"I believe that adapting to changes without distorting one's identity is one of the most important qualities a company must have" - Vincenzo Armato

Vincenzo Armato, Founder at ADVRevolution, joins the latest series of affiliate interviews on Affiliate Grand Slam

Firmly believing that communicating clearly and simply, and respecting each other’s work help to create strong and lasting bonds over time, Vincenzo Armato at ADVRevolution is carrying on his ‘liquid’ company dream – follow his story below.

How did your affiliate marketing business take off? And, is iGaming your only vertical?

It all started with the first monetization of a site that I had built a few months earlier. It wasn’t yet clear to me what affiliate marketing was but I realized that from my passion for the internet and for websites, I could earn something.

I started doing research, studying, testing my first advertising campaigns: the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn… and the more I earned. Probably at this moment I realized that that passion could become a real job.

A different, innovative work, difficult to explain to many who were close to me. But I firmly believed in it. In fact, sometime later, I founded my own company, the Otherways.

After a few years in which I had various experiences both as an affiliate and as a consultant for some European companies, I realized that the time was ripe and I founded my Affiliate Network, AdvRevolution. To date we have a good turnover with very satisfied advertisers and affiliates. In 2019, I was invited to participate in the SiGMA Road Show in New Jersey, and in 2020 I was one of the judges of the IGB Affiliate Awards, the only Italian.

We deal with various verticals, including iGaming which plays an important role in our business.

How is your company structured, and what aspect of business development are you currently focused on?

We are a ‘liquid’ company: we work remotely because I strongly believe that persons gives the best of themselves when they are enabled to choose when and where to work.

We always try to guarantee the highest quality to our customers: it’s not always easy, but we work hard every day for this goal.

What can operators do to increase support with affiliates?

Effective communication and respect for the work of others are the fundamental elements that can help our world to grow. Communicating clearly and simply, and respecting each other’s work, help to create strong and lasting bonds over time.

How can affiliate marketers be more unique in their approach?

Nowadays, being unique is becoming really difficult in our market. You have to be creative and be able to anticipate others in order to have an important advantage.

What makes your traffic proposition/traffic sites unique?

We try to guarantee the highest quality to our customers through a careful analysis of the data coming from our traffic. Our systems help us better understand our sources in order to rule out criticalities. Being able to guarantee to the customer the highest quality is our main goal.

Are you contemplating bringing in investors to scale or grow your business? Or, with such a big M&A market, have you ever contemplated selling the business?

I am always well disposed towards new lenders: it could help us grow much faster than what we are already doing on our own. Honestly, I’m not going to sell my business: I love what I do, I put a lot of passion into it. I could not see my business being managed by other people.

Which qualities and skills are essential in an affiliate marketing team/business?

Quality, precision, dedication: but most of all, probably, a spirit of adaptation. Our industry is constantly evolving and changes are on the agenda. Therefore, I believe that adapting to changes without distorting one’s identity is one of the most important qualities a company must have.

What sets you apart from other affiliate marketers?

I built my company step by step, day after day, wisely managing the few resources we had available at the beginning of our adventure.

This has allowed me and my team to create simple processes that do not waste resources and time, bringing high returns to our customers.

How does technology play a part in your day-to-day?

Technology is everything. It is the basis of our work. It helps to carry on my dream of a ‘Liquid’ company that can guarantee everyone to work from anywhere in the world while always remaining connected.

Which emerging technologies like AI and big data will impact the affiliate industry in 2020 and beyond?

I think both technologies are important and necessary tools to maximise profits in the affiliate industry.

In this constantly evolving market, however, I am certain that in the future new technologies will be created that will make this activity more and more performing.

Is the grass greener on the other side – have you considered going down the operator route?

Honestly no. Not yet.

Which markets are you eyeing up as a priority in 2020, and why?

Asia and Latin America for sure. They guarantee excellent profits also because they are little beaten by European companies.

How has the fragmentation of regulated markets affected your business? UKGC, Swedish regulator and now also the German regulator is mulling regulating this space.

They certainly made it more difficult. However, as I said earlier, you have to know how to adapt to changes to be successful.

How is the Asian market shaping-up for affiliates?

It is a different market from the European one with its own rules but with many opportunities. You need to study both the content and the audience well before starting to invest in these countries.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when starting out?

Experience and know-how. It seems like an obvious answer but that’s it. Over the years, you acquire experience and know-how that helps you contextualize, manage and solve problems that may arise during work.

What are the main challenges for the sector in 2020?

Always be able to innovate in order to be competitive on the market.

What are your predictions for the future of the sector?

It will be necessary to keep up with the times because the competitors will be more and more innovative and competitive.

How do you manage relationships with multiple operators?

I always try to maintain a good relationship with them. Often, there is not much time to have a chat but at leat once a month I get in touch with them to exchange a few words.

What are the benefits of attending large iGaming events, and what can they do better?

Meeting people live is one of the reasons why these events are important: many times, a handshake and a nod of agreement are worth more than a contract.

Have you ever been to SiGMA? Would you consider attending SiGMA Manila or SiGMA Malta at some point?

I was invited to the Roadshow in New Jersey in 2019 but unfortunately, I was unable to attend. I hope to return to travel in peace in the future as soon as the health situation related to Covid-19 improves.

Tell us a bit about yourself – after all, business is done with people, not just companies!

I am a very simple person. I love my family and my beautiful land, Sicily. Precisely for this reason I decided to found my company here: being able to work near the sea is priceless!

Which quote do you live your life by?

Mainly they are two. The first, by Fabrizio De André, who in my opinion is the greatest Italian singer-songwriter: ‘dai diamanti non nasce niente, dal letame nascono i fior” which is translated into “nothing is born from diamonds; flowers are born from manure” (song: Via del campo). The second, by Walt Disney: ‘If you can dream it, you can do it’.

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SiGMA Calendar:  

SiGMA Americas and AIBC Digital Summit were launched with great success in the past week, pushing the shifting grounds of the gaming industry towards LatAm and discussing the current developments in digitalisation. In a first for SiGMA, both the gaming and the tech segments of the conference were offered in 3 languages, English, Spanish and Portuguese.   

SiGMA will launch its next series of events in 2021, with SiGMA Europe headlining next year’s calendar. Inaugural summits in Asia and Americas are also set to dominate the year, with SiGMA Asia launching in May 2021 and SiGMA Africa in 2022! Explore the full agenda here and register now!