Featuring Kekeli Klutse
In this episode of Colours for Social Media, host Enoch sits down with Kekeli Klutse a marketing expert in the Sports Betting industry, to discuss effective marketing strategies employed by PrideBet.
[0:00] If you are not somebody who looks at it keenly, you might feel like it's just an ordinary PR junior. If this is your first time tuning in, there's an opportunity for you to subscribe, follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube in order not to miss my perspective when it comes to digital marketing and that of my friends. This week, I'll be having a conversation with one of my friends about one of the most difficult verticals when it comes to marketing. I'm saying it's one of the most difficult because I ventured into that vertical, but then I would do quickly. But when I had a conversation with him, I realized that he is really, really versing this.
[1:06] This industry that I'm talking about is the bear team industry. I almost said the gambling industry, but then I want to say the bear team industry because that is his concentration now.
[1:16] For this episode, I want to welcome my very good friend Kekeli Klutse to talk about some of the winning strategies he used in his work with Pride Bets. All right, so Kekeli, welcome to Klutse of social media. Thanks for having me. It's been a long time coming. We've been having this discussion for so long a time and finally, I'm excited to be here.
[1:40] Awesome. Awesome. So I always tell my friends when they come on, we have two traditions. The first one, I asked about your expectation for this episode because you know we had a conversation, you know what we are coming to talk about. So Kekeli, I want to ask you, what is your expectation? For me, my expectation is for people to, one, love what we are about to discuss today and to help people learn more. It's fun and it's exciting and it's always lovely when you can just give out a bit of what you have. So for me, it's about people learning and people coming to enjoy the podcast more so that maybe next time do say, you know, go on that guy back on that show again. Also, let's get into it. Kekeli, my question and I think I've already asked you this before when we were having a conversation. Why the betting industry?
[2:41] Why the betting industry? I think you've known me for some time now and I love to explore. I love to explore. Before getting into this space, I've worked with agencies. I've worked in, should I say, a phone company. I've worked in a cement business. I've been here and there.
[3:09] So when the opportunity came and was sports betting, I'm like, I mean, if you are a marketer, you should be an all-rounded person. You shouldn't say, oh, maybe I'm only good at selling rice. So let me stick with selling rice. You should be able to market more than one product.
[3:27] So for me, when the opportunity came, I'm like, it's also a great learning curve for me. So I just hopped on it. I've learned a lot. There's crazy competition out there.
[3:45] Apart from competition, marketing wise, I've learned so much that even though people believe that digital would overtake traditional, digital and traditional still go hand in hand.
[3:59] There's no choice about that. You know back then when the conversation about digital is here and we are going to kick out traditional. When you get into certain spaces, you realize that they go hand in hand. So you always need to learn to merge both. And it's been a great learning curve. I've learned really unconventional things, guerrilla marketing tactics that I've never thought of doing some time back. And I'm like, I'm doing them. Okay. These things are not as crazy as people think they are. They are actually interesting things. It just depends on how you tweak it.
[4:37] I mean, looking at the industry, the betting industry, I would understand that you will include guerrilla marketing in it because it's super competitive.
[4:46] If you're from the top of my mind, I can't talk about, I mean 10 betting companies in Ghana. Yeah. So obviously you have to include guerrilla marketing in early activity.
[5:00] I want to state too, you mentioned traditional marketing and digital marketing. How do you measure it too? Because from what you just said, you are a fan believer of traditional marketing working hand in hand with digital. So how do you measure the tool for you to be like a cohesive experience for the user? Okay. So you realize that in traditional people just see it as you're just putting a billboard up and you're doing stuff, but with digital campaigns are a bit targeted. You are looking at a setting type of audience.
[5:42] You are looking at a specific messaging because in the sports betting industry, it's a numbers game. The focus is on numbers. You'd be thrown into the pool and the first month you're working is like acquisitions. We want numbers. What are we doing to get numbers? So whatever marketing idea that I usually think of, it goes hand in hand. So let's say, recently we run some campaigns and even though it was traditional, the digital aspect came to play where it was targeted. So even with billboard campaigns that we run, they actually tracked.
