This year, we launched the Bowled.io token, but make no mistake: it wasn’t just about launching another crypto token. Rather, we sought to answer one question: Could a sport-specific Web3 platform bridge the gap between the worlds of traditional sports fans and cryptocurrencies? We have managed to answer this question with overwhelming success.
As CMO of Bowled.io, I led this ambitious launch by mapping out a multi-phase strategy that combines traditional sports marketing with the creation of cutting-edge Web3 communities. It wasn’t about luck; it was about generating virality through precise planning, data-driven decisions and community-focused initiatives.
The challenge: create a perfect storm
Luck plays a role in virality, but most of it needs to be strategically designed. The challenge before us was clear: how to get traditional cricket fans to accept Web3? And perhaps even more difficult, how can you make a cricket-focused platform interesting to the global crypto community?
Our solution lay in Stage-Gate Methodologydividing our launch into carefully orchestrated phases. These included:
- Conceptualization: Creating a sports-focused Web3 platform that would serve both traditional sports fans and cryptocurrency enthusiasts in one fell swoop.
- Market analysis: perform market analysis based on information provided by Chainalysis Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index 2023.
- Framework development: creation of a “Web3 integrated marketing framework” that effectively combined traditional sports marketing with Web3 community building.
- Platform creation: Implementation of data-driven tools such as WebEngage and Google Analytics to predict and optimize user behavior on the platform.
- Validation: Expansion of regional ambassadors in 20 countries to active communities in 82 countries on X/Twitter, Telegram and Discord.
Finding Our Sweet Spot: Where Cricket Meets Global Markets
Our hypothesis was that in cricket-loving countries we needed to increase our cricket-related services. Therefore, we placed community managers in key markets like India and Pakistan, each a mini-CEO with a war chest of local content and cultural cues to inspire the fanbase.
Simultaneously, we shifted our messaging towards markets that had low participation in cricket. Taking into account insights from Chainalysis’ Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index, we take the countries with the highest crypto adoption and compare those with emerging interest in sports.
Table 1: Top 20 Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index of 2023
| Country | Region | Overall Index Ranking | Classification of value received from centralized service | Classification of value received from centralized retail service | P2P Exchange Trading Volume Ranking | DeFi Received Value Classification | Retail DeFi Value Received Ranking |
| India | Central and southern Asia and Oceania | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Vietnam | Central and southern Asia and Oceania | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| USA | North America | 4 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| Ukraine | Eastern Europe | 5 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Philippines | Central and southern Asia and Oceania | 6 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 7 | 7 |
| Indonesia | Central and southern Asia and Oceania | 7 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 5 |
| Pakistan | Central and southern Asia and Oceania | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 20 |
| Brazil | Latin America | 9 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 11 | 11 |
| Thailand | Central and southern Asia and Oceania | 10 | 8 | 15 | 44 | 6 | 6 |
| Porcelain | East Asia | 11 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 23 | 23 |
| Turkey | Middle East and North Africa | 12 | 11 | 9 | 35 | 12 | 12 |
| Russia | Eastern Europe | 13 | 12 | 10 | 36 | 9 | 9 |
| United Kingdom | Central, northern and western Europe | 14 | 15 | 20 | 38 | 8 | 8 |
| Argentina | Latin America | 15 | 14 | 12 | 29 | 19 | 19 |
| Mexico | Latin America | 16 | 17 | 18 | 30 | 16 | 16 |
| Bangladesh | Central and southern Asia and Oceania | 17 | 18 | 19 | 33 | 22 | 22 |
| Japan | East Asia | 18 | 22 | 21 | 49 | 18 | 18 |
| Canada | North America | 19 | 25 | 23 | 62 | 14 | 14 |
| Morocco | Middle East and North Africa | 20 | 27 | 25 | 21 | 26 | 26 |
Source: Chain Analysis https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/2023-global-crypto-adoption-index/
This allowed us to reposition Bowled.io as a multi-sport IP platform, with cricket as our proof of concept for user acquisition in those regions.
This dual approach allowed us to:
- Tap into passionate cricket fans in traditional markets.
- Target early cryptocurrency and sports-minded adopters in non-cricket countries.
- Position to continue climbing to other sports.
By striking a balance between a cricket-centric approach and a broader platform around sports, we successfully scaled from a first stronghold of 20 countries to 82 countries.
The Science Behind Our Rise: The Web3 Integrated Marketing Framework
The success came from a really well-constructed strategy, combining classic sports marketing with the creation of Web3 communities. The core components of this data-driven mechanism included four pillars:
1. Data-driven decision making
We set up an ecosystem that combined first-party data in both WebEngage and Google Analytics 4 (GA4). The central strategies were:
- Predictive analysis: Anticipate user acquisition trends to optimize campaign timing.
- Cohort analysis: Personalization of marketing strategies for user segments.
- Sentiment analysis: Real-time messaging, based on community feedback.
- Funnel Optimization: Reduce falls in the user journey.
For example, we noticed engagement spikes in cricket matches and aligned our marketing to that, thereby increasing app engagement during major games by up to 35%.
2. Multichannel engagement
From X/Twitter to Telegram and Discord, we used all the platforms that brought us closer to both cricket lovers and cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Collaboration with local agencies and KOLs helped increase our reach:
- X/ Twitter followers increased from 38,000 to 75,000.
- Telegram users grew from 5,000 to 10,000.
- Discord subscribers tripled, from 8,000 to 25,000.
3. Strategic timing and use of events
We align activities with key cricket events like the IPL and T20 World Cup. Narrowing techniques ensured relevant messages at optimal consumption times, resulting in a 25% increase in in-app purchases.
Community building was at the center of our strategy. Zealy missions rewarded this participation, resulting in a 40% increase in user engagement and a 30% increase in new registrations. Regular AMAs built trust and informed our approach.
The Release Chronology: A Carefully Orchestrated Symphony
Key milestones:
During peak cricket season, our monthly active users surpassed 500,000, a true testament to the power of merging the passion for traditional sports with the ingenuity of Web3.
This well-planned strategy not only made BOWLED.io the platform for cricket, but also set the stage for broader sports IP play in international markets.
Looking beyond Cricket: A plan for Web3 success
The success of Bowled.io shows that the future of Web3 lies in building bridges between existing passions and new possibilities. Starting with cricket and building for scalability, we put together a plan for how sports-focused Web3 platforms can thrive.
This is not just a winning strategy for cricket and sports; This is a model of how Web3 can achieve widespread adoption: understanding its audience, using data effectively, and fostering genuine communities.
Also Read: Altcoins Surge with Bullish Momentum: Crypto Liquidations Surpass $500 Million
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