Turning Ads Into Interactive, Rewarding Experiences: Interview with Azarus’ Alex Casassovici

Ads and pop-ups have long been a plague on the internet. Essential as they may be for generating income, you’d struggle to find a single person who isn’t at least mildly bothered by them.

Enter Alex Casassovici, founder and CEO of Azarus. He wants to turn that perception on its head. How? By changing them from passive annoyances into interactive experiences — and giving you the chance to earn digital rewards for your troubles.

Azarus taps into the potential of Twitch and other streaming platforms by overlaying games on top of video ads and getting viewers directly involved. Recently, the platform has been acquired by NFT and GameFi giant Animoca Brands, who previously invested in the project.

We sat down with Casassovici to find out all about what Azaraus does (and how) and glean some insight into the startup’s future.

Hi Alex. To get us started, can you give us an ELI5 on what Azarus is and how it works? Do you offer games, or is it more of a platform for managing incentivization on streams?

AC: Imagine you’re watching TV, YouTube, or Twitch. Suddenly, a game shows up during a time-out, and with one click, you can play to win a prize from your favorite brand. You’re competing against millions of viewers. Each game tests your knowledge or skills. You’re connected, engaged, and excited. This is Azarus.

Azarus supercharges streams by adding party games that the entire audience can play. The fun part? You’re competing for digital prizes. Azarus brings an extra layer of excitement and competition to streaming, by adding interactive, massively multiplayer, and rewarding touches, getting the whole audience involved.

Azarus isn’t just a game provider; it’s a platform that offers a framework for building these games, and it connects brands with streaming partners to run them on their channels. We provide a unique digital currency, AZA, and a digital rewards store where winners can choose from over 35,000 digital items, making the streaming experience interactive, rewarding, and fun.

Ok, so what problem are you solving in the streaming industry? And what kind of user are you targeting?

AC: Streams are not TV. Streaming suffers from passive viewer engagement, which stems from TV evolving into an Internet-based medium without a corresponding evolution in the viewer experience. By infusing streams with an interactive layer of games, Azarus is transforming viewers from passive spectators into active participants. In an era where capturing and maintaining viewer attention is fiercely competitive, this is crucial.

We see our users mainly in three groups. The biggest group, the viewers, naturally engage with our product as it appears over their video stream. The rewards play a key role in motivating and building up excitement and engagement.

For streamers and content creators, Azarus offers innovative engagement and monetization. It presents unique ways to involve, reward, and build a stronger connection with their audiences, who are also motivated to watch for longer. 

Lastly, Azarus gives brands and advertisers the rare opportunity to truly reach fans, securing their complete — and measurable — attention and engagement. Add in the chance to build a two-way relationship and goodwill by rewarding viewer attention. 

Tell us about the blockchain component. Do you specifically target Web3 games and brands?

AC: Blockchain technology is integrated into Azarus at its core. It facilitates the distribution and management of rewards in a secure, transparent manner. The games run on the Azarus chain as smart contracts, yet users don’t have to worry about any of this. They can enjoy Azarus without knowing what a wallet or blockchain even means.

Azarus is compatible with, but not limited to, Web3 games and brands. It’s versatile enough to enhance engagement across various types of streaming content, not exclusively those in the Web3 space, making it a unique solution in the streaming industry.

What’s your strategy in bringing “Web2” gamers to Azarus and Web3 in general? Any tips you might want to share?

AC: Our unique distribution mechanics are key. With Azarus, there’s nothing to install — the games appear on the screen you’re already watching. Through strategic partnerships with creators, channels, and OTT providers, we introduce Azarus to users in a way that feels unobtrusive, with a natural transition to the interactive and rewarding experiences that Azarus offers.

Last year, we distributed over $2 million in rewards and welcomed six million unique players. The key is not to overtly promote Web3 but to let viewers discover and become comfortable with it at their own pace through their interaction with our games and rewards system. 

How do streamers and players join the AZA economy? When users earn the token, what can they do with it?

AC: Once streamers have opted in, they earn AZA tokens every time their audience participates in a game. The cool part? They can redeem these tokens for cash. 

The viewers get into the action by playing the games. Their rewards can come in the form of tokens they can spend at the Azarus store or digital assets such as NFTs or codes that land directly in the user’s wallet.

We’re currently exploring some really exciting new utilities for the AZA token, which we plan to start rolling out next year. 

So are the games targeted towards the specific game or streamer? Is it possible to get a Trivia game about, say, Halo while I’m watching a stream of Gran Turismo?

AC: Games built on Azarus are diverse. For brand-sponsored games, they’ll appear based on the brand’s targeting choices. You might see a trivia game about a specific brand or topic while watching various streams. 

However, we also create context-specific games that align closely with the content of the stream, like during Esports competitions such as the Capcom Pro Tour or special game reveal streams such as Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla reveal streams. 

What’s coming next for Azarus? How is the acquisition by Animoca going to change your plans?

AC: Azarus will continue to operate as an independent entity but as part of a larger, more influential group. This enhances our credibility beyond that of a startup. We also benefit immensely from the group’s support in operations and business development. Animoca Brands excels at Web3 projects, connecting culture and Web3 like no other. This puts Azarus at the intersection of streaming, gaming, and blockchain, ready to tap into emerging opportunities in this dynamic space. It’s not a bad place to be. 

Disclosure