Game Changers issue #7 by PaulGC

ISSUE #7 | VOL. 1

A MOMENT

WITH MARIO

TOP 5

ENTREPRENEUR TIPS

Best

FROM THE

GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7 VOL .1

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DIRECTORY THE

EDITOR'S NOTE ASK

THE EXPERTS

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OFFICIAL

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VIEW FROM THE TOP | Note from the Editor

Paul Orford - Editor in Chief

BACK OF THE NET! | Interview with Stephen Pearson CEO Sports Media Gaming Ltd.

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CYPRUS GAMING SHOW CGS 2017 | The Future in Gaming

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Mario Singh - CEO Fullerton Markets

20 -21 September, Hilton Cyprus: Nicosia https://www.cyprusgamingshow.com

CLEAR AS DAY! | 3 Ways your CMOs are driving your Writer's Crazy Charlotte Day - Creative Director Contentworks Agency

THE EXPERTS

TOP TIP

ASK

Stoicism and your Sales Department

Paul Orford - Head of Sales AMB Prime

SARDINHAS SOLUTION! | Interview with Alex Sardinha Sales Channel Manager Market Cloud

THE LAWS OF LUDO | 7 Tips to a Starting A Successful Business Ludovic Vuillier - CEO Live Rates Feeds

THE EXPERTS

GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

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A MOMENT WITH MARIO | Top 5 Entrepreneur Tips

FINANCE FEEDS FEATURE

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START-UP WITH SARDOS | How-To Manage a Successful Start-Up Venture George Sardos - allFX-Consult

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VIEW FROM THE TOP GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

Hello everyone, First of all thanks to everyone who is helping spread the word about our publication. With this being open source it is all about momentum created by the reader so every click, like and share of Game Changers helps improve the exposure of the project. It is all about you the reader, so if you have a suggestion of someone you would like to appear, or you would like to appear in a future issue feel free to contact myself or Karolina anytime. We are always looking to expand the nature of the content in the magazine, so don’t be a stranger | info@gchangermag.com We were incredibly happy that we have had a record amount of hits on the site, and thanks for all the positive mails and social media comments that you sent, it is always appreciated. Karolina and myself are pleased to announce that Game Changers have been invited to become an ofﬁcial media partner for the Cyprus Gaming Show which is being held on the 20th – 21st September at the Hilton Hotel in Nicosia. It would be great to meet if you are attending, so feel free to come and say hello. As ever thanks for taking the time to read this issue, we have some great contributors such as one of my favorite cover stars Mario Singh along with the fantastic Charlotte Day who is always worth listening to when it comes to getting an insight into maximizing your marketing strategy. We had a great conversation with Stephen Pearson from Sports Media Gaming regarding using a sports brand to enhance your business. As someone who prior to our conversation was largely skeptical regarding this medium, Stephen gave a fantastic argument as to why this should be a viable option if used correctly. I used to previously view this as no more than a folly, however after speaking with Stephen I was left more than open minded on the subject. Until we meet again…enjoy!

Pau l EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paul Orford

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ASK THE EXPERTS

BACK OF THE NET! Stephen Pearson is CEO of Sports Media Gaming Ltd (SMG) which is considered to be the leading international sports marketing agency, when it comes to discussing your business and partnerships within the sporting world. With an enviable track record of holding Board roles at UEFA Champions League and English Premier League, both Stephen and his organisation have become the fountain of knowledge in planning your strategy when it comes to sports branding. We met with Stephen Pearson who truly deserves the title of a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;game changerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; when it comes to sports marketing to discuss whether the full time whistle has been called on sports sponsorship, or is extra time being played?

WORLD CLASS PARTNERSHIPS An international agency that has been uniting brands with sports & entertainment properties for over 20 years. With exclusive access to the best deals in the global sports market, we have generated significant return on investment for our partners. Here is a flavour of the world class partnerships we have created in the last twelve months.

I have been one of the most ardent critics of football and sports sponsorship in general. Why do brokerages look to sponsor a team? Our own research indicates that over the last ﬁve years there has been over $350m invested by retail brokers into sports sponsorship with 65% of that going into the football market.

Football sponsorship today is a very sophisticated media platform. Whether sponsoring the front of the shirt or becoming an “ofﬁcial partner” of the team, there is an array of exclusive rights on offer. Visible branding is only part of the marketing mix. Access to multi language digital platforms, contacts with the club database, use of the players to enhance marketing campaigns and money can’t buy experiences all add up to a signiﬁcant set of assets, it is no longer just boards around the pitch. With over two hundred brokers in the retail trading market, creating standout is ever more important. GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

Many brokers are relatively young. By aligning to a sports team that has decades of history and credibility behind it automatically gives the broker an air of prestige, sitting alongside other blue chip brands. Circumventing complex regulatory issues is another reason. It is very similar to the raft of Asian betting brands appearing on Premier

males 21-45. Sponsoring a football team offers a “one stop” global media buy to your relevant target market without the need to engage in costly market by market media campaigns. Whilst most brokers have traditionally relied on direct response and digital marketing, the assets we referred to earlier are an excellent way to visually

league team shirts. They do it simply to get exposure back into China and Asia and other markets where on the ground advertising is not permitted. Similarly, for brokers, with the increasing importance of markets like China, LATAM, UAE , South Africa and other markets where regulation either bans or restricts advertising for brokers, sponsoring a team in Europe means the extensive television coverage of the top leagues places their brand in markets otherwise un-reachable.

enhance traditional marketing campaigns, we now start to see brokers using imagery of their sponsorships in these forms of marketing to create standout in the market and show off their sponsorship.

Relevant audience comes into play. The football fan market matches near perfectly the market for traders, predominantly

Why should a brokerage use your services instead of going direct to the potential new advertising partner?

