XBIZ World is pleased to present “Execs of 2015: The Year in Review.”
Each of the executives we spoke to below has one thing in common — they are among the finalist nominees for the online industry edition of the 2016 XBIZ Exec Awards.
The branding opportunities that were the most beneficial for Ero-Advertising this year were our attendance and support for the various industry trade shows. -Sarah Mallie, Ero-Advertising
XBIZ captures the thoughts of these influential and motivational leaders as we sought their take of the year 2015.
The following question about the year in review was asked to those running for the Brand Ambassador of the Year:
XBIZ: What branding opportunities were the most beneficial to your company this year? How did you take advantage of them?
Paul Kluzak
Sales Executive, CCBill
“The CCBill focus in 2015 has surrounded what we have inspired in the adult industry for many years: connection, trust and community. Just the name CCBill has been synonymous with ‘dependable business teammate’; so our brand and our mission are very much aligned. Not just the message, but the actual fact that CCBill helps curate joint ventures and helps open doors for companies to grow and diversify actually makes me happy. It makes it easy for me to get up in the morning, hop on my CCBill bike, and start talking about the idea of CCBill with everyone I meet. I have been lucky to be part of the CCBill family for 14 years, and I do look good in blue — so says my mother.”
Sarah Mallie
Account Manager, Ero-Advertising
“The branding opportunities that were the most beneficial for Ero-Advertising this year were our attendance and support for the various industry trade shows. In an industry where most people work remotely and globally, it’s really important for us to come together at the shows. We do highly visual branding efforts with pull-up banners, staff clothing, and various show sponsorship efforts. For me personally, I’m really proud of the Ero-Advertising brand and proud to be part of such an innovative company and brand. My effort at these trade shows is to share the company brand and spirit that I get to be a part of everyday. We work hard, we play hard, and we always strive to be the best.”
Stefan Muehlbauer
Director of Marketing and Sales, BrokerBabe
“For us, the most important branding opportunity was our affiliate contest BrokerGames. It was a competition that lasted six weeks with weekly targets. We used every one of these targets to get the affiliates to focus on a dedicated market. Partners that reached the target got really nice prizes. In this way, we were able to motivate affiliates to send more traffic in the markets that we wanted to push. In the end, it was one big step forward to show the adult world: hey, BrokerBabe can convert way more then only Tier 1. The shows, as usual, were greatly beneficial in presenting us to new partners, and we are looking forward to the start of the new show season with the XBIZ 2016 in January.”
Jeff Wilson
Director of Business Development, Flirt4Free
“Branding in the industry is about consistency and visibility. For us, we try to get a good mix of serious business conversations and hosting the best parties. This year, we hosted a great event in Vegas, our Penthouse Party at The Phoenix Forum, our River Cruise in Prague, and of course, Flirt Summit in Punta Cana. That’s where we host an all-inclusive getaway for 100-plus of our models, studios, and business associates — a great event for our brand.”
Matt Mund
Director of Sales, Mobius Payments
“I believe every branding opportunity for Mobius Payments is a beneficial one. Our brand, our commitment to service, is vital to our success. We take full advantage of every opportunity to put our brand out there and make ourselves personally available to our partners and potential partners. We attend trade shows in multiple verticals every year. Although I am infrequently spotted in a ‘Mobius Green’ speedo at every show, I try to take advantage of every opportunity by always looking for new ways to make an impact and represent Mobius Payments. If that takes me shaving a mankini into my chest, that’s what I do. At Mobius Payments, our brand is our promise — our commitment to service, for our partners, to ensure their success. It’s easy to keep this promise because we love what we do, and it’s easy to have fun when you love what you do. Keep an eye on us in the coming year for new and innovative services and features offered by Mobius Payments.”
Chris Rodger
Sales Director, Payze
“Payze takes advantage of branding opportunities on multiple levels. Attending trade shows and conventions are vital for any company, and we are no exception. The Payze are no exception. The Payze team makes a point to attend as many industry gatherings as possible throughout the year, often sponsoring them to further promote our brand and services. Conjointly with the attendance of these gatherings, I often make myself available to speak or moderate seminars. In doing so, it keeps our brand in plain sight of attendees. But it also affords us the opportunity to share knowledge. Moreover, the participation in panels and seminars is a practical way to meet new people. In addition to being a physical presence at industry events, Payze also makes good use of popular social platforms to further our brand in online processing. It’s no secret that Facebook, Twitter and others are not only informative vehicles but also, add enjoyment to the daily life of us webmasters.”
Courtney Rudolph
Social Media Manager, FriendFinder Networks
“2015 was an important year for us. We really wanted to increase our brand awareness in the webcam market, so we sponsored and attended a huge number of shows. Our adult dating and cams products are still leaders in the industry, and we wanted to make sure people are aware of our new products and features. Some of our biggest accomplishments have been signing on models like Kendra Sunderland and Sophia Locke. Their experience with the tipping side of the cams market helped us launch our own tipping platform in a big way. Having these big-name models headline for us has been invaluable to our brand. We look forward to more creative brand-awareness opportunities in 2016.”
