Bet365 US chief marketing officer (CMO) Stephanie de Flora has said it has taken “a lot of patience” for the operator to translate its success in Europe and across the globe to the US as she targeted a podium position for the online giant.
Speaking during a fireside session at SBC Summit Americas, De Flora was asked what it has taken for the privately owned operator to be successful in its US expansion plans.
Bet365 is available in 17 US states, with its most recent launch arriving in April in Michigan. The brand also has a presence north of the border in Canada, while it opened a Denver, Colorado HQ with space for 1,000 staff.
“It’s really taken a lot of patience,” De Flora said. “And it’s also taken a deep understanding of that North American betting landscape.
“We had this strong product, this brand recognition and we also had the expertise that allowed us to set up a strong base.
“In terms of being able to fully translate that to what we’re doing in North America, we recognised that we had to look at each market individually, which meant each state individually, and really understand the different behaviours of those states.
“The fandoms, the regulations, [we needed] to be able to tailor our messaging to them specifically, and that’s what we’ve really been homing in on.”
The Stoke-on-Trent-based giant rolled out its ‘Winning is Everything’ campaign as part of a marketing push across the US and Canada, as it seeks to expand its reach in the region
As the US market continues to evolve, De Flora said the long-term target remains to hold a podium position in the US, with marketing playing a significant role as part of the plan.
The US market is dominated by FanDuel and DraftKings, with the duo using their DFS roots to supercharge their online sports betting and igaming growth. The pair account for between 75% and 80% of the market.
Bet365, which was slower out of the gates post-PASPA, is among the chasing pack which includes BetMGM, Fanatics, Caesars, Rush Street Interactive and Hard Rock Digital.
The likes of PENN Entertainment and Bally’s are also both still in the race, although attention at those companies has shifted to igaming.
Similarly, prediction markets have taken the US by storm. FanDuel, DraftKings and Fanatics have all rolled out prediction markets products, although bet365 has yet to venture down that path.
De Flora said: “Our North American ambition is to be a podium player at the end of the day. Marketing is going to be a pivotal role to getting us there, in terms of raising awareness, driving new customers and retaining those customers for the longer term.
“We need to keep figuring out different ways to stand out and innovate from a marketing perspective.
“We know we’re in a position where that’s really important. In a crowded and competitive landscape, our goal is to continue to do that, as well as being in line with the regulations and taking responsible gaming seriously.
“That will ultimately set us up to drive the business forward and get us on the road to being number one in the US and Canada.”
De Flora also hinted at a new product to be introduced in the near future, an “evolution” of its in-play features.
Currently, bet365 offers its ‘Sub On Play On’ feature in markets including the UK and Italy, allowing for football player prop markets to be rolled over when someone is substituted.
“You’ll see something from us in the autumn that’s a little bit different in terms of where our focus is, so that’s sort of the evolution that we’re on,” she added. “That’s not to say in-play is not important to us.
“It’s been such a key feature that we’ve been focused on for so long, but I think that our focus is going to be somewhere adjacent to in-play, and we’re very excited to lean into that area.”
The post Our “ambition is to be a podium player”, says bet365 US CMO first appeared on EGR Intel.
Stephanie de Flora points out that operator has been patient with its North America expansion plans, as she insists innovation in marketing proposition will be key to securing a top three position in the market
The post Our “ambition is to be a podium player”, says bet365 US CMO first appeared on EGR Intel.