[6:24] So let's say back then you'd see billboards and they are just mounted at locations. But billboards are not tracked. I don't know if you notice, but in the sports betting space, you'd see a certain billboard in an area and you'd see a code like useGH1 as code. We are tracking it because we want to be able to see if people in that area see that bot and are using that code. Apart from awareness, even though that's good for the company, the company still wants to see that people are using that. So even with traditional certain things are targeted, when private was launching, we run a lot of outdoor. I saw this all over. But if you are not somebody who looks at it keenly, you might feel like it's just an ordinary billboard. But that billboard has a code and it's being tracked. So we have for let's say general stuff like that, we run it through like an affiliate platform. So the affiliate platform helps you know the clicks coming in, if people are registering. And that would tell you if you should keep that bot up at that location, or you should change the location. So we did the same with bar stop bots. With bar stop bots, we had QR codes on there because the idea was, okay, if you go standard, a particular bar stop bot. Yes. And we just see some scams. So it really proved to some extent that indeed people just don't see their bot and walk past. If you add a CTA to a bot where you can track it, you get to see something. And if you can track it, it is you bridging, I mean, you bringing traditional marketing. Exactly. And I think that's what that space has taught me. And in my other spaces, we didn't really focus on tracking.
[8:23] So you just mount a bot and you feel like, okay, people are going to walk past circle, don't see that bot. But how certain are you that people are taking that action that you want them to take. So that is where even tracking your offline activities or your traditional activities is key. Yeah, so how, how do you decide where to put? I'm still focusing on traditional here, because it is busting my mind here. How do you decide that? Okay, I want to put the billboard here because my target audience, first of all, how do you get your target audience from this pool of people passing through? Okay, so market research is key. I mean, that's, that's one thing you can't take out of marketing in anything you do always need to research. So let's say off the top of your head, if I should say, I mean, look at certain areas in a car, or in Ghana, and it's relation to sports. Off the top of your head, you will to mention certain areas. Okay, so I'm thinking about something in Nima, I'm thinking Medina. So you already have a fair idea as to locations where there are sports enthusiasts, and it's it's buzzing with the whole sports, should I say, aura, it's all over that space. So those are the places that you definitely want to go for. And you're also looking at traffic prone areas. I mean, I know there's research out there, I mean, episodes and all these companies do their research into most viewed places, most walked past places and all that. So I mean, there's that data. But even in our local setting, you go to tell that okay, if I should choose area A or area B, I would get a certain level of, should I say, awareness built and that would in turn, bring me a certain level of numbers that I'm looking at. So I think those are the things that we really look at. Kelly, from what you're saying, just this, I mean, we've talked for like five minutes or something, what I'm getting from what you're saying is that for action, you can track this by, you know, including QR codes, or maybe some short code on the billboard so that you says who really want to do something they can use it, then you will be tracking in your office. But for awareness, that is our eyeballs with the right audience. Is it possible for you to get that, that number of people, you know, the right target audience that saw the billboards? I'm guessing no. It's a yes and no. Okay. It's a yes and no. Yes, because you would get some number of actions being taken. Yeah. So you can deduce that.
[11:23] Okay. If these people acted, then they saw it. Exactly. Interesting. Exactly. But no, also, because sometimes you have set certain expectations because, you know, their KPIs in marketing anyway.
[11:39] So you set certain expectations that, okay, I'm expecting at least certain number of actions to be taken. So if it doesn't also meet those, those numbers or the KPIs that have been set, you might feel like a good job wasn't done. However, you know, with marketing, everything goes to a funnel. So even if you are looking at the AIADA model where there's awareness, there's What did you just say? Are you just measuring the model? AIADM, what is that one too?
[12:15] So AIDA is one of the marketing frameworks that you can use to track or to help you see at which level your customer is and what you also need to do. So A is awareness, I is interest, D is desire, and then the final A is an action. Oh, yes. So, Oh, okay. So the usual funnel, the final awareness, consideration, conversion is what you are saying.
[12:47] So we have different, different models and there's so many models. But for me, the AIADA model is one of the models I really like to use. So from awareness, you know that there's an interest there.
