Thomas van der Linde

• Lead the successful launch of a 20-year sportsbook and online crypto offering targeting specific segments and geographies.
• Develop and own the overarching marketing strategy, ensuring alignment with the company’s business objectives.
• Collaborate with operations, payments, analytics, and CRM departments to upskill teams and facilitate the onboarding of crypto communities.
• Implement monthly competitor research, manage marketing budgets, and measure ROI through key metrics (FTDs, GGR, NGR).
• Spearhead growth programs through influencer and affiliate strategies, sales-side initiatives, and display growth programs to enhance market presence.
• Establish a cohesive content messaging structure across various platforms for effective communication.

\[Invictus is a financial services / fintech company offering ‘alternative investment products for the modern investor’. It is registered in the Cayman Islands. www.invictuscapital.com\]

DIRECT all marketing and digital strategy and operations across activities in 51 key markets, with special focus on innovation - capitalizing on digital and emerging technologies and offering leading-edge tools and products to clients.

Special Expertise & Knowledge in Play: Marketing, Digital Marketing & Communications Strategy, Public Relations, and Media Strategy, Brand Strategy and Planning, Customer Acquisition, Google Ads, Affiliate Marketing Blogger, Social Media Influencers Partnerships, Online Campaign Analytics, eCommerce, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Blockchain, CryptoCurrency

Surveyed the market and developed a market entry strategy for products and services, defined positioning, brand, and communications; and developed disruptive communications (PR, digital content, campaigns to achieve goals.

Introduced advanced data analytics to drive higher acquisition and to target focussed investor groups and introduced customer-centric education tools.

RESULTS: Rapidly built a strong investor community of 20, 000 individuals from 51 territories and investment of USD AUM40m from 15, 000 investors. Launched 5 Index Funds and created a knowledge center with 30, 000 students - all created ‘from scratch’ after company launch in 2018.

\[Marx & Harris was a digital marketing consultancy, working with household FMCG brands.\]

FOUNDED and led the firm, managed all business development and served as the Principal Consultant. Assisted clients in raising their brand profile via digital platforms, media strategy, content creation, and analytics.

Special Expertise & Knowledge in Play: Business Management, Business Development, Customer Relationship Management, Media Strategy, Media Planning, eCommerce, Website Structure, Content, SEO, Creative, Design, Payment Models, Web, Traffic, Analytics

RESULTS: Secured B2B and B2C clients in the Asset Management, Beauty, LUXE, Medical Aesthetics, Motoring, Finance and Crowdfunding sectors. Clients included L’Oreal, Tile Africa, Dark & Lovely, YSL, Armani, Skinceuticals, Siam Botanicals, Lancôme.

\[LG Electronics is a USD38bn in revenue South Korean consumer electronics company.\]

MANAGED marketing for the brand in South Africa. Challenges included repositioning, rebranding and redesigning the LG Electronics consumer products - creating an aspirational brand, attracting premium customers.

Additionally, served as Chair of the LG Electronics Africa Advertising Committee.

Special Expertise & Knowledge in Play: Annual Operations Strategic Marketing Planning, Brand Positioning, Marketing Performance, Loyalty Metrics, Analysis, eCommerce Enablement, Affiliate Strategy, Sponsorships, In-store Customer Engagement Programmes, PR, Media Strategy  Channel Strategy, Market Research - Qualitative, Quantitative, Go-To-Market Strategy

RESULTS: Successfully transformed perception of LG in the market - grew LG Mobile revenue by 22% within 1st year of brand re-launch, achieved “Top Brand” TGI Customer Index status, 2015 and 2016 across 8 categories; and across all TV OEMs in South Africa achieved 80% market share gain in 3 years.

Build this SaaS-based software company in the SA market with an integrated marketing strategy built upon content marketing, SEO / PPC, public relations strategies combined with traditional initiatives for heightening brand-awareness and lead generation. Built a cutting-edge global online presence that capitalized on automated video demos, online video marketing, social media and an online community and contents to promote the brand to targeted audiences. Introduced cloud-based online sales tools that combined visuals, voice and video to provide the high impact of a live meeting at the low cost of email time for the sales force .Created more than 25 customer case studies and videos of enterprise client videos enabling clients to tell the Mimecast story to their peers. Redefined the Mimecast brand message from an email management tools provider to an organization that “Challenges IT complexity” and “provides essential cloud services that remove complexity and make email management easy”. Positioned Mimecast in over 100 industry articles including leading industry magazines. Boosted SEO results with strategic placement of persona-based keyword tagging, blogging, micro-blogging and online video.

• Financial: Revenue assurance, optimum outputs and reporting to board. Regulatory compliance- communications, services and products. AOP: Revenue and Sales assurance. Development of Products and Services targeted to the Consumer and SME markets. Budget management (Opex and Capex)
• Pricing: Bundle tariff plans, product pricing analysis, Benchmarking Fixed and Mobile- (ARPU, Usage, Customer Direct, Indirect costs- Exchange rate fluctuations, Cost per user pm, Service fees, Delivery costs, Tariff-out of bundle tariffs (voice, data, value added services, migration, termination, reconnection, upgrade fees. Voice Pricing-On Net vs Off Net, Fixed costs in-cured whether on net vs off net, SMS packages, Enhanced voice services (Call barring, Call forwarding, Call waiting, Voicemail). Data Pricing and Bolt On- Benchmarking, Shaping vs Un-shaping, per meg and Gig pricing, Unlimited data model vs capped data. Device costs, pricing models. Cancellation & contract billing rules-agreements.
• Strategy Development: Consumer, SME, SOHO communications architecture plans across full marketing spectrum for technologies/ products- Fixed Mobile, WiMAX, Broadband products. Strategic Data Compilation, Mapping of Strategic Data and Delta’s
• Brand Strategy- Vision, Mission, Architecture, Visual Language across all platforms
• Communications & PR: Positioning, Messaging & Stakeholder relationships, Key and Supportive messaging, holding statements, Boiler plates, Communications, Activation Plans, Reputational plans
• Media: Strategy-Go to market, Retail strategy: Radio, Television, New Media, TTL, Planning & Program management, Negotiating & Bulk purchasing, Testing & Research, Tracking & Measurement
• Research: Task Quantitative & Qualitative Primary Research -BMI T, Ovum, & Analysis tracking Competitor, Pricing Tariff Schedules: Voice, Data, Post & Paid models tiered to products.
• Fiber Research project: measurements, segmentation, pricing modeling per targeted segment. Strategic data for planning strategic models, geo-targeting of products and services
• Trade Marketing: Identification, Strategy, Cooperative Marketing Budgeting and controls for channels, Channel Development, Trade Agreements, Media support, Launches, Events, Training, Communications, Field Marketing, Dealer development program, Incentives.
• Product development: Coverage & fiber roll out-last mile access, Geo-targeting base stations, Capacity planning, Mapping strategic sites, priority sites, product Life Cycle, Benchmarking, Competitor Analysis, Demand Estimation, GIS, Pricing &Tariffs, Bundling, product behavior analysis