Inside Affter: Constantine Ivanchuk on Industry Influence and Motivation

Discover the world of iGaming through the eyes of Constantine Ivanchuk, a seasoned media buyer. From his early career journey to his role at Affter and the evolving industry landscape, Constantine offers a unique perspective on the strategies and challenges that define success in this dynamic field.

Q: When you started media buying 8 years ago, did you think it would be a long-term game?

A: Back then I was still in the process of finding myself on the employment market. So no long term strategies had been applied. However, I already knew that media buying is the job that comfortably combined my skills and abilities.So I did hope that this is a perfect place to grow.

Q: Why did you choose Affter? What unique selling points, in your opinion, help the company/product succeed in the market?

A: Well, number one thing is the one that an awful lot of brands lack these days. It is a style.You may have a well-experienced operational team and great software (both are a must), but the cherry on top is your strong voice in the industry that makes you brightly visible in such a crowded place like gambling market nowadays. Affter has it all.

Q: After 8 years of work, you surely have your own “scripts” for successful communication. Can you share the main flow you teach newcomers in your team?

A: Firstly, nobody likes a wordsman. So, in professional correspondence, be as brief and precise in communication as possible. And always tackle issues at hand one by one. Secondly, be business and win-win oriented while discussing with affiliates. Sometimes it’s in your personal interest to allow more traffic, but in the long run it may be detrimental to the company results and, eventually, for yourself. And the last, but not the least – be a person your affiliates remember and love to communicate with. This one especially depends on your performance at conferences and even more – at afterparties 🙂

Q: Besides the salary, what motivates you to work, and how does the motivation system work at Affter?

A: I believe that desire to make an impact on the market should drive great affiliate managers. So a company must make everything possible to let the managers achieve this noble goal. To make this situation a win-win, Affter has implemented a quite flexible and individual system of motivation ultimately based on business goals, but also encouraging affiliate managers to use their creativity. For instance, you may work in a temporarily stagnant field, but your creativity and energy, won’t stay unnoticed, will ensure your professional growth in Affter and you’ll get more promising (but surely also responsible) tasks.

Q: What achievements (cases) in the iGaming field are you proud of and can share with us?

A: Obviously not much details can be shared with the public due to the business specifics, but let me tell you that throughout my career, I entered numerous markets, which were deemed to be closed for any newcomers. And still we were able to prove that there are no red oceans if you have a state of the art product and a devoted team.

Q: To balance it out, what have been the biggest mistakes in your work?

A: The biggest ones arise when everything goes well in terms of profitability and you decide to scale even faster than planned at a time when you were not spoiled by success. Please don’t leave any of your reasonable doubts unchecked when doing so.

Q: What key changes in the market can you note? (both positive and negative)

A: Sorry, but I’ll start with the negative one: governmental regulations. These are not solving problems of players, but only creating ones for businesses and as a result we have fewer and worse products. Obviously not all the regulations harm business, but bureaucracy tends to create more problems than it solves.
On the bright note, I love how the iGaming community developed not only in terms of new sources of traffic, but also global interaction through social networks, webinars, lots of professional shows etc.

Q: How do you personally evaluate the impact of AI on the industry? Is it an overrated trend or something that drives tectonic shifts?

A: It is definitely driving changes, especially when it comes to design, support and some of routine tasks. However, a nice human touch, when it comes to the product as a whole will still differentiate the great products from the quickly baked mediocre ones.

Q: How does someone who spends most of their workday communicating with others spend their free time?

A: Yeap, you’re hinting in the right direction. After hours, I usually listen to some music or go to a swimming pool to shake myself up physically and mentally. Because a total change of activity after work is vital to keep yourself focused and interested the next day. Sometimes I meet my friends to smoke some decent habanos, which is one of my favorite experiences on Friday night. 30+, after all 🙂

Q: Is knowing three foreign languages enough for your job, or would you like to learn more?

A: Clearly, English is a must. But also speaking the local language of the product is helpful almost every time. So if one enters the market for a long run and big volumes, I’d definitely suggest learning at least a basic language skills.

Q: And our must-ask question for everyone 🙂 Do you play casino games? If so, what was your biggest win?

A: I played casino games a long time ago, just when I started my career in iGaming. Hence, it wasn’t that big money I bet. However, starting from $10, I left with around $100. So maybe I should try again after the interview.