In our latest Meet the IA Team blog post, we speak to the Manager of Marketing Services and Design, Alexandra Bogdanova. Alexandra discusses her experience and shares key lessons after returning to Income Access from maternity leave and taking on a new role.
Name: Alexandra BogdanovaPosition: Manager of Marketing Services and DesignBackground: Alexandra was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, and has lived in a number of different countries before moving to Canada and becoming a citizen. She recently had a baby boy, Erik, and after returning from maternity leave, has taken on a new role within the marketing department.
Alexandra shares her experiences as Manager of Marketing Services and Design
You recently returned to Income Access after a year off for maternity leave. Tell us a bit about how you have eased back into the “daily grind” and adjusted your schedule.
To be honest, I thought it would be much more difficult to ease back into things than it has been. Everything has been going very smoothly. Getting back into the office was funny, it felt like I had only been gone for a month, not an entire year!
Fortunately, not too much had changed while I was away, which made it easy to reintegrate into the Marketing Department, while also assuming my new role as Manager of Marketing Services and Design. It was also great to see that a couple of new team members had joined while I was away, which is always exciting as it contributes to an evolving team dynamic. The rest of the team was happy to see me back, which I think made my return that much easier.
Not only have you recently returned to IA but as you mentioned, you have also taken on a different role. Tell us a bit about that and your new responsibilities as Manager of Marketing Services and Design.
I was very excited to step into this new role as it opens me up to a wider spectrum of marketing activities at Income Access. Previously, my primary focus was on the affiliate marketing side of things but in this new role, I’ll be more involved in other marketing services that we offer and promoting their benefits. It feels like a natural progression of my career path as I will have experienced the whole “marketing cycle” at Income Access – starting as an Affiliate Marketing Coordinator, then moving to Supervisor and eventually taking on a managerial role.
It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Marketing Services team, as we have quite a lot planned for 2020 and are envisioning an exciting year for us as a department. The team really is amazing and I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of them on other projects. It’s great to head in already knowing that we are able to collaborate and strategise in an effective manner.
What are three things that have changed the most since you started in the position as an Affiliate Marketing Coordinator four years ago?
1. The diversity of the clients – when I first started, the main focus of our team revolved around the UK sportsbook market. We have since branched out to a wider variety of verticals and markets, including emerging ones such as the US and sub-Saharan Africa. Around three years ago, we were only just discussing the potential of Africa and the numerous markets within the region, so it’s great to see how the company has moved forward and established partnerships with licensed operators.
2. Approach to recruiting affiliates – the business models of affiliates have changed quite a bit in the past four years. When I first started, there were many smaller affiliates running businesses from their homes and acquiring a limited number of new players each month. This was the reality of the market at the time, so you had to regularly scour the internet in an effort to get those small- to mid-tier affiliates onboard to help operators successfully promote their brand. Nowadays, no matter what market you look at but particularly in the US, you increasingly see a select number of key players at the top, often large agencies that run hundreds of sites.
3. Internal spectrum of services – though affiliation is still a core focus of our marketing services department, we have also noticed that our clients are seeking support in other marketing channels such as SEO and ASO. To address these emerging needs, we have been exploring the expansion of Income Access’ marketing services and strengthening our position as a full-service marketing solution to all clients. I’ve really been inspired by our commitment to prioritizing these initiatives, which will set up Income Access for long-term success.
Get to know Alexandra!
What is one thing about motherhood that you either weren’t prepared for or that surprised you the most?
I had heard about it a lot from other mothers but I still did not expect the lack of sleep to be such a problem for me. I knew it was coming but did not realize how difficult it was going to be. I was completely exhausted (and still am!). To be truthful, I don’t think there is anything you can do to prepare yourself. From my experience, all you can really do is just smile and deal with it. After all, you’ve just welcomed a new member of the family into the world and would do anything for them.
You have traveled a lot in your past and lived in several very different locations. If you had to pick one, which location would you consider to be your favourite and why?
I have indeed travelled a lot but decided to stay in Montreal and call it my home - it’s definitely my favourite and a great place to live. I think my second favourite, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, is South Africa. The nature and landscape are just so beautiful and there is a lot to see and do there.
Speed Round!
What’s your favourite…Food: Seafood salad from ColombiaMovie: Gone with the WindSport: Hockey (to watch live)Animal: WolfSong: Baby Shark (only because it's all I listen to now with my son!)
To discover more about the various marketing services offered by Alexandra and our Marketing Team, please reach out.