[13:01] So even on the end of the company, what are we also doing? So from awareness, there's interest, interest, there's a desire. So the desire is when now the person feels like, okay, I've seen this go out about two, three times. I think I should give it a try. Then the final A, which is the action. So once they go through all that, they go through all those steps, sorry, and then they make the final decision of either punching in the code, sending in the SMS or scanning the QR code.
[13:32] You know that this is a, should I say, a qualified lead. So you need to, yes, so we need to hit on that person. So that's why if you notice, I don't know if you do get SMS blasts from spot-biting companies, but you get them a lot. Yeah, no, maybe you will never get them.
[13:48] Because you don't find yourself in that space. But anyone who has found themselves in that space, if you've interacted with even one brand, you realize that all the brands will just come out to you because they are like, okay, there's some potential. So now we all need to find a way to make your end. I have two questions, but then I want to ask this. You see, you realize you asked this. I'm sure you've been getting some, and I was like, me, you will never get me.
[14:17] So how can you circumvent and get a person like me? Okay. You see, how do you capture these person like me? If I'm saying, is there like a model that you guys will use to capture me?
[14:34] How will you get me? Like we were saying earlier, we just spoke about the idea model, which is a funnel. You also spoke about the awareness consideration. I mean, those are our models. And that seemed like there's also a model that we use. Every company has their own model. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I don't want to say much because there's like, well, let's say that.
[14:57] Of course, I've got better days. We'll be listening. Most definitely. They've already seen better winning strategies. But yeah, I get you. I don't want to push further.
[15:06] Oh no, no, it's fine. I mean, we are, we are here to share. So people need to, to learn. Plus the good thing is these strategies can be used anywhere. These strategies can be used anywhere because the reason, the reason why in sports betting, we use some of these things is because we have limited restrictions, like restrictions. There's so many restrictions. I don't know if you know, but the gaming, the gaming commission will tell you, you can use an influential person to promote your brand. You can advertise around the church. You can advertise around the malls.
[15:38] You can advertise around like a school. Yes. So there's so many limitations. However, your target audience is still for within these spaces. They walk there. Yes.
[15:48] They go to church. So you need to know that, but you still need to find your SMEs. So like what you said, targeted SMS. Targeted SMS. So you'd realize that people just do work SMS because they are doing work SMS. But even with sports betting, you can, you can, should I say segments segmentation based also on income segmentation based on interests.
[16:29] So you'd realize that even, even I'll get to the online part when you, when you ask those questions. But the same way you do your, your targeting for this are the same way we do it traditional evening. Let's say for radio, you definitely are going in for shows like sports shows, entertainment shows, mainly a bit of lifestyle shows, because the idea also is sports betting is actually supposed to be something like, how do I call it?
[17:08] It's supposed to be a fun activity, but it's quite unfortunate. I mean, I need to say that it's quite unfortunate that some people tend to abuse it. That is why it gets to a point where you see some people as addicts. They always have to play before because they are being driven by greed. But in, in actual sense, I mean, it's supposed to be a fun way. It's something for fun.
[17:32] Let's say it's like a side hustle for your team winning because of course the players will enjoy their money, their bonuses and all that. But for you, yeah, you too, you forget something.
[17:50] So that's, that's the whole idea. But unfortunately people tend to abuse it and some people actually just be there. We have to make money. But like you said, you support a particular team. And so because you're always supporting them and you're rallying, I mean, why not? If you, if you win some series by supporting them, go you. So yeah, I mean, you look at all that. So coming to that space, yes, you need to target. So even for the SMS, we do target the SMS. So if you don't fall within that space, that's how come you don't get it. But one way or another, you get me. I can't, I can't perform even person like me. You mean, I know that if I visit certain website, I might be targeted by you guys. So I wouldn't go there. But you know, some devices also are going around to prevent spam messages. So what are you doing about that one? Did you have any solution to circumvent that? Because I'm using a pencil. I don't get any message, even cold calls.
[19:00] If you are in the States, you see. So what is there for the betting industry? Is there like a solution over that? So the solution, I would say like we, we, we put it in the data as keywords.