I would say ﬁnally a degree of ego comes into play. Where the owners of brokers are relatively young and male themselves, who wouldn’t want to see the brand they have created appear on the global football stage.

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Sports investment can be costly. For the vast majority of these companies it will be their first ever significant marketing investment so finding the right type of deal, hitting the ground running and maximising return on investment is crucial. Engaging directly with the rights holder opens the broker up to many risks. Brands that are looking to enter into direct talks with rights holders may be led to accept the “standard menu” whereas a more successful outcome can be achieved by negotiating an “a la carte” solution, one that for example includes KPI’s and the option of under-performance termination clauses. An experienced agency like ours has worked in the sports market for over 25 years, we know which clubs deliver and those that don’t, we are able to provide an in-depth strategy of the market opportunity, negotiate strongly with rights holders to get the best set of assets and oversee the partnership to see that it is being properly implemented. Agencies are mostly remunerated from the rights holder with a standard agency commission. There are no fees charged to a broker for strategy and negotiation so it is a “win win” for them, knowing they are getting the best deal possible at no extra cost to them. A broker should be comfortable with an agency who have a strong track record, and one where the clients have renewed the sponsorship, that is when you know you have a good agency looking after your best interests. We have acted for clients recently where we have been able to negotiate the asking price to half of what was being asked by the rights holder directly. These are the quantifiable differences an agency can make. The challenge I always felt with it was measuring the metrics (ROI). How can you measure it? GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

First of all, it is strategy, negotiation and activation that all play a vital role in being able to increase the measurable ROI.

An experienced agency like ours has worked in the sports market for over 25 years, we know which clubs deliver and those that don’t As far as strategy is concerned it’s important that the sponsorship plays an overall role in the company’s global marketing efforts, otherwise why do it? We touched on negotiation and the services an agency can play in ensuring the maximum set of rights is delivered and properly implemented. Finally, a brand needs to be properly invested in activating the sponsorship to maximise the ROI. Brand should consider how to adapt their website to appeal to the sports fans to show that you are invested in their team as much as they are. Microsites, white labels, afﬁliation to fan clubs, co-branded merchandise, appointment of club legends as ambassadors and CSR initiatives are all opportunities not to be missed. Setting benchmarks in advance of undertaking sports sponsorship will more readily help a brand understand its return on investment which will of course be different for a retail broker targeting a consumer audience or for a brand that seeks to target a more B2B audience. There can also be tangibles and intangibles in this process. For retail brokers,) the tangible ROI can include a measurement of the media value generated from its branded assets (rights holders will provide such research as part of the sponsorship), the number of leads and new client

signs ups generated from speciﬁc promotions, the inclusion of tracking codes in the digital advertising on the club websites can assist in constantly adapting campaigns for enhanced return. Brands will also see value from intangibles - association to world leading rights holder brand values, endorsement of its brand by globally recognised players, consistent sporting success and unique settings in which to conduct business and seminars. For brands targeting a B2B audience then a different benchmark can be set. “Were you able to invite all of your biggest clients to a golf event that you are sponsoring, were your clients able to actively participate in the sport? Did deals come out of that?”

For all brands in the sector, return on investment can also be driven by staff motivation- sales staff can be incentivised with money can’t buy opportunities (attending matches, meet and greets) whilst provided with unique tools in which to enhance their chances of doing business. Qualitative research will also better understand reception to a brand which can be undertaken pre, during and post sponsorship (what are people saying about my brand?) It is these types of research studies that can best assist a brand in continually shaping its sponsorship over the P05

t +44 7770 577 361 e spearson@sportsmediagaming.com w www.sportsmediagaming.com

term to have an impact on measurable ROI. When you are looking to sponsor a team, should you look for an up and coming team who can challenge the top tier teams like Plus 500 did with Atletico Madrid. They were a big team; however, they were not of the status that they have now? Perfect timing in my opinion. It is very budget dependant and dependant on market objectives. It can also be a case of “what’s available” If you look at the major leagues today most of the big teams now have a broker in situ. At the time of the Plus500 deal, they needed a big platform having just IPO’d. In La Liga there are only 3 big clubs. The shirt fronts of Barca and Real cost over €50m, out of reach even for the biggest spending broker. But go down just one more level to Atletico and the shirt front is €11m. As far as budget is concerned most of the sponsorship deals from brokers are well under €1million and it is about finding the best official partnership level deal for this type of money. There is only one other broker on a shirt front and that is FXPro (Watford FC)who were the forerunners of sports sponsorship but even Watford doesn’t compare to the prestige of Atletico Madrid. However, they do play in the Premier League which is the most watched league in the world. Brokers that are new to sponsorship and have even less budget can still find something creative. We acted for LandFX and negotiated them a sponsorship of Queens Park Rangers Training Kit wear, a very visible sponsorship that was under €200k. Going GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

down a league can still be very effective, especially when you are sponsoring a well-known club. Starting small and working your way up is a very good strategy. Not all brokers can spend €11m at will. There is a new trend appearing now for individual endorsements. Can you compare and contrast the differences between individual sponsorship and offering a team a sponsorship deal? There has been a signiﬁcant increase in the use of Brand Ambassador relationships as

huge social media, Ronaldo has more social media than some of the top teams combined. It is still vital to use an agency when negotiating with an Ambassador to avoid potential pitfalls. Whether to use a legend or a current star has a huge impact on cost. An agent can negotiate a “regional” use of the ambassador instead of paying for a “global” rights usage. Ensuring the maximum set of rights is included just like with negotiating a team sponsorship.

This is also creating a shift from the traditional use of team and event sponsorships to give the brand a personality of its own.

