Within three years, Media 24 has become a leading company in the iGaming affiliate marketing. Martins Lasmanis, CEO of the company, talks about challenges, industry awards, and the company’s goals…
Q. Can you share the journey of the company and some of the challenges you faced in its early stages?
Martins: Media 24 was founded three years ago. Before starting the company I’ve worked in the iGaming SEO for over a decade. But I always had the entrepreneurial spirit in me. So when the right time came, the decision to start a company was easy. I’ve teamed up with another co-founder, an expert in managing the content side of the business, and the first step was done. We’ve formed a strong duo with loads of experience in the affiliate marketing industry.
I think one of the biggest challenges was to make a name for ourselves in the beginning. I remember how we went to the conferences and other industry events, handing out business cards to pretty much everyone, and explaining what Media 24 is. Now, after three years, dozens of events behind us, and with five industry awards in our hands, things have changed.
Q. Speaking about awards, what do they mean for you?
Martins: We’ve received four this year. Being recognised as the ‘Best Affiliate’ at SiGMA Eurasia is probably one of the most notable achievements we got, so far. It not only highlights all the hard work our team has done over the past years. It shows our commitment to excellence in the industry. We’ve also been acknowledged for the ‘Best SEO Traffic’ and ‘Quality Traffic of the Year’. It’s very valuable for us to be noticed in the areas where we see our biggest strengths in the market.
There are varying opinions about the iGaming awards in the industry, and some consider them subjective. However, winning such awards, or even being nominated, still holds a significant amount of prestige and value. A lot of hard work in the iGaming industry is happening behind the scenes. These awards are a way to publicly acknowledge and celebrate those efforts.
Q. How do you handle competition from larger players in the industry?
Martins: We don’t think about competition a lot. Not in the way we don’t pay attention to what they do at all. As a data-driven company we always keep analysing and researching the relevant metrics. You have to stay updated, so as not to be left behind. But we always try to find our own way through the waves — to be creative about content, marketing, SEO, sales, technology, and every other aspect of our work.
Even though we have about 60 websites and over 300 partners we work with, we are still comparatively small compared to the sector leaders. But we try to use this as our advantage. We are keeping the start-up company spirit here, staying hungry for achievements, and remaining agile to the changing world.
Affiliate businesses that aim to evolve these days have to be very flexible. Rules are simple — test new ideas, analyze what worked and what did not, and keep pushing forward.
Q. How do you manage to stay innovative in such a competitive industry, both in terms of creativity and tech?
Martins: Innovation is the process of never-ending curiosity, while you are always questioning the old ways. Good leaders create an environment where the team feels safe to take creative risks. That’s how the magic of evolution happens. I am not afraid of failures. I rather see them as an opportunity to learn and improve our performance. You just don’t have to repeat the same mistakes twice.
Talking about technology, this year we have invested into a data analytics department inside Media 24. It helps us get plenty of insights from every aspect of our operations. From refining our strategies on specific markets, to analyzing performance of our websites and players. Data is the rockstar nowadays. Without the relevant data you’re shooting in the dark.
Q. How can an affiliate marketing company stand out in the iGaming industry?
Martins: In an iGaming world where so many similar companies are fighting for attention — it’s a big challenge to stand out. The best thing you can do is to define and commit to your vision. By doing that you already create a foundation of authenticity. At Media 24, we’ve embraced this philosophy from Day One.
We are aimed at becoming the next generation sports betting media network. This is a gradual process of course. But with the direction we’re having — I am sure that we’ll get there. We love working with the sports traffic. It’s somewhat in our blood, as most of the Media 24 employees are big sports fanatics themselves. So that gives us a solid edge in understanding the sports bettors behavioUr and the sort of content that can be really engaging to them.
What really sets us apart is that we’re very focused on building partnerships for the long haul. We aim to become a partner you can actually rely on. Instead of focusing on short-term success we’re offering scalable solutions. And to do that you have to understand and solve the real challenges of your partners. In a crowded industry, standing out means delivering exceptional value. And that’s exactly what we do.
Q. What objectives does Media 24 have for 2025?
Martins: The company has set a number of goals in its pipeline. We’re excited for how the new regulations will change the iGaming landscape, and are ready to explore every new opportunity that will arise. Staying open to new ventures is one of the keys of our growth strategy.
Additionally, we aim to improve the way we communicate our values and our vision to the partners and the industry. It’s about ensuring that our brand not only keeps pace with our business growth but also becomes a more visible and influential player in the market. We want to bring our story to the forefront, highlighting our strengths and vision to build even stronger connections with partners.
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