[19:16] So even, even on Facebook, Facebook flags, setting words. If currently on platforms like let's say almost all the meta platforms, even on X, if you use certain words, the post would get flagged, it'll be pulled down. So yeah, so you need to also look at that. So it works even on the traditional side as well. Like, let's say, let me, let me give you this example. Let's say you see a billboard, even though it's a big, shiny, yellow billboard, when our billboards came out, some people thought they were empty in the world. Yeah.
[20:02] All those things come in copy and the type of words you use. So I can still even run an SMS campaign where I'd be, I'll be sure that instead of me using certain words, I changed them. So let's say switching. Yes. So instead of using a positive word to use negative words and vice versa. So it's like you are switching it up. So when it goes through the system, funny enough, I mean, technology's technology, it will still not be able to figure certain things out. So it's able to play past it and get, you'll still get to the user. Nice. Now let's talk about the courtesy.
[20:38] And it's not even only you guys, right? There's no, I'm not even talking about you guys, but looking at the billboards that I see around from all these betting companies, realize that your creative are so blown out. You see, it's so exaggerated. I should say, is there like a thought behind that? Exactly. Like 100,000 boosts, then you can see some super man doing like this. I want to get the top behind your creatives. What are you doing with your creatives? Is it like to shock people or for people to act on? What is, what is the top behind them? Okay. Now you can speak for your industry. So the creative is actually based on campaigns.
[21:29] So you'd realize that every, every creative has its own message. However, those campaigns are to say, our office. So things like multi bed boosts and all that people in that space understand their lingo. So they know that, okay. Yeah. So that there's certain things that when people see, they, they know that, okay, outgoing for brand A over brand B, someone would want to go in for a particular brand because they are, they are focused on odds. Someone is going for another brand because they'll get wind boosts. So wind boosts is more like, let's say your potential winnings are doubled. So let's say if it's saying up to a thousand means that your potential winnings might be doubled up to a thousand based on the selections of the games or the odds.
[22:19] So everyone goes in for a different reason. So you need to be tactical with the messaging. So yes, you see billboards with the wind boost because we know that, okay, there's people in that space who like product A. There's people in that space who like odds. There's people who like to see maybe a carefree woman holding. So that's smart because you saying this, I have not realized that although the billboards are coming from one brand, certain areas have different messaging. So yeah, then the socioeconomic status of the people also comes inside. Because of course, if, I mean, looking at the area, they need more money, of course, then you just, you know, be compelling them. Housing boost.
[23:07] When we started our company, just to come in, we had let's say about 14 billboard locations across mainly our car entirely. And in every space, the messaging was different. So let's say we had a billboard around the, what's the name of that place? The Temer Station area. The Temer Station area. I mean, I'm on that side. Okay. Yes. What's the name of that place? The National Law Street Lane with the health. Is it the hospice Ghana health ministry area? Yes. So after that, like let's say on the, where the new magistrate courses on the other side, and that billboard was designed to suit market women. So the image on the board was actually like a market woman.
[23:54] And then the messaging was like, come together and make we play. Of course, a market woman, if she raises, she will understand it. So even in our launch, we didn't go hard on, um, say products. We focused more on creatives that could, people could relate to. So you could see in, let's say a place like Labard, you'd see someone screaming. So we, we looked at every area and came up with a messaging and the board so that when people in this area see it, they can relate to it. So the idea also is, is it's not always good to try and sell your product hard on first. Let the people get to see where you're coming from. Once they relate to you and then, okay, you are here for us. Then you can start selling. Let's talk about KPIs. That is key performance indicators. Still traditional. Of course, I'm looking at the creatives that have the curacose on it. Perfect KPI. If I'm arranging order of priorities should be scan numbers.
[24:55] What other KPIs do you measure again? So I mean, promo codes, uh, part of like some things that we, we use, um, for kind of kind of like one of, uh, uh, should I say offline activity that we're doing, we have like a promo code feature. So like, if you go to that particular place and you use that promo code, it'll be recorded in the system that you came in through this. So there's promo codes as well. Uh, but apart from that, usually the billboard agencies also have a way of tracking footfall. Yeah. The billboard agencies actually have a way of tracking footfall. That's why I, I mentioned that you think you can get some data from Ipsos and some of these third party companies. Uh, back then it wasn't that football thing, people who pass through. Yeah. So back then it wasn't a thing. People didn't really invest into it, but now you see it growing.
