Wow. If Bodog thought the Forbes article a few years back was bad PR, they can't be pleased with what Fast Company is
publishing this month.
In a 10-page feature, Josh Dean does everything he can to tarnish the image Ayre has of being a bad boy billionaire playboy.
For those unaware, A few years ago, Forbes magazine put Ayre on the cover of it's billionaires issue, with the title "
Catch Me If You Can". That article marked the moment that the go-go phase of online gambling officially jumped the shark.
At the time Bodog, and online gambling, was at its peak. The article depicted Ayre as a sharp criminal who was getting rich while breaking the law - which was kind of exactly how Ayre wanted to be viewed at the time.
That article also firmly placed Bodog - and online gambling - firmly in the crosshairs of the American authorities who don't like having their noses rubbed in that kind of thing.
Fast-forward to the present. The UIGEA has decimated the industry, which is only now beginning to recover.
This latest article depicts Ayre in a much different light.
Rather than coming off as a marketing genius, he instead comes off kind of pathetic - a man trying to keep the party alive, but nobody else is interested. Even his trademark posse of beautiful women seem to be kind of bored.
This interview took place at the Macau Gaming Expo back in the spring, and was the last interview Ayre gave before his sudden retirement.
In that light, it's not so surprising that Ayre maybe wasn't at the top of his game at the time, but no matter what the situation, Bodog can't be too happy with the way the story plays with his image.
They say that there is no such thing as bad press, but after reading those articles, I have to disagree.
I have always questioned the wisdom behind building a brand based upon a person. As Martha Stewart Omnimedia, and now Bodog are learning, the sounds great when those individuals are popular, but when public opinion turns, it can be rough on an entire company.