Sports Tech Innovation with Personalized Ads | Alireza Shahrestani from Sponixtech

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments. With relevant micro-experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more, stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us out at pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Alireza from Sponixtech, head of marketing with them. How are you doing today, Ali?

Alireza Shahrestani: I’m great. Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited, and let’s jump into it.

Ernesto: Definitely. In your own words, then, tell us a little bit more about Sponixtech.

Alireza: Sure. Sponixtech is a high-end sports technology company. We specialize in very software-based solutions that can help leagues, broadcasters, and rights holders in the sports industry. We help them with two main products. One of them is immersive replay, which travels inside the head of the player and creates the angle and the scene from their perspective and their eyes in a very unique way. This could be on any player, including referees. The second product is remote virtual advertising, which we seamlessly, through AI, replace the existing billboards virtually for different regions. Meaning that a game can be played here in London, and you can have different billboards virtually for different regions. So, people who see it in China, the US, or Africa would be seeing different ads that are relevant to their region, industry, and language. We aim to target different messages in different countries and regions while the game is playing live.

Ernesto: So, personalized content. Love it, love it.

Alireza: Exactly.

Ernesto: I’ve got to ask, for our listeners to understand Sponixtech better, what would be the key problem you guys solve for clients?

Alireza: The key way we land clients is through very personalized outreach and customized proposals. We conduct trials by sending personalized outreach messages to the right-fit prospects and invite them to do a test with us. Trust is a key asset because what we offer, especially with virtual advertising technology, is usually sold per second, so precision and trust are crucial. We build trust through customized outreach and trial periods.

Ernesto: Perfect, right? And so, I mean, I’ve got to ask, is there a vertical segment? What would be the ideal ICP for you guys?

Alireza: The ideal would be the biggest rights holders that have tournaments happening over longer periods and with enough commercial value in different regions. For instance, the Champions League in football—that’s valuable because most countries stream it, and it can be sold in different regions with different ads. However, for a friendly match with no significant commercial value in multiple regions, there wouldn’t be much point in virtual advertising. So, the key is large tournaments where rights holders can sell advertising in different regions.

Ernesto: Okay, great to hear that. And how would someone typically find out about Sponixtech? Is there a top client acquisition channel for you guys?

Alireza: Yes, we work with top-tier consultants for door openings and introductions. Our main channels are LinkedIn and email marketing, and we’ve invested heavily in SEO. But LinkedIn has been our main landing page because, in B2B marketing, people buy from people. The personal touch we’ve managed to bring through LinkedIn has secured more trials, tests, and relationships with rights holders and decision-makers. It’s given us the highest return on investment.

Ernesto: Definitely, referrals are always great. So, for our listeners, they can visit you at sponixtech.com. What role does the website play in your client acquisition?

Alireza: The website is more of a presentation and portfolio tool. It helps build trust by showcasing our work, portfolio, testimonials, and projects. It’s like a passport—it identifies who we are. While we don’t close deals through the website, we gain interest, collect contact information, arrange meetings, and then conduct tests before closing a deal.

Ernesto: Great to hear that. Would there be any tools or tips you’d recommend for website lead generation?

Alireza: We use Yoast for SEO, which makes SEO easy and step-by-step. With AI and automation advancing, tools like ChatGPT combined with Yoast can act as a complete SEO department. I think that’s a great combination to optimize your content and ranking.

Ernesto: Thanks for sharing that knowledge! Let’s switch gears a little, Ali, and talk about you as a leader. As the head of marketing at Sponixtech, what are some key tasks you focus on day-to-day?

Alireza: Automation is key. We handle a lot of leads and outreach, so having an automated CRM system is crucial. I focus on building systems that run autonomously, whether it’s lead generation, closing deals, or research. A system-based business is more sustainable in the long term than one reliant solely on people.

Ernesto: Perfect. How do you stay up to date with marketing trends, strategies, and news? Any preferred channels?

Alireza: Since I work in the sports industry, I stay updated with sports-related news and tech trends. I like to read about sports outside my niche, like Formula 1 and tennis, to gain different perspectives. Podcasts are also a big part of my routine. I listen to podcasts while driving or during daily activities, and they’ve become a key part of my lifestyle.

Ernesto: Definitely agree—podcasts in the car are a great way to stay informed! Let’s move into our rapid-fire question round. Ready?

Alireza: Yeah, let’s do it!

Ernesto: What’s the last book you read?

Alireza: I’m currently reading The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy. I also recommend Buyology and Influence by Robert Cialdini. These books offer unique perspectives on marketing.

Ernesto: Great choices! What would you fix in your role as a marketer if there were no boundaries in technology?

Alireza: I’d love to study competitors more transparently. Having access to competitor insights would help with strategy and business development without relying on assumptions.

Ernesto: Is there a repetitive task you’d like to automate?

Alireza: Educating clients about our products and workflow. If I could automate the process of explaining how our products work and solve concerns, it would be a game-changer.

Ernesto: Lastly, what advice would you give yourself if you were to restart your marketing journey today?

Alireza: Focus on the industry, not just the field. It’s better to grow within an industry you’re passionate about, even in a smaller role, rather than in a field you don’t love. Industry experience will help you move faster towards your ideal role.

Ernesto: Excellent advice! As we wrap up, Ali, if listeners remember only one thing from today, what should it be about Sponixtech?

Alireza: Sponixtech pushes boundaries by offering fully remote, hassle-free software solutions in the sports industry. We didn’t create new technology but refined the workflow to make it ten times better, providing valuable solutions that are easy to implement for our clients.

Ernesto: Fantastic. To our listeners, you can check them out at sponixtech.com. Ali, thank you so much for joining us today. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in, and I look forward to our next episode on Pathmonk Presents.

Alireza: Thank you! Appreciate it. Bye.