[25:54] So most billboards now have trackers installed on there. So anytime people pass by, it's able to give you a fair idea to the number of people that have, uh, passed through that location. And then you also use it, you can use that to average, like run an average and see the numbers that came in from like, let's say from the side visits and all that. And then you do that vis-a-vis maybe online to see. So that's just by the way, you know, all the time people pitch traditional against digital. Do you think a billboard installing tracking senses and all that is their way of fighting to jitter so that they'll be at power digital or even overtake them to show digital that we, we were there before you came.
[26:45] Do you think that is the angle they are going in? I think initially when that conversation came up, that was the angle. Cause I mean, when everybody that is saying more digital this year and it's going to kick traditional, that was the whole idea. Uh, but now you do realize that even with certain campaigns, we still run them O2O. So like, what is O2O? Sorry, sorry, sorry.
[27:10] Don't worry, that's why I'm here. I will steer you. What is O2O? So O2O is, um, online to offline. Yeah. Or offline to online based on how you want to do it. So let's say for us, we, like in terms of the tracking, the certain campaigns that we also run, which are O2O campaigns. So, uh, let's say we can say we are running a spot and win campaign. So spot any of our billboard in town, spot any of our ads in town, take pictures and share using a particular hashtag.
[27:42] So that way that also helps us know that people are really seeing these boards and, uh, so running O2O as well. Yeah. So the thing with the traditional, I mean, tracking the thing, the boards, uh, yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's come to stay, which is also good data because back then the issue was that I was giving traditional wasn't giving data. Yes. So that has come to, I mean, add up to make you see the value because let's say if you are paying, um, a hundred thousand CDs for a space for six months, sometimes you feel like, okay, it's, it's a great location, but what's the value? So that is where, um, the chakra comes in and it makes it like a really good plus. Uh, but however, I think traditional still feeds off digital because here in Ghana, if you, if you look at most of the really big campaigns, uh, that have gone via online, most of them were actually offline campaigns. Yeah. Yeah. And, and in, in Ghana, most of them, the, the marketing that I've seen, let's say, uh, example, the, the Twitter campaign that went well.
[29:00] Yeah. It was a billboard company. It was done by Sushar Ghana. Yes. It was, it was a billboard company, which was an offline company, but they got Sushar Ghana. Yeah. So that was being on offline traditional, but because of the O2O elements, you could now see that vibrance online.
[29:21] So for me, I feel, uh, even people in the traditional space, especially traditional marketing agencies now need to even start adding a digital aspect to whatever they do, because for you to even sell your, your product is not about just telling people that we have good billboard locations. You can actually run a really cool campaign about why your boards are the best and all that. And because now let's see, uh, example, uh, when these guys came off and jump, you know, off and jump, the guys who owned a really big billboard at Usu, you see the messaging, this is obviously the biggest billboard. And you, you, you, you realize that now that billboard, even though, um, it's, it's looking like it's a traditional billboard. It's more like a digital part. Yeah. It's massive. I mean, whenever I pass out, yeah, we are getting there. I get in it, but I mean, it's quite sad because I just have a company. Yeah. I mean, but it's still coming to the market. So I mean, if the annoying company, but then our folks down here can look at it, build up on it. And yeah, I mean, as long as it's here, but then, uh, I was just, I just had an epiphany. I'm just looking at you dishing all these insights.
[30:42] And, uh, it just came to me like, I met you in 2018. Yeah. That's like way back. And then we're handling outspoken eight. And right now you are here and you are dishing this idea. I want to know your journey. How am I talking to this K Kelly of 2024? Walk me through your journey after 2018. How many betting companies have you worked with?
[31:09] Okay. So for sports betting, um, part of it is like the entire company where I'm remarketing for, uh, I started with bed, bro. Yeah. But bro. And then from bed, bro, I moved to M sports and then from M sports, uh, um, now with pride, but I think it's fun. And for me with all that I've learned, any industry that I'll find myself in, I'm going to replicate or yes, that's it. I can't drive because it's, it's really crazy. It's really crazy. Like you're fighting me so many people for the same numbers. Yes. It's weird. You have to fire over 10 brands over the same people. Yeah. And that, I mean, man, I mean, but, uh, let's talk about digital.
