GMB - What can companies do to combat current pandemic crisis?
Marco Pequeno - The moment is complicated, and I believe that, as companies and entrepreneurs, we have a great responsibility at this time. And there are also possibilities, of course. Every crisis offers possibilities, you just need be aware and ready to take advantage of them.
Within our market, I believe this is a time to open our relationship with our public even more. The absence of most sporting event offers does not mean that we have to be stopped, or that we have to exhaustively advertise casino offers. Of course, these are worthwhile efforts, but I believe that the companies that will do better in this crisis will not necessarily be the ones that will gain the most new registrations in these months, but those that manage to create a stronger identity and relationship with their users. In the long run, they will have an even greater chance of prospering.
How could your services help companies during the quarantine season?
Exactly on this issue of recognition, something so important normally and even more so now. We have been working on this with our customers, focusing much more on actions that generate some kind of relationship with the user or follower. Of course, sign-ups are always welcome, but I don't think it has to be the focus now, even because of the branding problems that this can cause, due to the lack of welcome bonus offers, for example. Our job is always to make operators stand out for the right reasons and, from this stand out, registrations are generated. And the current situation, if it has affected our work in any way, has intensified our efforts to seek new ways of relating, as operators, with our customers and this has given great results.
How do you manage to attract gambling companies to Brazil?
We need to understand that, first, the pandemic is serious, of course, but it will end. The crisis that it generates will be handled within the possibilities of each company, given the possibilities that will come. There is already talk, for example, of dates for returns for various leagues in Europe, which means a reactivation of the gaming market.
Second, we cannot stand by and blame the crisis. Whoever stops working because there is only a championship going on in Belarus, is already discarded by the user, be it a great client or a recreational one. And that does not mean that the job is just to offer bets on the available events. Other work should be intensified or started so that the brand is not harmed due to the low moment in the market.
Brazil's attractions have not changed due to the crisis and, as much as it is an unusual situation, it is also time for possibilities, as I said before. Companies that are confident of their planning and enter Brazil with patience, something that they should already have even without a crisis, can still be successful in the long run.
Do you believe that, as we are going through a pandemic, this should boost the gaming legalization in general to generate new resources?
I don't know if it should be accelerated. We have already seen how things happen in Brazil when they are done overnight. Rarely something good for the market comes out, including companies and their customers.
A few weeks ago, Games Magazine Brasil itself questioned some legal experts on some ideas or decisions that took place a few weeks ago, and I endorse the criticisms they have recorded. There is still much discussion and many improvements to be achieved in the draft regulation before we can make it official.
Which strategies are most viable for operators who want to work in Brazil as soon as the sports betting regulation comes out?
There are not one or two strategies. There are several, all with a chance of success. It also depends on what is the objective of these operators in Brazil. There are operators who arrive in Brazil with ambitious plans to be market leaders and have large budgets for that, but there are also those who seek niches, such as bettors who use only cryptocurrencies, and in these cases the notion of success is totally different.
We advise, first, that the operator should develop a plan for entering the country, and we can do this together with the them. If we have the objectives and conditions well specified, we can devise more accurate strategies to achieve these objectives.
And, at the end of the day, regardless of budget or goals, the end of the conversation is always who best operates your plans, who offers the best product for each type of bettor. I have seen cases of operators with lots of money, but who made the wrong decision after another, did not have a good platform and lost users to competitors who had a much smaller budget, but who were surgical in their decisions.
Do you believe that affiliation is one of the ways to successfully establish in the country? Why?
Affiliate work is critical. First because it is one of the only and most effective ways of doing performance work in Brazil, where operators cannot yet shamelessly advertise focused on conversion. The affiliate, who already has this goal, can offer this performance.
Second, the affiliate brings his credibility to the operator. A good affiliate, with a good product, is sure to be well considered by users, and whoever is related to this affiliate will take advantage of his trust status before a community.
What is the focus of your company to get through this phase of the pandemic? How are you managing internal services?
Our focus has not changed. It is still helping our customers to gain more prominence in the Brazilian market and, ultimately, to get new active users for our customers.
Of course, our daily lives have changed a lot. Like everyone who can, we are working from home, but this has had no negative impact on our operation. On the contrary, our performance has improved. We are making even more deliveries, even more creative and in less and less time our clients see the results of this change.
Source: Exclusive GMB
