The first point addressed by NEXT.io was the plans of the company to approach the Brazilian market. “Due to its potential as a regulated market, Brazil has been on our radar for a long time — about 10 years. Given its size, there has been significant interest and ongoing discussions. However, progress has often been postponed. Currently, there are still some concerns about the regulations and the offerings allowed in the market. We hope to see a fully competitive offering, one that reins in the unregulated operators,” Pontus Lindwall began explaining.
Despite being a global giant that could be assumed to have planned an aggressive landing in the country, Lindwall seems to put his foot on the brakes a little, at least at first. “There seems to be a lot of interest from operators. I expect a bunch of companies to fight for market share, right from the start. We won’t be one of them. We have submitted our licence application, but we plan to enter the market strategically.”
“While we may not pursue aggressive marketing strategies right away, we want to understand how the market develops and adapt accordingly. Our focus will be on learning and observing the market dynamics.”
Despite having shirt sponsorship deals with important football teams in other markets, such as Boca Juniors in Argentina and Inter Milan in Italy, Betsson’s CEO rules out, for now, carrying out a similar strategy in Brazil. “I don’t think that’s going to happen in the near future because we aren’t planning to dive into the market too aggressively right from the start,” he explains. “We’re not aiming for a podium position in Brazil. However, we do hope that our existing sponsorships will help us gain traction in the market.”
On the other hand, to position the brand in the best way, he highlights working with affiliate marketing. “Affiliation plays a crucial role in most markets, and I don’t anticipate that will change in Brazil. We continue to invest in affiliate partnerships because we value the services they provide.”
“That said, it’s worth noting that different markets have varying restrictions and marketing landscapes, which can affect the share of marketing that comes through affiliates. However, the role of affiliate marketing remains important in our industry, and I don’t see that diminishing.”
Regarding if he considers that operators will seek to produce affiliate content on their own, Lindwall concludes: “I’m not sure if managing affiliate marketing in-house is necessarily easier, especially when it comes to streaming and influencer-style marketing. Many companies, including ours, have attempted to create affiliate content internally.
While we have experienced some successes in areas where we had strong inventory, there have also been challenges. Overall, the key takeaway is that the continued presence of affiliates indicates they possess specific skills and knowledge that operators may lack.”
Source: NEXT.io