[31:56] It has a lot of time you spend. Let's talk about digital. I know there are a lot of challenges. So tell me how you were able to overcome digital challenges when it comes to sports betting.
[32:09] If I don't know anything, I know Google compliance policy violating our policy. How do you go about that? So even, even till, till date, uh, meta has to not find listed our pages because the policies are so many and you need to go through like lots of channels and approve our processes before all that. What would happen with digital? I'd say traditional is being easier to maneuver. Traditional is way easier to maneuver our digital. It's really hard. Um, so with digital looking at, let's say social platforms, the focus is just to look at it as a medium for information. Yeah. So we just use that to run, uh, like the normal coms that we have, uh, but in terms of like focusing on ad buying, yes, Google has been like really crazy, but thankfully that, that also has both too. So PPC smooth, but it says that's PPC. Welcome to college for social media, the podcast for budding digital marketers and small business owners who believe in digital marketing. Now I'm asking Kelly, what is PPC?
[33:34] You don't get putting me on this. No, no, no, no. I mean, we're budding digital marketers. So we want to break everything down. What is PPC? I know PPC. Even though I don't know, but I know PPC, I know PPC. So what is PPC in simple terms, it's a paper clip. So that's the amount you pay for every user that clicks on, let's say your art. Yeah. Um, but yes, but in the space, like we said, the competition is really crazy, especially on search.
[34:16] So for us, yeah, search is where most of the, the dominance is. So let's say you can have over 10 brands bidding on your brand name. It might be, it might be your brand. Yeah, your competitors. But yeah, they still bid on it because once, uh, someone goes there and types in private bet. And the first thing they see is let's say that we all spotty bets. Don't click on that. They don't really have time to scroll down to go and see. So if Bedway is ready to pay, let's say example, $20 for PPC because they want to rank. Yes. Because they want to rank up there.
[34:59] I can't, I can't compete with them. We have to kill us. Shout out. So time. I think I should have been better. So time. Yeah. I met him at, uh, playing 12 week. When do I, when do I do? Yeah. I guess.
[35:23] So time is an avid listener to this point, by the way. So yes, I should invite. I invite. We should, we should have like, uh, so yeah, but we Charlie, those guys are ready to spend just when it comes to, um, setting things in terms of online arts, I mean, big ups to them. I give it to them.
[35:51] Like they really invest huge. Uh, but there are, there are other things that we have also done, which have really helped in the digital space. So like, like I was talking about PPC, uh, yeah. So X as well. So kindly X, I mean running out to X has really helped a lot because it almost has money. So probably he has thrown all policies to the data.
[36:19] Y'all come and run out of my plan for my own money. But even with Facebook, we have a backdoor method we use. So we, the first time we saw like two of our competitors run ads on Facebook, even though they were no white listed. And I was like, yeah, what are these guys doing? Then I sat down with one of my guys and like, no, we really need to figure it out. And tribute to it was what I was telling you the keywords.
[36:46] So you want it through like a third party, uh, what's it called accounts. And then you just read the keywords, you change the creative copy. But you know, funny thing is with Facebook, even when you're running out, it's not only the main copy, even the creative itself goes through a certain level of scrutiny. They're able to see if there's certain things in that creative, then they just plug it. So when we realized that and we tried it to work, I was like, Oh wow, this works. So Facebook also did, did help a lot, but not the, the method we all know. I mean, the illegal method. Um, uh, do you guys have an app?
[37:26] You currently know, but we, we have an APK. I'm an APK. So because I was about to ask you how you are able to circumvent to be on the app store or the Apple play store. Okay. You know, you know, those, I mean, you know, those platforms also have their own rules that you need to meet. Um, currently for us, what we are trying to do is to build an app in a way where you can even run, uh, let's say like on load data mode.
[38:00] So all the things you are seeing on our site, kind of like me running load data mode. Yeah. So once we get it perfect, the app would be ready, but one app, no, we just haven't have an APK.
