX is exclusively a sports betting exchange and the member's experience is not complicated by casino/poker/bingo ?at WBX it's all about sports. This is a positive for affiliates since earnings cannot be offset by other product losses. We also have a solid reputation for not limiting or closing winning member accounts.

The interface at WBX offers a straightforward navigation that has been set up for visitors to quickly find the markets they would like to bet on. New members are shown a sportsbook view by default to help transition to a betting exchange environment.

For our affiliates we offer dedicated support and take the time to ask them what they need from us to promote WBX to the best of their ability. We also have a no negative carryover policy. If an account does go negative for a month, this will not affect the affiliate's earnings going forward.

Describe the office culture at WBX Affiliates. If there were a fly on the wall, what are some of the topics of conversation it'd hear about at the water cooler?
The team is energetic and friendly. We're all supportive of innovative ideas and are a great group of people to work with. I spend a good part of my week communicating with them. For the most part we talk about work, but we also discuss what's happening in our personal lives. We're a pretty close group and I consider everyone on the team to be my good friends.

What do you know about the industry now that you wish you'd known when you first started?
One thing that I didn't know when I first started was how much time and dedication affiliates put into their sites ?and when you see that hard work, they deserve their success. I think that has been the biggest eye opener ?the amount of work that it takes to find success ?and that has helped me to gain more respect for both sides of this industry.

How do you ensure that payments are sent out on time? And when do your payments go out?
Our terms are that we will settle payment within 10 business days after the end of each calendar month and we have not had any issues with this. We understand that for many affiliates this is a sole source of income so we process payments promptly with the added value of no withdrawal fees being charged.

Where do you think the industry will be in five years?
Mobile and live betting are the two key areas I see growing further. For sports betting events, particularly on betting exchanges with fast-moving odds, it is only natural to take our betting with us and compare odds on the go. WBX is committed to providing a fun and convenient mobile betting product by developing tools and features and using contextual information to provide content to targeted members.

You grew up in Australia, right? What are some stereotypes that people might have about Australians that are way off the mark? Any that are spot on?
Yeah, I'm Aussie, mate! I'm sure that the other Australian GPWA members will agree that every Aussie stereotype is 100 percent true and we all own a pet kangaroo, wrestle crocodiles in our thongs (aka flip-flops) and love nothing more than to put a shrimp on the barbie. The one stereotype that I do agree with is that we are sports fanatics. My grandma is pushing 80 and watches pretty much every sport there is.

If someone from out of town were to visit you, where is the one place you would have to take them?
I'm a foodie so I'd take them out for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. There are some great places at Sydney's Darling Harbour, like the "I'm Angus Steakhouse," with a nice water view.

Word is you're quite the gamer. What is your favorite console? And what types of games do you play? Do you prefer to play against or with others? Or do you play on your own?
PS3 is my favorite and I play fighting games like Street Fighter and Tekken. I enjoy solo games like Skyrim but usually prefer multiplayer games.

You also (like the GPWA editorial staff) seem to be a bit of a TV junkie. What are your favorite shows? And what makes you stop paying attention to a show and instead play Candy Crush?
The Walking Dead, Spartacus, Game of Thrones and South Park are some of my favorites. Candy Crush ?that game is addictive; my family is hooked on it now.

What's the best movie food?
If it's at home ?pizza. If it's at the cinema ?whatever I can fit into my wife's handbag.

What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? And did you read it on an e-reader? Or do you need to have a copy of the physical book in your hand?
The last book I read was The New Contented Little Baby Book, by Gina Ford. My wife and I are expecting our first baby on Dec 25th this year and I'm getting in some early reading to prepare. I prefer paperbacks ?if you drop them in the bathtub it's lot less expensive!

What is your favorite movie?
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

If you had a theme song, what would it be?
Vanilla Ice ?"Ice Ice Baby."

If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go?
I'd go to New York to watch an NBA game to see Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James go head to head.

If you could have dinner with three other people, living or dead, who would they be?
Charles Darwin, Michael Jordan and Will Ferrell.

