Poker in India is growing at a rapid pace and driving this growth are some very hardworking and passionate people who are constantly innovating and making bold moves to take the game to the next level. One such Individual working hard to uplift the standard of the game and promote it as a game of skill in the country by giving players the best of the tournament and cash game promotions is Mr. Krishnendu Guha, Chief Marketing Officer, Adda52. He is a visionary and a veteran in digital & product marketing with a lot of experience and outstanding knowledge of the gaming industry.
Mr. Guha has been instrumental in running several successful online ventures. He joined Adda52 in 2016 and this is his second stint with the company. His journey has been wonderful with Adda52 scaling new heights under his able leadership. Driven by a player-centric approach, he has taken up some game-changing moves. He is also the man behind Adda52’s recently launched ‘Life Ko Ace Karo’ campaign featuring our favourite artists – Ali Fazal and Badshah. In the campaign, Fazal and Badshah challenge each other in their respective fields where the former tries rapping, while the latter tries acting. However, they soon realise that the real challenge lies in playing poker on Adda52.com and that it is a true game-changer to sharpen the mind, improve life skills, and ace life. The campaign seeks to establish poker as a game of skill and deepen engagement with the game.
The ‘Life Ko Ace Karo’ campaign has been the talk of the town ever since its launch last month and is encouraging a lot of people to play online poker and ace the game of their life. To know more about the campaign, its significance for Adda52 and Indian poker, OPN had a chat with Mr. Guha.
Excerpts From The Interview:
OPN: Hi Mr. Krishnendu Guha, thank you for speaking with OPN. Please tell us a little about you, your journey at Adda52.com.
Guha: Thank you for the interview opportunity with OPN. I have overall 20+ years of experience in which 13+ years in Digital & product marketing. This is my 2nd stint with Adda52.com and before that, I was heading the marketing for South East Asia in i-Gaming.
OPN: As a Chief Marketing Officer at Adda52.com, you do many hats. Tell us about the role you play in the company. What does an average work-day in the life of Mr. Krishnendu Guha look like?
Guha: Apart from ensuring that we maintain the high standards that we have set for us in the market, it is also very important to understand the customer. Poker unlike any other product falls under a niche category and hence has a very strong community. It is extremely important to understand the pain points of the users if you really want to do well in any field. I ensure I listen to some customer service calls every day to understand the issue in the first go. Apart from this, my usual day is focused on enhancing customer experience at different touchpoints through marketing and product wherever applicable.
OPN: Adda52 is an undisputed leader in India’s online poker industry and has played a pivotal role in promoting poker as a game of skill since its inception in 2011. Could you share with us a brief of the journey so far?
Guha: I joined Adda52 first in 2016 and at that time the biggest challenge was to overcome the social stigma of poker being associated with gambling. Also, people were not used to transacting online for real money gaming. The situation has, however, changed a lot now as people are willing to transact online for entertainment and gaming.
OPN: Adda52’s latest ‘Life Ko Ace Karo’ campaign featuring two popular artists – Ali Fazal and Badshah is the talk of the town and is encouraging a lot of people to try online poker to ace the game of their life. Could you throw some light on the campaign?
Guha: It is no secret that our favourite artists, Ali Fazal and Badshah, are the champions of their fields! In the campaign, they challenge each other in their respective fields where Ali tries to rap and Badshah tries acting. However, they soon realize that the ‘real’ challenge only lies in the ability to develop life skills through playing a game that needs involvement and thinking. Poker is a game that requires the presence of mind, astute strategy and keeping a calm. Adda52.com offers even the most ordinary of us all—the ability to develop life skills through playing a game that needs involvement and thinking. This campaign talks exactly about the same – Online Poker at Adda52.com is accessible to all and can transform the ordinary into extraordinary.
OPN: What was the idea behind roping in two popular stars from the entertainment industry for this campaign?
Guha: Ali and Badshah have a huge fan following and people look up to them for the message they share. We thought since music and movies are so closely attached with everyone in today’s world so who could be better than these 2 gentlemen spreading the message for a game that can truly improve your life skills.
OPN: What, according to you, is the significance of this campaign for Adda52 and Indian online poker?
Guha: We are still fighting the social stigma where some people associate poker with a game of chance and this campaign is yet another attempt to establish poker as a game of skill.
OPN: There is still a mindset that poker is a game of chance, not a game of skill. Through this campaign, are we seeing Adda52 as the biggest contributor to the way the mindset will be changed?
Guha: The objective is to win the war against the taboo and that can only happen through small battles which will make more and more people aware about the game. Once people become aware they will start trying the game and will come out with their own perception about the game and not by any pre-conceived notions.
OPN: How does Adda52 plan to engage with Indian poker players going forward, any special plans, promotions, or campaigns to look out for?
Guha: 2021 will be bigger than ever and we have already launched some amazing promotions like special women’s day tournament, 2 CR. ACL leaderboard where we intend to find our next PRO from the industry. Keep following the updates on Adda52.com as we will unveil the biggest tourney and cash promotions as the year progresses.
OPN: What is your outlook on the Indian poker scene post the lockdown?
Guha: We saw a huge boom in poker during the lockdown and it’s still ongoing which is a good sign for the industry. Poker being a mind sport, it will only grow more from here.
OPN: Any parting words or anything you would like to add?
Guha: OPN has been contributing to this industry for quite some time now and has also developed a good connect with the community. Wishing the team all the best for the coming year.
Thank you Mr. Guha for your valuable time and good luck for the future endeavors!