[38:13] Tell me what are some of the key considerations that you put in place? If you want to get, I mean, you've already talked about the keywords. Yeah. So what are the key considerations that you put in place? If you want to run a successful digital ad, apart from the keywords, um, objective is one objective is always the key. You need to know your objective for that particular campaign and, um, the target audiences as well. Uh, thankfully in a platform like X, um, you can do, like a follower look alike. So X allows you to select certain platforms or should I say influences who are within that space for you to target the audience. So X that's that with the, with the follower look alike. So knowing, um, those things as well, the interests and, um, apart from that budget budget is also one thing. If, if you, if you really wanted to go loud, then means you need to put a lot of money in there. Uh, so yeah, those things are really critical and crucial to have a successful campaign online. And you don't include social media influences. Yes. So with social media influencers, the objective or whatever it is that we are running as well would, would push. So there have been certain campaigns that we've run that the, the focus was just on awareness. It was just like an awareness base or an awareness driven campaign where we just wanted people to know that we had a particular product. So those ones were there. But one thing I realized for sports betting is the influencers are mainly on platforms like telegram and tech talk. Yeah. So we rely heavily on people on those platforms, telegram and tech talk. I mean, you might get issues. You don't, you don't always get too easy cause some people would spend all you have. I've had issues where I've had scenarios where people are taking money and Charlie, they've not done their work.
[40:27] And Charlie, I have my KPIs to meet them. My head is hot. And I need to think of something quickly. So those ones are also there, but yet mostly on telegram, but one telegram, telegram, telegram, this was, I was hearing tick tock. Yes. But telegram is where the real deal is.
[40:47] There's a bus in common on telegram. People don't know about it. Personally, I eat sleep on telegram. You're highly getting on WhatsApp most of the time, talking telegram, but I didn't know it's like that's in community on telegram. And the good thing is, I mean, on the, on, on a side note, let's put just a sports betting aside for a minute. You can get anything you want to get on telegram. Anything about Ghana, about the world, anything, even kindly, this, this whole thing about crypto and stuff. There's so much info on telegram.
[41:24] People don't really know what to do. Like this info everywhere. Telegram is one of the best platforms. I would recommend to anyone in this day and age.
[41:32] Interesting. And the day we run ads. Is it possible in Ghana? Yes, you can run ads on telegram. But you need to do it through crypto. Use Ton.
[41:43] Use Ton to run those ads. Ton is their, their own crypto player. So you buy Ton. Yes, you buy Ton. Then you run it, then you pay with the crypto.
[41:54] And it's, it's, it's exciting. Telegram is an exciting, very exciting. I would, I would actually recommend businesses to start looking at that platform.
[42:02] Telegram. So on WhatsApp, WhatsApp and Telegram, which one would you recommend? I mean, for businesses? Because you see, WhatsApp also has a bit of business side in it.
[42:15] Do it with Telegram. But Telegram gives you lots of opportunities that WhatsApp doesn't. But it's just that most users, you know, you know the whole thing about getting users to switch when they feel like they are comfortable. Yeah. I mean, let's, let's, let's, let's be honest. Let's use this Telco game thing. MTN, Vodafone, whatever. I'd be like, yeah, I like MTN. I don't want to use.
[42:45] So that's the whole thing. Please buy, buy, buy, no means that we advertise for anyone. All the brands that we have mentioned here, we are not advertising for anyone.
[42:57] But yeah, we are advertising for anybody. Just give me the conversation. But if those brands would want to sponsor this show. Oh, go you, go you. We are more than happy, excited to have them sponsor us. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah, we are in for a long haul. What's there? What's there? So yeah, let's talk about your case. I mean, can you tell me one of the successful campaigns that you've run that you are like proud of? I know you've run a lot. Yeah.
[43:28] But yeah, my very first campaign, which you rightly mentioned that see when you saw those billboards you have blown because the creatives and all that and the copy that went with those creatives and the fact that it was the first time we're trying the different location idea.
