In the first half of the year, I had the opportunity to participate in a panel at BiS SiGMA Americas to discuss the new challenges of advertising in the sports betting market. I decided to go back in time and recall three points that I sought to address and that I believe are extremely important when thinking about communication strategy for the sector:
1) Not everything is about football
Obviously, the topic is vital when it comes to sports betting, but it is time to move beyond the obvious and leave demographics aside. We need to go far beyond the 18-44 age group with an interest in football and start analyzing the psychographic side of this audience, understanding their tastes and media habits.
From there, new channels and points of contact that are still untapped and without the congestion of various brands from the same segment will emerge, consequently opening up new opportunities for this market.
Remember: a potential player does not only consume football content. Topics related to entertainment, technology, politics, and automobiles, for example, have a significant penetration in this target, often surpassing even the sports theme!!!
Someone out there? It's at hand, clean environments to be explored, here's a tip...
2) Only performance
Before we begin, let's remember that the basic concept of advertising is to deliver the message to as many people as possible. Narrowing communication to the extreme is not healthy!!! As the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind."
We must be cautious and not fall into the trap of believing that the internet is solely about performance. Following this line is dangerous; the open sea is dark and dubious.
Operators who calibrate their digital investments 100% towards this mode are often funding the worst in terms of content, which is a huge waste of investment.
It takes a lot of maturity to navigate the performance waters and to question to what extent the pursuit of the lowest conversion cost is valid. Remember, the environment legitimizes and strengthens brand perceptions. Yes, performance is mandatory in any media strategy, but balance in the sales funnel is necessary for a successful campaign.
3) Responsible gambling
What is it, what does it do, where does it live??? This must be the question of millions of Brazilians! We must understand that the topic is known to a small bubble. Much is talked about, but little is done to amplify this subject in the country.
Categorically, I affirm that it is not possible to talk about responsible gaming through a 30-second commercial or an internet banner!!! It's simple. Addressing this discipline will be viable through the good old information machine called CONTENT.
The topic is extensive and crucial for a shift in the category's image. It is mandatory that all those who benefit from this system invest and apply in the communication of responsible gaming, as it is undoubtedly here that we will have the opportunity to educate society, showing seriousness and concern in all aspects of this topic.
Guilherme Frioli
Head of Advertising for Sports Betting at UOL
