Thirty years of brand strategy in regulated markets, now applied to iGaming.
For CEOs, CMOs and investors who see brand becoming the strongest competitive advantage regulation can't take away.
The shift
Regulation increasingly limits what operators can say and offer, from bonus restrictions to tighter advertising rules across licensing jurisdictions, from established markets like Malta and the UK to newly tightened markets such as Brazil and Bulgaria. For boards and investors, the effect is measurable in NGR and retention: players who don't stay for price or bonus move to an unlicensed platform.
What remains as a foothold is the brand itself: the reason a player stays active past the first FTD, even as CPA climbs and the offer is no longer the best one.
Proven in regulated markets
A career that started in 2000 at Red Bull, at a moment when the brand faced bans and regulatory pushback in several European countries over its ingredients, just as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo began entering the category.
Since then: thirty years of brand strategy inside regulated environments, including PayPal, Bavaria and Achmea. Since 2019, that work has continued directly within iGaming, relevant to both operators and the investors and advisors who assess them.
Repositioning for the regulated Swedish market, aimed at brand-driven retention over CPA dependency; sold successfully in 2021.
Lifecycle and CRM activation from onboarding to VIP, aimed at lowering churn and increasing NGR per active player.
Brand architecture for a portfolio of sub-brands, each aimed at a distinct player profile and FTD audience.
Results and figures from these engagements are confidential. References from former clients are available on request.
"Erik is an incredibly smart and creative brand strategist with a deep understanding of the intricacies of brand preference and positioning, consumers and market perception and business growth. Genuine and candid, Erik has helped us to strengthen and enhance a new brand development concept in the most collaborative and efficient manner, with a forward thinking approach and a timely delivery. Adaptive, Erik does not shy away to challenge existing paradigms and his fresh perspective on online gaming were very stimulating and undoubtedly contributed in the development of a superior proposition in the market place."
Ismael Diagne, COO / Director, former client
Independent recognition
Cannes Lion Award · Brand of the Year (NIMA) · Challenger Award · Fab Award (UK) · Golden Esprix · Golden Award for Topical Advertising ×2 · LAMP Gold · LAMP Silver · SAN Accent ×2
Every engagement starts with the OBHI
OBHI: Operator Brand Health Index
A quarterly methodology used by investors, advisory firms and operators worldwide to assess brand strength and brand risk for iGaming operators: 26 indicators across four pillars, with risk deliberately kept separate from the headline score. The same discipline investors use in due diligence forms the basis of the diagnostic phase in every engagement below.
How an engagement works
Introduction & scan
A thirty-minute conversation about where the brand stands today, and an early read on whether brand strategy is the constraint.
Diagnosis
Existing data, positioning and competition are reviewed through the OBHI methodology: the same 26 indicators investors use to assess brand strength and brand risk. Constraints and opportunities are named concretely, not assumed.
Plan & decision
A clear, prioritised plan is presented to the board or leadership team. Only after this does a decision on continuation follow.
Engagement
Fixed, limited days per week, focused directly on execution, not reports that disappear into a drawer.
Availability
A limited number of operators are guided at any one time, to ensure sufficient depth per brand. Book an introduction to discuss current availability. References from former clients are shared on request.
Insights
Coming soon: analysis on brand, regulation and deal value in iGaming, published monthly.
Based in Malta
Book an introduction
A no-obligation thirty-minute conversation is enough to determine whether this fits your situation.