[43:48] If you notice, if let's say you see brand A have a message on a billboard is our same message also, but we didn't do that. We looked at different segments, different targets, and we created different messages. So and it really, it really did well with us. Apart from that, I'd say when we also started, I'd say everything from start to date has been great. Currently, we're doing something for local communities. I know some people have already seen this and they have already started picking the idea, even though it's been there for some time, brands like Guinness and Clappier actually run those things very well where they take like a local community and they take them as their baby and just be helping. So like they'll brand their place and their colors and paints and all that. So we're currently doing stuff like that. We've done two, we just did one. We're looking at doing about 10 before the year ends across the country because the idea is if you go to your favorite bar to watch football every day and you bet with us, then I mean we can come there and make it look great. So for us, it's also a way to get back to the community. So those are some of the things that we're doing. We also run a campaign which was called the Stranger Hero campaign. The idea was that we'll meet people randomly on the streets and we ask them for help and those who help were giving an amount of money and all those campaigns. So like I mean apart from the sports betting campaigns, we've done some social campaigns as well. And all in all, it's been great. Because the feedback we get is that people are starting to see that we are not only focused on getting people to bet, but we are finding ways to connect with the community here. Now let's look at the future. What do you think the landscape is?
[46:07] I mean right now you have a lot of competitors. But looking up ahead, how do you see the future of sports betting in Ghana? Is it going to go down or is there a future for you guys?
[46:20] It's not going to go down. So I mean we've been hit with so many challenges. If you recall when this whole tax thing came, some people said this place was going to collapse.
[46:33] But we're still in it. And we've had brands come and go and we still have more brands coming in. It just tells you that there's a lot going on in this space and people really want to be here.
[46:47] So it's not going to die anytime soon. But maybe what would even make it better is when we have, should I say, a much better regulatory structure. Because you know sports betting, if I should put it well, it's still an online thing. And you know in Ghana, we're still young in that online space. Even in terms of regulations and making sure that people are doing what needs to be done so that you are not overstepping or crossing certain boundaries.
[47:30] So since digital is growing, it will definitely go. Because now it's easier for people to just stay home and pick their phones and they just stop and enter a site and they do it. So like we're talking about, even though it was a joke where we were like, oh people go to church and go to mosque and all that. So you won't even know. But it's come to stay.
[47:59] It's come to stay. Since I started this year, all the conversation I'm having, there's a mention of AI when I asked about the future. So is it that there won't be AI for sports betting industry? Or you guys don't see it happening.
[48:20] Personally, I've not envisaged it. But it might, it might happen. But with AI and sports betting, once AI starts to play a role in it, I mean, you might as well feel like there's some manipulations going on. Because already people have this mindset. I hope some of you sit in the office and just push some things. And that's why we win. So imagine, even though AI has its positive side, imagine all the issues with AI. I mean, I learned recently that one AI killed himself. He committed suicide in Japan. I was doing something like that.
[49:06] I think I called that suicide in Japan. I would highly love for it and share it with you. Yeah, develop a personality. I want to die by suicide. So let me just offer myself.
[49:24] That's like a humanoid. Now they've built emotions. They've learned so much that now they don't see themselves as an AI. So emotions. So let's say now you build an AI for your platform, and then it now starts to manipulate the platform. Now be wicked. Before you realize funds are being sent somewhere you don't even know. So for now, I mean, I don't really know.
[49:55] But currently the role AI plays in the sports betting space, I mean, it helps with creative work. I mean, currently, our designers have started exploring some of these tools for some of our designs. So it just helps speed up the process so that we can get work done quickly.
[50:16] Myself, I mean, I use GPT a lot to do some of my work, my proposals. I just put in the commands and that's it for me. Yeah, but I'm a Gemini person. I mean, I'm a good guy. So Gemini.
[50:33] I mean, GPT for life. GPT score. We will talk about the battle of the models. Thank you so, so much Kelly for coming on. But before I let you go, I want you to, that's actually the last question you remember on the top of the episode I asked. I told you, we have two questions.
[50:54] So this question is how far? This episode, just like any other episode of Colours of Social Media podcast, is produced by Builders Studios and recorded at Tribal Mark Studios.
[51:24] 13 Asiko Street, Tontra Hills Accra.