Due diligence plays a vital role to assess any potential downsides. An online broker would probably want to avoid endorsing an actor that may go on to appear in ﬁlm like Wolf of Wall Street. Ensuring the contract has proper get out clauses is imperative when negotiating such endorsements. Is a target ambassador overexposed? are you going to be dwarfed in marketing by a brand that is putting much more marketing effort behind your ambassador than you are. High proﬁle stars like David Beckham often appear in adverts for several brands in the same time, this is something to check before signing contracts.

Deals are being done with ambassadors in all sectors from the world of film, football, motor racing, tennis, athletics, UFC fighting and even extreme sports like wing suit flying. Recent big name deals have included Adrian Brody, Mads Mikkelsen, Usain Bolt, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andre Iniesta, Conor McGregor.

Educating the brand ambassador about your products and services is vital. If an ambassador is appearing at a media event and asked by the press why they are endorsing your company , you should ensure that the ambassador is fully equipped to answer questions on your company, products and services.

This type of deal gives the brand a personality of its own, only one trading company can endorse the individual, it’s not a relationship that can be shared around the industry. Some of these stars have

Are there other sports that are missed out by the industry that could be worth looking at?

brokers seek to create a further point of difference from their peers.

65% of the investment has gone into football with the second P07

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INSTAFOREX LIVERPOOL FC

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Sports Media Gaming is a full service agency, providing you global strategy, negotiation and activation.

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t +44 7770 577 361 e spearson@sportsmediagaming.com w www.sportsmediagaming.com

highest investment (15% into motorsports. We have recently seen a gradual shift from motorsports back into football, played in no small part by lack of digital and social media assets in formula1 compared to football and the high price of the sponsorship. Swissquote moving from Mercedes (11million Facebook followers) to Manchester United (72million Facebook followers) and Exness moving from Red Bull (8 million Facebook followers) to Real Madrid (105 million Facebook followers) are two good examples. This also highlights the role an agency can play in advising the broker on sport selection. Many FX brands were lured into the glitz of Formula1 and tied into long term F1 team deals, but soon come to realise the sport is much more relevant for B2B brands than retail brokers. Where other opportunities lie then certainly there are already B2B brokers using other sports. LMAX and CMC Markets have undertaken sailing sponsorships (Clipper Round the World Race and Land Rover BAR teams respectively) which focuses on a different class of audience for their target markets. These types of sponsorships also enable the brands to invite their clients to actively participate by being on board the yachts.

GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

From a retail perspective then there are many good opportunities to look at to create standout, especially on a regional level. For brands targeting China then basketball is clearly the number one sport, golf also features strongly across Asia. Brokers can start to evaluate opportunities in emerging sports like e-sports which are becoming hugely popular in their target demograph. Rugby is another sport that offers excellent synergy and can be much cheaper than football. We are even evaluating mind game sports like chess right now for brands focussing on Russia. The key is to ﬁnd standout, point of difference to your peers and evaluate what is best for your markets of interest and how best to manage the sponsorship around a ﬂuid regulatory market. Should we be asking you to guide us to the up and coming talent as a way to get tied in with a future great at a smaller price? We have a case study a long time ago of a client in the travel sector that was asking us to look into a relatively unknown Andy Murray. The deal was quickly dismissed but they have always regretted the decision! Whilst up and coming talent does not give you an automatic global

awareness, some of the up and coming talent are the mega stars of the future. Costs are fractional, it also gives the brand empathy by being seen to be supporting rising talent. There are many positives from this type of strategy. Because cost is so low it also enables a brand to focus on a “team” strategy and endorse multiple talent. Could you ever see a brokerage following the same model as Red Bull and having a very broad outlook on its sponsorship deals? I don’t see this happening. Red bull is a multibillion-dollar industry, they have changed the face of sports by investing in team franchises. The trading market is far behind that level of investment. However, we can probably start to look forward to brokers being still more creative in sponsorship strategy – naming rights to stadiums and naming rights to teams in certain markets are some of the possibilities to create impact and further standout from peers.

To contact Stephen and Sports Media Gaming Ltd (SMG) direct visit their website: www.sportsmediagaming.com

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TOP TIP

AMoment WITH MARIO!

Top 5

ENTREPRENEUR TIPS by Mario Singh

PROUD SPONSOR OF

2016 INVESTEC SUPER RUGBY CHAMPIONS

WHAT DRIVES YOU TO START A BUSINESS? I've always loved the notion of being an entrepreneur. I get to build something from scratch, pursue my passion and see my vision come to fruition. I'm basically in control of my own destiny. Having said that, a true entrepreneur is someone who builds value on the outside by constantly maximizing value on the inside. There are two parts to this deﬁnition. Building or creating value which solves problems is a good barometer of assessing true entrepreneurship. However, the little-known secret of how this is achieved almost always falls back on the person. A person can only maximize their value by living life full-on and fulﬁlling their God-given potential. b GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 ENTREPRENEUR TIPS WHEN YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS? There are so many, but these ﬁve are pretty high on my list:

TAKE 100% RESPONSIBILITY

Who you are today is a direct result of all the decisions you made in the past. This includes everything from your accomplishments, your relationships, your physical health and your career. No one “coerced” you to be who you are today. This was and still is your 100% responsibility. If you don’t like your current result, you have to start making different decisions. Stop blaming others for misfortunes and setbacks. Start realising that you and only you are responsible for your life. If you currently lead an organisation, remember that the entire company reﬂects your shadow. You have the power to change if you don’t like the current circumstances. Start with making a different decision. Remember, without a decision, you will never start but more importantly, without discipline, you will never ﬁnish.

