“We have many strong product brands within Svenska Spel, each with its own unique identity”

Congratulations on being recognized as one of the top marketing professionals in the iGaming industry by iGamingExpress! How does this recognition reflect your work at Svenska Spel?

Thank you so much. What an honor! The gambling market is constantly evolving, which creates an incredibly stimulating and enjoyable environment to be a part of. I believe and hope that the successful launch of our new casino brand, Momang, and the relaunch of our Poker last year, which has made us the leader in the Swedish poker market, have contributed to this. But it’s a team effort, and many have contributed to the success of these projects.

You’ve held leadership roles in both marketing and PR across various companies. How do you believe your experience in PR has shaped your approach to marketing at Svenska Spel?

Svenska Spel is Sweden’s largest gambling company, owned by the Swedish state, and with that comes a certain responsibility. With my background in PR, I think about how we can act to improve the reputation of the Swedish gambling market. How do we communicate our products, and how do we do so in a sustainable way over time. In a highly competitive market, it also becomes very important to stand out with your communication.

As the Head of Marketing for Casino, Bingo, and Poker, how do you balance promoting different product verticals while maintaining a unified brand voice for Svenska Spel?

That is a very good question and quite a tough task, as we have many strong product brands within Svenska Spel, each with its own unique identity. We approach this by working with a so-called endorsed brand strategy, where we have an overarching brand that provides the products with certain shared values. This means that all product brands benefit from the support of our main brand, regardless of their size.

You’ve been at the forefront of marketing in both traditional sports betting and iGaming. How do you adapt your strategies when moving between these two sectors?

Traditional sports betting has undergone significant changes in the past ten years, particularly in physical stores, which have shifted from being very analog to digital. Today, we know much more about the customer and can therefore work more actively with communication based on their behavior. I would say that the gap between traditional betting and iGaming has never been smaller than it is right now. However, the physical location still holds important significance for social interaction and for receiving daily feedback from our customers face to face.

With over 15 years in marketing, what key industry changes have you observed, and how have they influenced the way you approach your work today?

In terms of products, a lot has happened since I started in the gambling industry in 2007. Back then, online poker was driving growth in the market, and poker was incredibly hyped. Then sports betting took over, and live betting became popular. In the past ten years, online casinos have accounted for the majority of the growth.

Apart from the development within various products, the Swedish gambling market as a whole has undergone significant changes, with the biggest change being the shift in 2019 to a more regulated market through a licensing system.

All these trends and changes in the industry have impacted my daily work, which means that old truths constantly need to be reevaluated to create the best customer experience. This is what makes working in this industry so much fun—I constantly need to think creatively and have the courage to try new things.

Svenska Spel operates in a highly regulated environment. What challenges do these regulations pose for marketing, and how do you overcome them while staying compliant?

Fundamentally, I don’t see any major issues with operating in a highly regulated market. Of course, the most important thing is to be compliant with the rules, but at the same time It allows for a more long-term approach and the ability to build value over time, rather than focusing on communication with less creativity, that creates short-term value that isn’t sustainable in the long run.