Q&A with Karl Wijkmark, CMO at 21.com
NewCasinos.nz: Tell us a little bit about 21.com casino, one of the newest casinos on the market.
Karl Wijkmark (KW): When we launched 21.com, we positioned the brand as a “casino on the go.” That phrase not only encompasses our focus on mobile play but also our commitment to our customers to constantly evolve our product. We also pride ourselves on offering players a user-experience they won’t find at other online casino brands. Overall, we feel that being agile in an everchanging market will be key to our success.
NewCasinos.nz: How long have you been on the market?
KW: We soft-launched 21.com in June 2018, and then publicly unveiled the brand in August, when we also launched our affiliate programme. We’ve enjoyed strong growth and very positive feedback from players since the summer!
NewCasinos.nz: What are your most popular games?
KW: Our portfolio of video slots includes more than 400 original and branded titles. Of our original slots, big titles like the Ancient Egypt-themed Book of Dead by Play ‘n GO have been really popular, and we’ve also seen a lot of interest from players in games such as Wolf Gold and Joker’s Jewels from newer studios like Pragmatic Play.
NewCasinos.nz: Why are you better than the crowd?
KW: While 21.com is a new online casino, the brand has been developed by industry veterans with many years’ experience in the iGaming industry. We, therefore, know what our casino customers want, and we’re very receptive to feedback from players as well as our affiliates. As mentioned, we’re a brand that is constantly evolving – we’re truly a “casino on the go”! Our strong focus on adding new products and developing our offering really makes us stand out from the competition.
Overall, I feel that being a successful casino means a “marriage” between the whole value chain – from affiliate and payments providers to players and game suppliers. We are very focused on building strong relationships with everyone in the chain, and this has proved foundational to our success.
NewCasinos.nz: Do you encourage players to use mobile?
KW: Absolutely! As we’ve seen over the last five years, the trend towards mobile play in the online casino space has only gathered pace – mobile is truly king! That’s why when we developed our brand, we thought it was vital to have a mobile-first focus. Our product offering has been specifically developed for a wide range of mobile operating systems and devices.
NewCasinos.nz: How do you engage players?
KW: First of all, we take pride in offering a very good online casino product that never fails to deliver. Second, we focus strongly on constantly evolving our offering, so that our existing players enjoy a growing portfolio of games. On top of that, we have frequent and exciting player promotions that we market through email campaigns and on-site content and notifications.
NewCasinos.nz: You are relatively new and currently growing. How many employees are there at 21.com?
KW: We are currently a team of 10 gaming and tech experts, though we plan to expand in 2019. Being a relatively small team gives us flexibility and allows us to remain nimble in an evolving market. We also outsource a lot of our operations, and this allows us to streamline the organization, ensuring that we are a casino brand that puts the customer first.
NewCasinos.nz: What is in the pipeline for 21.com in 2019 that you can share with our audience?
KW: We have a lot of exciting things planned for our players. We will be expanding our games portfolio by adding casino content from new software providers. Our products will also expand with new functionality. Looking more broadly, in 2019 we will also expand 21.com into new markets, and we plan to introduce Trustly’s Pay N Play in the markets where it is available.
NewCasinos.nz: Where would you like 21.com casino to be in five years?
KW: We plan to grow 21.com into a leading online casino in all the different markets where we operate. We also want to expand into markets that the industry doesn’t traditionally consider worth attention – and show how a casino can succeed in these with the right approach.
NewCasinos.nz: What will be the hot topic in the industry in 2019 in your opinion?
KW: I feel that responsible gaming will remain an important topic for casino operators in 2019. The year’s other big focus for brands will be offering players a completely personalized casino experience. Both topics will, of course, be major focuses for us here at 21.com!
NewCasinos.nz: Any word on responsible gambling?
KW: Given our strong focus on our customers and the user experience, encouraging responsible gambling is at the heart of what we do day-to-day at 21.com. Without us constantly focusing on this aspect of the gaming experience, we cannot offer our customers a positive, enjoyable and yet trustworthy gaming experience.
NewCasinos.nz: What are the biggest challenges in the industry?
KW: Acquiring new customers cost-effectively and with a strong ROI remains a challenge for all online casino operators. Keeping players loyal is another significant hurdle that operators face.
Whether it’s acquisition or retention, regulated markets pose a challenge for start-ups like 21.com, as our marketing budgets tend to be more limited. However, the silver lining of this restriction is that it forces us to be creative in our marketing strategies and to not be wasteful with our ad spend and resources.
About Karl Wijkmark, CMO at 21.com (Bio)
Karl has been 21.com’s chief marketing officer since the online casino brand founded in May 2018. His role focuses on developing and implementing the brand’s multi-channel marketing strategy. He previously served as marketing manager at iGame.com. He holds a Master’s degree in International Marketing and Brand Management from Lund University, in Sweden.
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