What would you do if you just inherited a pizzeria from your uncle?
I'm half Italian and love pizza, so it would be awesome to run a pizzeria. I'd invent some new flavors like a Korean bulgogi (marinated grilled beef) pizza with a rich sauce, green capsicum (bell pepper) and finely chopped red onion.

What are three things that no one knows about you?

I have a degree in biology.
My thumbs are double jointed.
I taught my dog to give me a high five.

**Maria F** · 2 January 2014, 12:01 pm

Thank you for the interview and congratulations about the baby

**p.arena** · 2 January 2014, 3:43 pm

Originally Posted by Crazyrewards-Maria

Thank you for the interview and congratulations about the baby

Thanks Maria! He's a cute little guy. Still getting used to the lack of sleep but he's worth it

**Renee** · 2 January 2014, 4:01 pm

So cute!

Love the theme song. And yes, all of us aussies wrestle crocs and have pet kangaroos. Mine's name is Steven.

**p.arena** · 2 January 2014, 4:06 pm

Originally Posted by Renee

Love the theme song.

Hahah yeah I sang that song with my mate Charlie at the school disco lol. It's one of those songs that once you have memorised the lyrics it's impossible to forget

**Topboss** · 3 January 2014, 1:29 am

Great interview Peter and Congratulations on the baby.
I had a chuckle when you mention the bit about thongs because in South Africa a thong is a G String and I am sure I have told the story before but when your fellow Aussie Renee and her partner came to South Africa on a holiday - we picked them up and as we were driving she was chattering about how she generally just goes about in her thongs and I remember hubby and me casting each other sideways glances and thinking to ourselves that she was being rather forward considering we had just met her - LOL - Until she explained to us that a thong was a flip flop!!!
We still laugh about that!

**Maria F** · 3 January 2014, 2:19 am

Originally Posted by p.arena

Thanks Maria! He's a cute little guy. Still getting used to the lack of sleep but he's worth it

Peter, he is gorgeous!

In my country we have a say ‘Los niños nacen con la marraqueta bajo el brazo”(Born with a hard roll under the arm) this means that babies brings luck and blessing to the family.

Enjoy every minute you have with your son because time goes by so quickly. One day you will close your eyes and when you open them again he will be getting ready for university.

All the best

**GPWA Aaron** · 3 January 2014, 5:51 am

Originally Posted by p.arena

Thanks Maria! He's a cute little guy. Still getting used to the lack of sleep but he's worth it

Congratulations!

**baldidiot** · 3 January 2014, 8:41 am

Congrats on the baby mate!

And high five for being another former scientist (I did my masters in immunology)..

**Renee** · 5 January 2014, 6:40 pm

Originally Posted by topboss

Great interview Peter and Congratulations on the baby.
I had a chuckle when you mention the bit about thongs because in South Africa a thong is a G String and I am sure I have told the story before but when your fellow Aussie Renee and her partner came to South Africa on a holiday - we picked them up and as we were driving she was chattering about how she generally just goes about in her thongs and I remember hubby and me casting each other sideways glances and thinking to ourselves that she was being rather forward considering we had just met her - LOL - Until she explained to us that a thong was a flip flop!!!
We still laugh about that!

Hahah you can put that down to my naivety. I always thought everyone knew that's what we called them LOL

Originally Posted by baldidiot

Congrats on the baby mate!

And high five for being another former scientist (I did my masters in immunology)..

Immunology. I would love to pick your brain about a few things

**sweetbet** · 5 January 2014, 9:12 pm

Great interview and congratulations on the baby. Seeing the photo of your baby makes me miss the times when my children were that young. Cherish every second. They grow up so quickly.

**p.arena** · 12 January 2014, 6:03 pm

Originally Posted by baldidiot

Congrats on the baby mate!

And high five for being another former scientist (I did my masters in immunology)..

Hey Matt, high five.

Thanks all for the kind words

Lol Heather, yeah flip flops = thongs, can see how it would lead to some awkward moments haha

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