EMBRACE CHANGE When was the last time you saw a ﬂoppy disk? Or a “Walkman?” Change is the only thing constant in this world. While most of us acknowledge that everything is changing, only a few are willing to embrace change. That’s not just a scary thought – it’s a reality. The faster we embrace change, the better we will be. The real question is, how? Peter Drucker, one of the world’s foremost management consultants, says the only way for a company to continue thriving is to constantly innovate and market that innovation. Look at Apple, Facebook and Amazon. They are constantly innovating and marketing. On the contrary, look at Kodak and Nokia. They didn’t innovate fast enough. “Nothing is worthawhile in life unless you take risks. Nothing.” Denzel Washington

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ENLARGE YOUR VISION The iconic Steve Jobs said this in a speech in 1983: “Apple’s strategy is really simple. What we want to do is we want to put an incredibly great computer in a book that you can carry around with you and learn how to use in 20 minutes.” He was obviously talking about the iPad which ﬁrst launched on 3rd April 2010. Steve made that speech 27 years before it became a reality. Critical thinking combined with creativity can produce something that could be of help not just for you but for the entire world. Today, Apple employs over 115,000 people globally and boasts a market capitalization of USD745 billion. Do you have a vision for yourself and your organization? If you don’t, create one. If you do, it’s time to enlarge it.

PICK A GREAT TEAM The old African Proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

How true. No man is an island. Greater things have always been achieved as a team. However, the deeper principle is this. You are good at certain things and naturally bad at others. As an example, you could be really great at creativity or business strategy but really bad at accounting or administration. If you’re a “3” at accounting, no meaningful amount of time spent at improving your skills will bring you up to a 9 or 10. Rather, ﬁnd a team member who’s great at accounting. This is where a team gets an edge over an individual. Focus on being a “10” as a team instead of being a “3” all by yourself. If you are starting a small company, use my “M.A.P.” model to pick a team who is great at: M = Marketing A = Administration P = Production

START TODAY Too many aspiring entrepreneurs are not taking action because of fear. This can take many forms like fear of the unknown, fear of losing money and fear of failure. I speak regularly with budding entrepreneurs who have good ideas but are lacking the push to take immediate action. Just do it. Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

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CYPRUS

GAMING SHOW CGS 2017

20 -21 September, Hilton Nicosia Cyprus

Future

The in Gaming

OFFICIAL

MEDIA

PARTNER

https://www.cyprusgamingshow.com

Game Changers magazine is pleased to announce that we are an ofﬁcial media partner of the much anticipated Cyprus 20-21 SEPTEMBER Gaming Show.

PROUD

MEDIA PARTNER

The Cyprus Gaming Show hones in on the impact and opportunities the ICR brings and the future of gaming in Cyprus. The Cyprus Gaming Show (20 –21 September 2017 at the Hilton Cyprus in Nicosia) features a packed conference menu with hard hitting topics and a speake panel with of some of the most distinguished and forward thinking leaders and regulators in the gaming industry. The two day conference and gaming exhibition is a ﬁrst for Cyprus and excitement is building as the event draws near. CHRISTOS MAVRELLIS

IOANNA FIAKKOU

Ioanna Fiakkou, Chair of the National Betting Authority and Christos Mavrellis, chair of the Cyprus National Gaming and Casino Supervision Committee will set the scene for the day by presenting the current gaming and betting regulatory framework and casino and gaming regime in Cyprus to the delegates. Regulators and thought leaders will waste no time and hone straight in on two crucial points of discussion, namely the impact and opportunities the Integrated Casino Resort presents to Cyprus, and what the future holds for gaming in Cyprus.

To book your seat and learn more about the Cyprus Gaming Show, the panel of expert speakers, and what day two holds, visit www.cyprusgamingshow.com

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The expert panel tackling the ICR and the opportunities and challenges it brings to Cyprus will be chaired by David Schollenberger, partner and head of gaming, hotel, and leisure at HEALYS LLP. The panel features Andy Choy, property president at Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Philippos Katranis, head of the procurement directorate of the Treasury of the Republic of Cyprus and project manager of the Cyprus Integrated Casino Resort Steering Committee, Simon Oaten, partner and global head of gaming at Deloitte LLP, and Soteris Scholarios, principal at Scholarios Consulting.

DAVID SCHOLLENBERGER

ANDY CHOY

PHILLIPOS KATRANIS

SIMON OATEN

The ‘Future of Gaming in Cyprus’ panel discussion will focus on the possibility of Cyprus becoming a regional gaming centre and the opportunities and drawbacks that accompany all legalized and licensed online casino gaming and betting exchanges. The panel is expertly chaired by: Graham Martin chair of Cardinal International Group and features Michael Pollock the managing director of Spectrum Gaming Group, Soteris Scholarios, Principal at Scholarios Consulting, Joseph Avraamides, chair of the Association of the Online Betting Companies in Cyprus, Christos Mavrellis, chair of the Cyprus National Gaming and Casino Supervision Committee, and Spyros Tsakonitis, legal advisor of the National Betting Authority. But the excitement of the ﬁrst day will not end there and sessions on big data, optimizing productivity, bitcoin and cryptocurrency, 4AMLD and PSD2, protecting

GRAHAM MARTIN

MICHAEL POLLOCK

SOTERIS SCHOLARIOS

CHRISTOS MAVRELLIS SPYROS TSAKONITIS

To book your seat and learn more about the Cyprus Gaming Show, the panel of expert speakers, | ISSUE #7and what day two holds, visit www.cyprusgamingshow.com GAME CHANGERS

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BUT THE EXCITEMENT OF THE FIRST DAY WILL NOT END THERE AND SESSIONS ON BIG DATA, OPTIMIZING PRODUCTIVITY, BITCOIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY, 4AMLD AND PSD2, PROTECTING GAMING SECURITY, AND AN AML PANEL DISCUSSION WILL MAKE THE DAY DIVERSE AND SATISFACTORY FOR BOTH THE ONLINE AND OFFLINE GAMING SECTORS. AND THAT EVEN BEFORE DAY TWO KICKS OFF!

