Branding for iGaming

Just because the man is saying something, it doesn’t mean the girl will feel that way about him.

But let’s say they start dating; he treats her with respect, cares about her, gives her presents and remembers important dates. Maybe she would be able to feel that way about him. I say maybe because even though he did all those things, she could still say he is not a good boyfriend. As was said before, his actions can influence the process, but can’t control it.

In the end, the brand is not what you say it is, it is what they say it is.

So, what would we do to help our “casino guy” from the illustration above?

IDENTITY

After understanding our target audience and defining the best way to communicate with them, let’s start by giving this guy a name. We can use Nitro Casino for this example. It is a name that fits what it is trying to communicate: It is fast.

Then let’s make the logo. A logo is a visual representation, a symbol for that name. We also establish colors, fonts, photography, and some graphics that can help evoke that feeling of speed. This is what we call a visual identity, all the elements we use to give this casino a face and a style. It should reflect how we want this casino to be perceived: Modern, fast, exciting.

Now we know how this guy (casino) looks like, but how would he talk? Would he be more formal or casual? Funny or serious?

What we say and the way we say it is key to expressing our personality and it is combined with our look to shape our identity. Imagine if you want to have an image of a successful business man or a lawyer. You would wear a suit, an expensive watch, and talk very formal. If you want to be a tourist guide in Thailand, you would wear flip flops, have a cool hair cut and use some slang. The way you look and the way you talk sends a message. Everything we do and say communicates something, and if it is constant, it becomes your identity.

Going back to our casino, of course we have to build the product, the actual website for the casino. Like the visual identity, it needs to be designed according to our promise of being an incredible and fast casino. It needs to be clear and easy to navigate, so the user can have a pleasant experience. The user needs to feel that it was quick and simple to find everything he was searching for, and also be able withdrawal money fast.

Now let’s imagine this user is navigating on our website and has a question. They will open up the chat. Whoever is going to be there answering the questions is also part of the process and every chat is important to influence how the user feels about the casino.

As we see, all those details – the visuals, the website, the messaging, the customer support – have an impact on the process. But there is a very important piece we need to consider inside the iGaming industry: The affiliates.

AFFILIATE MARKETING

In the dating story, that guy could be introduced to the girl by a friend she trusts. Her friend could say something like “I know a really nice guy and I believe you two are perfect for each other.” So on the first date the girl would be there thinking something good about the guy already. She would tend to have a good image of him even before she met him. After a couple of dates she would confirm that or not, but the fact that she had good expectations based on her friend’s recommendation is a huge advantage.

Even if he wasn’t introduced by a friend of hers, but after they are dating for a while, her friends would start noticing he is good for her and would say nice things about him to her. That good image of him would become stronger and the girl would feel secure and confident that she is with a good guy.

The same thing happens with our casino. If the player goes to an affiliate page that recommends Nitro Casino for being safe, easy to navigate, have a good catalog of games and payments are quick and simple, we already start our relationship with a lot of points. Even before landing on our page, the player will be thinking something about us. Having a trusted affiliate helping to shape that good image of our casino is key in this process and that is why affiliate marketing is so important.

There is another thing to be considerate on the topic of affiliates: Our logo. We know the logo is not the brand, but on most of the affiliate pages, the logo is the only visual information the player will have about us. Affiliate pages are filled with ratings and precious written content, but our logo is an opportunity to stand out. If we compare this to the dating story, it would be a lot easier for the girl to imagine the personality of the guy her friend recommended if she saw at least a picture of him. That’s why we need to look at other competitors logos and make sure our logo will look good on the affiliates page, alongside other logos.

SPONSORSHIPS

Sponsorships are also a valuable strategy. The more exposure you have, the more people will think of you, but it is important to consider how they will remember you.

You can associate your casino with people, companies, or events that already have a solid image. If people see your logo on a big football team jersey, it can give you credibility that you are a big company. If there is a sport event or sport player known for something similar to what we want for our casino, why not associate our image with theirs? In the Nitro Casino case, we could sponsor car races or extreme sports events. We could also have our image associated with a pilot, runner or some football player known for being bold.

All those things together will help our desired customer to develop an opinion about us. It is our job to make everything possible for them to have the impression we want.