This month, Jo Dennis discusses data, seasonality and the importance of personalised experiences in the Founders column, in conjunction with GameOn.
Promoting in a context-relevant manner and using seasonal elements to engage consumers can boost the performance of acquisition advertising.
Marketing that uses emotion, excitement and anticipation to build an emotional connection can be a powerful tool in the run-up of mass-celebrated occasions.
Find the hook
Sports betting is one of the few industries which has a seasonality as high as that of sports betting. The level of sophistication is higher than in other industries, such as ecommerce or retail. The constant rotation of sports events with high profile brings a lot of variation, especially in terms user acquisition.
Seasonality is not just reserved for sports. There is a global calendar of celebrations and holidays, which can be used to create marketing campaigns based on a theme.
In the US for instance, Incline’s UA campaign leveraging 4th of July creatives saw an average increase in click-through rate by 32% and a 13% conversion rate improvement. Video ads with Halloween themes also saw a 21% increase in clickthroughs. The data is clear.
Leveraging data
Since many years, data has been the dominant topic of industry discussion. Data is essential to any successful igaming campaign. It can be used to understand player behavior, or to customize products for a better experience. The best way to use this data is to develop personalised and targeted messages and campaigns based on the preferences and activities of players.
It’s really all about the tracking. You need to review your campaign library regularly to determine which ones performed best. What elements drove engagement? And what features can you replicate for future campaigns to achieve the same results or even better results. Data science wrapped in creative design.
Although most igaming companies already use seasonality, localised creativity and other creatives to their advantage, there is still room for improvement.
Take Spotify Wrapped. It’s one of GOAT’s seasonal campaigns. Spotify creates lasting relationships by delivering a beautiful, interactive gift that is personalised, sentimental and beautifully packaged to each user.
Driving Performance
Our specialism is creating strong connections and resonances with our target audiences. In 2018, I founded RCA, a design and creative agency that focuses on the igaming industry. At that time, our core service was brand development.
To achieve a cut-through, we knew that we needed to secure a large-scale project and create a portfolio.
The first brief for a brand came directly from the new sportsbook at its very beginning. The original brand identity brief soon evolved into UX/UI. The full specification of the platform screens for desktop, mobile and marketing assets was produced. The project was the ideal way to get a feel for the igaming design language.
In 2024, Incline will own RCA. Incline is part of Conexus Group. Our companies have a great deal of synergy, both in terms of delivering digital marketing solutions from end to end, and also our shared ethos. Pete Laverick’s deck was shared by Incline CEO Pete Laverick. One line immediately caught my attention. We’ve been using it since our launch: “We don’t just color in.”
Understanding nuances
We all know that regulations vary significantly across countries. There is no one size fits all approach when it comes to digital marketing. Advertising regulations in the US are different from state to state, mainly because of its focus on iOS native apps. The UK is preparing to tighten compliance regarding vulnerability checks, age and financial verification, as well as opting in for direct marketing.
Advertising regulations in Europe vary greatly from one country to the next. To encourage responsible gambling, some countries place very strict restrictions on promotional activities. As we saw in Spain recently, gambling advertisements are not necessarily banned for good. A Supreme Court ruling invalidated several articles, including those that targeted new customers or used celebrities as brand endorsers.
Incline’s US digital marketing best practices will be used to accelerate success in our local partners. Being part of Conexus Group gives us access to an enormous amount of market data. We can strategize a more nuanced brand-advertising strategy for operators in the UK and EMEA.
The Secret Sauce
Successful campaigns are based on a brand’s personality, which is what customers relate to. It’s not about advertising, marketing or design; this is the company’s entire belief system communicated at all touchpoints.
In any industry, not only igaming, the issue is that brand investment doesn’t have the same ROI as marketing. You can measure the performance of an advertisement with data. However, quantifying brand impact requires more complicated metrics.
Without a solid brand foundation to build upon, marketing materials and activities may appear scattered, disjointed and at worst lacking in substance, style or personalisation. To make an advertisement work, it is important that the audience buys into the images, language, and feeling in just a few seconds. Promotion is just half of the equation.
There is an igaming mindset that says “we are still making tons of money so why should brand matter?”. It matters, because the core of any successful business is loyal customers that understand your brand better than you. Every interaction should be filled with joy. They will move to another location if they do not get what they want.
Igaming as an industry could focus on narrowing the distance between advertising and brand – adding more personality in order to boost engagement, and to bolster reputation. This could lead to an industry that is more colorful and with more depth and differentiation.