Yudi Soetjiptadi, Managing Director of Eventus International noted that Nicosia, known for its cultural heartbeat and fascinating street life, is perfect to host the event and that gaming professionals will now gather from 20 - 21 September at the Hilton Cyprus.

YUDI SOETJIPTADI

“At Eventus International our mission is to always explore beyond the ordinary and to bring new opportunities to the industry. CGS 2017 will bring the online and ofﬂine gaming sectors together on the island country to discover and explore ﬁrst-hand how the market is rapidly opening up to new opportunities. And with the ink barely dry on the deal for the construction and operation of the largest integrated casino resort and casino of its kind in Europe, we know Cyprus is setting the scene perfectly to become the new regional gaming hub.” Managing Director of Eventus International

To book your seat and learn more about the Cyprus Gaming Show, the panel of expert speakers, and what day two holds, visit www.cyprusgamingshow.com

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TOP TIP

3 Ways

Clear AS DAY

CMOs Are Driving Their Writers Crazy! At Contentworks Agency we know that a good writer is a precious commodity to any business. In fact, 78% of CMOs see content as the future of marketing. Creating awesome content for emails, company news, social media marketing, press releases and events is a hugely important and often undervalued skill. As a CMO your job is to guide the marketing department, direct campaigns and ensure your team hits its objectives. So, what’s the problem?

ow, t right n a h t is re lem The prob he globe, CMOs a t d y. all aroun ers craz it r w ir he driving t e!!!

EDITING AN ARTICLE AFTER IT’S GONE LIVE

So, your writer has slaved away on a well-researched article,a meticulously sourced statistics, double-checked the n grammar, structure and styled the piece to match your a them ins g in iv r brand. As a CMO, you glanced at the piece and approved it d Actually , so your writer put the piece live. All good, right? Nope. g r e t mana n e t n o c Because you didn’t read it properly the ﬁrst time and now ; soned MOs As a sea about this, so C it’s live you have decided to inspect it thoroughly and all u! o y o t I know g make changes. If the piece is for PR or third party then in I’m talk your content manager will have done a lot of work to get r ou driving y e ’r u it out there. Plus, it’s not published on your platform so o y ways ou can y w o h Here’s 3 any edits need to be performed by someone else. Going d crazy an ! W back to a publication to request superﬁcial edits can O writers stop it N make your organisation look uncoordinated, unprofessional and misaligned. It can irritate publishers and journalists, making them less inclined to work with you in the future. Don’t forget that once an article is shared on social media it can’t be changed and deleting it will mean you lose any traction you achieved. CMOs who do this drive their writers crazy!

CMO Takeaway: Make a decision. Either trust your writer to publish the piece without you and accept

their judgement on style and content or check it properly in the ﬁrst place. If you don’t have time to check it then be sure to tell your writer and make time as soon as you can. If the style doesn’t reﬂect the message you want to convey then you need to have a bigger conversation about it.

REQUESTING AN ASSIGNMENT IMMEDIATELY AND THEN SITTING ON IT FOR MONTHS

There’s a special place in hell for CMOs who do this to their writers. Believe me, I’ve seen it happen and it’s incredibly annoying. Content writers know that there will be times when they need to drop everything to work on an assignment. It’s part of the territory. That said, writers are usually juggling a large volume of work, much of which is deemed to be “urgent'.

GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

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About

Charlotte Day

Charlotte is a British writer and content marketing thought leader specialising in dynamic branding, social media marketing and content engagement.

A particular case that I witnessed was a CMO who demanded a training manual to assist the sales team. The manual was 50 pages long and required “yesterday”. Another unhelpful directive. The content manager dropped everything to get it done. She abandoned the pending company news articles, the legal terms she was prooﬁng, the upcoming eBook and the numerous landing page campaigns to get it done. When the manual was delivered, the CMO thanked her and then sat on it for two months. After that point, he announced that the plans had changed and it wasn’t needed anymore. This situation often arises when a CMO doesn’t understand the role or workload of their writers. Almost everyone within the organisation depends on the writer so they can function in their own role. Also, a number of business objectives rely on the streamlined functionality of the content marketing division. So, if you have one writer, they can only work on one task at a time and will require clear priorities and good communication in order to keep everything running smoothly. Constant shifts in priorities and unused work is really demotivating for a creative writer.

CMO Takeaway: Always consider the bigger picture and think carefully before instructing your content team. Give clear dealines and keep your writers updated on any changes. Oh, and never use the phrase “I need it yesterday”. Ever.

Responsible for a number of high proﬁle brands and with 500+ articles published, her success lies within her originality, humour and hands on experience of the digital marketing world. Charli lives by the Mediterranean and loves Starbucks, popcorn ﬂavoured jellybeans and writing poetry. Owner of www.charlisays.com & agency director at

www.contentworks.agency GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

EXPECTING 9-5 SUPER CREATIVITY

We all work set hours like 9 am-5 pm. We accept that. However, writers, artists, designers and creative people will not be super creative at every minute of the day. If, like me, you are a morning person, you will have a buzz of super creativity between 6-12 am which might then tail off a bit after lunch (especially if it’s after a large brie and avocado baguette) and then die completely towards 5pm. CMOs are often not creatively minded which is completely ﬁne. They don’t have to be. However, know that great content writers will structure their day according to their creative input. For example, peak creative hours may include writing video scripts, brainstorming campaigns and planning social media updates. Less creative hours may feature accounting, reporting and administrative tasks.

