Becky Liggero talks to Alex Czajkowski of Agency Lex as he share his thoughts about mobile gambling and gambling industry in general compare to other industries in terms of innovation.
Becky Liggero: So let’s start with innovation in our space. In the mobile gambling, not just the gambling industry in the general. How do you think we compare in other industry in terms of innovation.
Alex Czajkowski: Well it’s a tough one because when I think about innovation, it’s not just in the product itself but there is a lot of innovation, sure. It’s behind the scenes. I’m looking for innovation really at a total brand level. I’d like to see brands be far more innovative. In fact, I argue that we have few great brands arguing no great brands in the gaming industry and there’s a reason for that. Because they’re not innovating in the experience—the player experience, the customer experience and the product area. Even the big boys, you go to William Hill and Ladbrokes, bet365, PaddyPowers.
Becky Liggero: So why do you think that these companies haven’t raise the bar and innovated in their brand names and getting the word out there.
Alex Czajkowski: There’s a couple of reason. One, because they haven’t had to. They’re making good money; they’re all happy; sit back why worry about it. We suffer a lot from complacency in the industry to be sure. The second thing is that there’s a lot of pressure to make your number a recorder, get that target today. They’re free to fail and that’s very very true when you wanted to innovate you can’t be afraid to fail. You gotta try stuff knowing that you’re probably gonna shoot it in the head. You gotta try a little bit of it and if you like that, you grow it up; if you don’t, you shoot it in the head and go to the next one. But they build their business plan tight and there isn’t room for that kind of failure or experimentation, unless they specifically put it in there and they’re ought to do that as they’re working hard to make the numbers.
Becky Liggero: They’re hitting all their number and making their investors happy and why bother going through the whole step of innovating?
Alex Czajkowski: That’s why innovation only happen in the edges. It’s the start-up guys like the guys I am working with that are willing to make a big difference because otherwise, no one will pay attention to them or the guys who’s really in trouble are also talking to me and anybody that’s complacent; not innovating; not raising your brand; not continually building new products to get further value out of your player and to get more players are frankly, insane.
Becky Liggero: I love your energy and I agree with you.
