“When you are building awareness in a market, repetition is everything”

You were recently recognized by iGamingExpress as one of the top marketing professionals in the iGaming industry. What does this acknowledgment mean to you personally?

It means a lot! It’s a privilege to receive public recognition for a career that has been built with a whole lot of heart and relentless dedication. This is a proud milestone for me, and it’s fantastic that publications such as iGaming Express recognise the hard work that all the amazing people put into industry day in and day out.

On that note, I really hope that celebrating talent and dedication will provide inspiration for the new generation of marketers just getting started in the industry. For anyone reading this that is still in the early stages of their career, remember that great things take time.

As you look at people in more senior positions for inspiration, remember that you’ve got what it takes. Keep at it, and don’t give up! Greatness comes from hard work and consistency every day.

You’ve been with Relax Gaming since 2019 and have held several key marketing positions before becoming Marketing Director. What have been the biggest challenges and successes throughout your journey with the company?

Often challenges and successes are intertwined. Overcoming a challenge is a success in itself, and both personally and across the marketing department, we celebrate wins, no matter how big or small.

When I joined Relax in 2019, we were only just starting to reach the growth trajectory we’re on now as one of the industry’s favourite B2B providers. Back in 2019, there was only a very modest brand book, with next to no corporate visuals or identity. The brand you see today has been built, and continously refined, based on the strong foundations that were put in place in 2019 by myself and the rest of the team..

As we’ve covered already, greatness comes from hard work and consistency, and that was a monumental team effort with a tight 6-month deadline to transform the brand. To date, this still remains one of the highlights.

Since then, I have had the pleasure of being involved in numerous outstanding initiatives, campaigns and milestones – From marketing the launch of new verticals; and some of our biggest award-winning games; as well as entering new regulated markets (including a rebrand for the US); and much more!

Of course none of this would be possible without the amazing marketing people we have at Relax, and for me, leading that team is the biggest highlight. Now 15-members strong, we’ve restructured the department over the years to amplify people’s strengths, career ambitions and motiviational drivers, and it continues to thrive in an exceptional way.

Relax Gaming has expanded into new regulated markets under your leadership. What strategies do you find most effective for entering and establishing a presence in these new regions?

From a marketing perspective, when entering a new regulated market, you need strong messaging and even stronger visibility.

When you are building awareness in a market, repetition is everything. You need to build a robust identity, so that people connect the dots and have positive associations in mind when they come across your brand.

Branding in a new market is built upon gradually, but the most important elements are recognition and trust. It’s also imperative that you leverage industry media as and when editorial opportunities arise, build new partnerships, and have a strong presence at local events, showcasing the brand’s commitment to the market.

Ultimately, it’s about putting your brand and product in front of as many people as possible, knowing exactly who your audience is, and what makes you stand out vs. competitors. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done in this space – our mission is to drive differentiation every day, and I believe we do that better than anyone else.

With the increasing importance of affiliates, streamers, and PR in iGaming marketing, how do you ensure that Relax Gaming’s products stand out in such a competitive space?

We ensure that our brand and campaign messaging is consistent, compelling and widespread across a number of different channels. Building strong partnerships and genuine connections is a huge focus for us.

We’ve made a conscious effort to leverage affiliate and streamer collaborations, led by our fantastic Affiliate Marketing Manager, Luka. Our goal is to ensure that our games are put directly in front of players, creating demand for our award-winning portfolio of games and strengthening the appeal for operators in terms of placement within their lobbies. Of course, you can have the best marketing in the world, but you also need the products to back it up, and here is also where our development teams should be taking the credit. It’s that creativity and dedication that ensures we truly stand out.

As the iGaming industry evolves, what trends do you foresee shaping marketing strategies in the coming years, and how is Relax Gaming adapting to these changes?

I think we are going to see a much stronger focus on marketers utilising data to assess where our spend will be allocated. There are so many promotional avenues in this day and age, and applying analytics means that you can deploy campaigns with surgical precision.

Naturally, and twinned with data, we’re already looking at how we can better leverage artificial intelligence, as is the case with many within our industry. Of course, there’s a balancing act in play here – people demand authenticity, and we want to remain human. Mastering that perfect balance of automation and qualitative, people-focused marketing is one thing I’m confident will continue giving us a real edge.

Lastly, we can’t forget about social media and industry events. So much content is digested today via the key channels of Instagram, LinkedIn and streaming platforms. Outside of the digital world; face-to-face is also where so much business in our industry is created – and we have a fantastic team set to keep expanding our brand at all major industry shows and networking events throughout the calendar year.

You’ve had a diverse career in marketing. What skills or experiences from your previous roles have been most beneficial in your current position as Head of Marketing at Relax Gaming?

It would be impossible to focus on just one skill or experience that has helped shape who I am. I believe success comes from the unique paths that each of us walk in life, and it’s the amalgamation of that experience that makes you who you are. The one consistent element that every marketer needs during that journey is the need to be adaptable, precise, efficient, strategic and data driven. It really is a true combination of factors.

Most importantly, I pride myself on leading with heart and firmly believe that you need fire and passion to succeed. This would be my parting advice to anyone reading this – focus on hard work, dedication and consistency every day, each skill and experience you learn will compound over time to deliver greatness. Deliver that with passion and heart, and you’ll be onto a winner!