CMO Takeaway: CMOs, if you know that your writers are

super creative in the mornings, be sure to utilise it. Schedule your brainstorming meetings for 9 am, ask for feedback at 10 am, get curious about their latest press releases at 11 am. Don’t schedule a creative brainstorming meeting for 5pm. Especially don’t do that if your marketing team ﬁnishes at 5pm. As a CMO it’s your duty to motivate or… gasp … even inspire your team and get to know their strengths and weaknesses. If you want to get the best from your writers then work with them on this one. Hey CMOs we understand. Managing a busy marketing department is a tough and highly pressured job and the chances are you didn’t mean to drive your writers crazy! If you see content marketing playing a role in your future success, talk to www.contentworks.agency for outsourced content marketing solutions that reduce stress and improves productivity. P20

FINANCE FEEDS FEATURE

STOICISM AND YOUR SALES DEPARTMENT

Avoiding “happy clappy” self-help gurus and, instead, opting for advice from the stoics may be useful for your sales department, argues AMB Prime’s Paul Orford.

ARTICLE BY PAUL ORFORD FROM AMB PRIME FIRST FEATURED ON WWW.FINANCEFEEDS.COM POSTED ON 21 / AUGUST / 2017

famous STOICS

Gladiator (2000) | Marcus Aurelius, played by Richard Harris

Anyone who works within any form of sales has at some time or another experienced the pre-deal anxiety of your mind moving at 1 million miles an hour, and the worry about all the variables that may occur and the impending doom that may follow. However, if I could give you the answer to all your problems where this would never happen, surely all CEOs would implement it and perhaps go as far as to roll it out over an entire organization. Without having to resort to the happy clappy brand of self-help of Tony Robbins et al, we can look for the answer which has been with us since ancient Greece…Stoicism.

What IS IT?

Zeno of Citium

Stoicism as a philosophical construct was founded by a gentleman called Zeno of Citium (Modern day Cyprus) in 380 BC and as, a philosophy school, ﬂourished for around 480 years. Its name is derived from Zeno giving his lectures on a ‘painted porch’ (Stoa Poikile) resulting in the school of thought being called ‘Stoics’. It is commonly GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

thought that it was about being unemotional and unaffected by pleasure or pain (aka being English!). However it is much more than that. It is argued that it is not about the individual not feeling any emotion, they do not want to feel, and show, negative emotion.

This school of thought can be broken down into 4 different sections in how t approach life as a Stoic philosopher:

#1 PRACTICAL WISDOM

The ability to navigate complex situations in a logical, formed and calm manner.

#2 TEMPERANCE

The exercise of self-restraint and moderation in all aspects of life.

#3 JUSTICE

Treating others with fairness even when they have done wrong.

#4 COURAGE

When facing daily challenges with clarity and integrity. “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage”- Seneca

The Stoics argue that only people who have cultivated virtue and self-control in themselves can bring positive change in others. If this is the case, why do not more CEO’s and HR departments follow this train of thought to make the organization more streamlined in its thinking, and enhance a positive focus in the said environment?

WHO ARE THE

famous

STOICS?

If you have ever seen the Russell Crowe epic “Gladiator”, you would have witnessed a character called Marcus Aurelius (the older Roman Emperor, not the crazy one). Being one of the most famous Stoics, he outlined in his work entitled “Meditations” that we should only focus on what we are in control of, and understand that we should not focus on the variables that are out of our control. So, essentially, don’t become a slave to the negative aspects of life which you have zero control over. This is also highlighted by Epictetus – one of the leading names from the school of Stoicism. “We suffer not from the events in our lives, but from the judgement about them!” In brief, you can save your company a lot of money by not spending tens of thousands of dollars on self-help gurus (and P23

ASK THE EXPERTS

SARDINHAS SOLUTION! An in-depth interview with Alex Sardinha of Hybrid Solutions | Market Cloud

What is the most common objection you come up against from potential clients? How do you outline the positives in comparison?

Alex Sardinha |

SALES CHANNEL MANAGER

So tell us a little bit about you. Who you are, what is your background and why you are so passionate about the ﬁnancial markets and it's technology. My name is Alex Sardinha I am the Sales Channel Manager of Market Cloud. Having the opportunity to bring my passion for tech to the ﬁnancial industry has been an exciting journey. Coming from a background in exhibitions, digital marketing and technology, I am very thankful to be given the opportunity to work alongside some of the big names in Forex. Being someone who keeps up to date with the markets, this has given me the chance to fully immerse myself and speak with companies at the top of their game to better understand what makes them tick, what they look out for and how this impacts their day to day trading. I am very excited for the upcoming few months with the launch of version 11 of our trading platform, and furthering the partnerships we have built up with the leading LP's in the industry.

GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

Yes, as many are aware Meta Quotes is the big player when it comes to trading platforms. What I have found speaking to companies is that they spend a lot of time with the upkeep of third party software and that bridge connections can be costly. If anything they had gotten used to having the platform and were more comfortable to just keep things the same. When they hear there is a platform that has been successful for 14 years, offers premium functionality as standard, with the bridge connection and fully managed server included, all for a more cost effective price... they usually cannot help but take a look.

Is there a specific type of client your products are tailored for?

Our product is very ﬂexible in that it delivers the user whatever they plugin. You will see our platform used for CFD and Forex trading, then you will see companies who deliver gold physically and Binary companies making use of our functionality and easy integration. Recently we have had companies dealing in Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies show interest just because of the adaptability of the platform.

What are the benefits for anyone signing up to your afﬁliate program?

Traders love choice. So we have incentivised those who have seen the potential of our platform and want to get it into a company or organisation so that they will see these benefits too. Our affiliate program allows you to set up as a partner and receive revenue from the trades transacted on the platform. More can be found out here: marketcloud.net/affiliate

Is it a painful process if I want to test the product. How long does it usually take to set up? It is very easy to trial the platform itself. We offer a download link on our parent company site (www.hybridsolutions.com) which can be installed directly and setup takes minutes. If a broker wants a comprehensive look at the full systems front end and back end, we can arrange for a demo or trial which again would only take minutes for them to set up.

