Deep in the suburbs of northwest London, a roomful of young sports enthusiasts "holds the key to the future of Ladbrokes’ growing online business," according to Claer Barrett of the FINANCIAL TIMES.
The 40-strong team of web designers, publishers and writers "have one thing in common." Ladbrokes Digital Division Managing Dir Jim Mullen: "They are all mad about sport." Based in Rayners Lane, the "content team" is there "to produce just that -- news stories, gossip, statistics and even infographics relating to big sporting events -- which appear on the Ladbrokes website, app and social media feeds."
The modern phenomenon of "double screening" -- watching TV while browsing content on a smartphone or tablet -- "is not lost on the bookmaker." Mullen said that "sports fans sitting on their sofas watching TV are keen to read online commentary." Horseracing "is also a big part of the digital race." Muller said that next month’s Cheltenham Festival "will generate reams of online content." Although he "would not disclose the ratio, the content-driven approach enjoys much higher click-through rates than the pop-up advertising that many online bookmakers use, which typically command 'less than 1 per cent'" (FT, 2/26).