You have a different method of remuneration for your platform. Why did you decide upon this? We felt that the old model was not the most effective when dealing with a variety of different brokerages from big to small. So we opted on a pay as you go platform which helps smaller brokers ﬁnd an affordable way to offer a fully featured platform whilst capping the top end so big brokers still are making savings no matter how much is traded through the platform. It has received quite a lot of praise from our partners.

P25

7 TIPS TOP TIP

THE LAWS OF LUDO

to starting a successful business More and more people are interested in setting up their own business as it is hyped as being the only way to achieve freedom and financial independence. Being an advisor to companies over the years, managing my own business and being the CEO of a company, I have seen firsthand and in others what should be done if you want to succeed. Let me first warn you. Being an entrepreneur is not easy and it most definitely is not for everyone. It is hard, stressful and required an absolute dedication in the beginning (and the beginning can last a while) that not everyone can do. If you do choose that that is the path you want to take, here are some tips for how to deal with everything on your path to success.

KEEP AN EMOTIONAL DETACHMENT

You are not your company. Yes, it is your baby. Yes, you want it to succeed. But keep in mind that even if for some reason it fails or stumbles on its way to success it does not make you a failure. This is important to remember because entrepreneurs are, understandably, very connected to the business we have ventured into. We have

GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

poured our blood, sweat and tears into it and if someone says something bad about it or rejects the idea then it’s easy to take it personally. The problem with that is that getting emotional about this and not being detached keeps you from being able to use the best tool you have. Instead, take the rejection and ask for feedback on it. Either it will teach you how to deal with objections better or it will give you ideas on how to improve.

ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B

Have a vague idea of what will be your plan of action if your initial actions do not bring the desired results. But don’t work on the details and don’t work on a Plan C until you realize your initial Plan should be dropped. There are a few reasons for this: a) you should be spending that time making Plan A work b) it gives you an out. Keep your focus on Plan A. Make it work. Only if really, truly impossible start working on Plan B.

P27

DON'T LOOK FOR WHO OR WHAT TO BLAME

“It is what it is”. I love this phrase. Here’s why. You can spend time and energy looking for who or what is to blame for a problem that happened. You can spend time and energy venting to and about it. Or… you can accept that it happened and look for a solution. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hold people accountable. It simply means that it should be part of a solution and not just to let off steam. If an employee made a mistake (or heaven forbid you did), make sure everyone knows how not to let this happen next time and ﬁx it. Once it’s done, move on. The amount of energy that people go to ﬁnd who’s to blame is an absolute waste of time. Focus on a solution. Focus on setting up a process to avert such problems in the future.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES

People are afraid of making mistakes, of being rejected. Why? Because it hurts and humiliates us. Or they perceive it that way. Change the way you perceive it. When creating something there are plenty of mistakes made because it’s something new. It is impossible to do everything right, always, from day one. I once sold

GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

insurance in France. We would get our leads by setting up a booth at a mall, getting people to agree to be called about insurance and then calling them. I would “attack” each person that passed by me. I would then call them all. My associates would pick and choose. They ﬁltered who to interest and they then additionally ﬁltered who they would call. Their success ratio was higher than mine. But my overall numbers were much higher than them. Simply because I wasn’t afraid of being rejected. Same thing with dating - I’m not afraid to go to the best looking girl in the room. Sometimes I get shot down, sometimes I don’t and that’s how I get dates with girls who are way out of my league. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or to be rejected - it’s the only way to get the big successes.

I used to study martial arts for many many years. One of the things ingrained in me is that no matter what happens I need to keep breathing. Same thing in business, no matter what happens, keep moving. There’s a setback? So what, keep moving. Something painful happened? That deﬁnitely is annoying but keep moving. Continuing with your actions is the bet way to remedy any setback. The reason for it is simple - if you don’t keep moving you won’t succeed. And success is the best therapy for all of the pain you endured on your way there.

7 MOVE TO A BIGGER POND

I have cold called or cold emailed my way to the executives of some of the biggest companies in the industries I have dealt with. How? I try. At worst, they don’t answer or they say no. But don’t stay in the small pond just because you’re the big ﬁsh there. Jump over to the big pond and go after the big ﬁsh there.

KEEP MOVING

REMEMBER THAT IT WILL NEVER BE EASY

It never becomes easy. There will always be problems. Problems don’t go away, they just get better. What does it mean? Maybe the problem at ﬁrst was getting enough clients. Now the problem is hiring someone to help manage the clients. In the future you’ll realize that you have a problem - the revenues and expenses aren’t being managed properly so you need to hire someone for that. So again, there will always be problems. Don’t get discouraged because of that. The last tip I feel so passionate about I had to make a video of it. Feel free to contact me if you can’t ﬁnd it. SPONSORED BY

WRITTEN BY: Ludovic Vuiller , CEO Live Rates Feeds

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The World is Getting Smaller, Make Your World BIGGER.

WELCOME TO A NEW ERA IN TRADING

ludovic@baerscrest.com @LudovicVuillier

ASK THE EXPERTS

START-UP

WITH SARD

GEORGE SARDOS CONSULTS US ON HOW-TO MANAGE A SUCCESSFUL START-UP VENTURE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. June of 2016 marked my 10th year in this amazing sector. With a BSc in Economics and Finance, my career path started back in 2006 within a highly competitive sales department. Loads of information to digest, not much competition market-wise, but due to the fact that the industry was still relatively “new” I still had to deal with general unawareness at the time regarding CFDs and forex trading. After 3 years of direct selling, networking and advancing as an industry participant, I looked for and challenged Executive Roles, where I managed Cyprus Investment Firms from the Director’s position, got deeper into the regulatory frameworks and gained a more complete understanding of the technological innovations that characterize the backend of a brokerage. Today, other than running the day to day operations of allFX-Consult, I also still maintain non-executive director roles on boards of Investment Firms. WHY DID YOU START YOUR BUSINESS? Although today allFX-Consult is characterize d by the three parts you see on the website, that is the Sales Department setup, the Full Brokerage Solution and the Institutional Program, our core still lies in the brokerage’s business development (sales) strategies, set-up and control. GAME CHANGERS | ISSUE #7

Before allFX-Consult materialized into a complete brand, we saw a need for correct/educated sales department planning, since many attempts from brokers to ﬁnd suitable department heads had no positive results. This could be due to the broker not being challenging enough, or not paying enough, or not allowing the person to reach full potential through the brokerage’s decision making. No matter what the reasoning, there was (and still is) a lot of Sales Director position “recycling”, departments left “naked” after the head would abandon ship and any work carried out thus far, rendered obsolete. In the early days, there was no allFX-Consult brand. All our trainings and services were delivered at the broker’s locations just like we do now, but as independent contractors. With the number of projects growing fast, we saw the potential that a brand with online presence could provide, which evidently formulated what allFX-Consult offers and stands for today. SALES IS A CHALLENGING DEPARTMENT. WHY WOULD A BROKERAGE CHOOSE OUTSOURCED HELP RATHER THAN AN IN-HOUSE PROFESSIONAL? Put very simply, because we’re the only ones who don’t approach this dep artment solely based on our backgrounds and experience but rather on industry

standards and targeted competitive analysis. Our methodology, developed and fine-tuned over the years, assesses how the brokerage came to be and where it’s planning to go, it identifies correct products/services relative to its target audience and the direct competitors, it renders the final product marketable and evidently saleable. In rare cases where the product is not saleable, perhaps the broker is unwilling to adapt or the business plans are not feasible, we will just not take on the project. Once we on-board our strategies, the training does not only include employees and sales people but also the management on how to continue utilizing our work after completion, without the need for us to be present. A sales department doesn’t need months to become operational. Depending on its size, the period can be a lot shorter. The fact that we carry on the work in such an independent manner, is one of the reasons we have lifelong contacts rather than clients and projects. Another reason is of course the redistribution of business through our Institutional program, with our clients receiving business (as this comes to us) as high priority, a program that keeps everyone happy. So you can see why anyone that engages the services of allFX-Consult is a lot more than a client and partner. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE LATEST P29

ALLFX-CONSULT GEORGE SARDOS

CYSEC DECISIONS ON THE SALES AND MARKETING FUNCTIONS OF CIFS? I agree with them %100. Through our blog or direct communication with industry participants, we always urged caution towards outsourced call centers, any so called “sales rooms” and anything scripted that takes away the personal, educated and human approach towards a potential investor. How can a faraway country that doesn’t even know what the word regulation means, take on the role of the “income generator” of a broker, without overstepping boundaries, making false promises, begging and/or any other tactics they see appropriate to succeed in an aggressive industry like the forex industry. No ethical industry participant would be against these decisions unless they are themselves incapable of generating sales without offering investment advice, making fake promises, use aggressive tones and repeatedly harass their prospects. This is also why we don’t take any/every project that requires our service. For example we refused a few brokers/sales teams that turned their back on education or required scripted answers from us. We also refused every binary project that knocked on our door since the ﬁrst binary license was granted. Not sure if these made any difference outside our ofﬁce walls, but at least for us it’s something. CAN YOU GIVE US AN OUTLINE OF WHERE THE STRENGTHS OF YOUR BUSINESS ARE? The biggest strength of our business is our network. Over the years we managed to form a web of individuals/professionals, brokers and service providers that combine forces to offer an unparalleled service under one umbrella that we called allFX-Consult. The years of experience,

the personal approach to every case as well as our principles characterizes our way of work and our partners. Redistributing networks, business, projects and funds all across our network’s spectrum and setting up yearly milestones, pinned our service right into the heart of the FX industry in Cyprus and abroad. Growing with these important milestones, allFX-Consult is now more committed than ever to perform not as an individual agency but as a large network of professionals and institutions that exchange knowledge, ideas, business and wealth. WHERE IS YOUR BUSINESS MOST APPLICABLE TO; START-UP OR MATURE? Both; any brokerage that comes to us, most deﬁnitely went through what we described above, therefore they will require exactly the same approach whether start-up or mature. We will still need to evaluate, create reports, identify strengths/weaknesses, adopt any differentiation strategies possible and most importantly train. Our training is characterized by some as “sociopathic”, reason being the emotionless approach to who is in front of the trainer, whether that is a sales person or a shareholder. When the correct answer needs to be given, everyone’s the same, irrespective if they are the ones writing our

cheques. Usually if there is a problem with this approach, or we find ourselves stepping on people’s toes, then the project is doomed to fail, because apparently we’re not there to teach and/or grow with these people, but rather inflate egos and waste time. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2017? We’re at a point now that we can setup a brokerage from scratch; from licensing to the formulation and implementation of operational strategies, we do it all. This happens, not only through the people behind allFX-Consult but through this amazing network of professionals, providers and brokers, each with equal if not more experience to ours, combining their expertise to create something beautiful. New technological innovations, new providers, new brokers, new people are joining the industry every day and our goal is to know each and every one of them, work with each one and deliver the best possible service to whoever needs it. And what do you know? Maybe this can be our way of giving back to this terrific industry that gave so much to so many but receives so little in terms of feedback and recognition. We invite everyone to meet with us in person and find out for themselves just how far allFX-Consult can take them.

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START YOUR FOREX BROKERAGE ON SOLID FOUNDATION

EXPLORE A POWERFUL SERVICE A NEW BEGINNING 30+ INSTITUTIONAL AGREEMENTS 50+ EMPLOYEE PLACEMENTS

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ISSUE #7

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