How a Fractional CMO can be a game changer for start-ups and established businesses

It was a pleasure to put pen to paper and share my thoughts on GameOn 's new Fractional CMO service with our friends at iGamingFuture . If you missed the published piece, or have an interest in where marketing can add commercial value to your igaming business, continue reading.

Congratulations on the new Head of Marketing Division role at GameOn. Can you tell us more about the Marketing Division that has been created?

Thank you. It’s a real privilege to join such a highly regarded and deeply-networked team, a team that I have previously worked with from the client side. GameOn already has the most comprehensive PR offering in the industry and we have taken this to the next level with the launch of our Fractional CMO service, which is what I am leading. Our number one priority is to solve the challenges our customers face, and the launch of this service does just that for a pinch point many clients are struggling to clear.

A lot of companies find themselves in a situation where the C-suite is directing external marketing agencies but without an overarching strategy or the time to manage partner relationships – others are struggling to align budgets with the salary expectations of experienced iGaming marketers, especially those in the start-up phase of their business lifecycle. The concept of buying in experience on a flexible working basis solves those challenges, and so the GameOn Marketing Division was born.

What support do companies receive when taking GameOn’s Fractional CMO service?

They receive a seasoned marketing manager who supports them in a range of ways from the creation and implementation of overarching marketing communications, corporate communications and product marketing communications to company brand strategies and more specialist services such as management of digital media, direct marketing campaigns, market research and event management.

The service has been impeccably designed to work in isolation of a marketing department and to fill that role, or to work hand in hand with junior marketing teams to provide strategic direction. It can also support established teams on a project basis for activities that fall outside of business-as-usual tasks, such as M&A activity, new products and markets or even an external audit.

Can you talk through some of your experience and how you will leverage this as GameOn’s Head of Marketing Division?

I have more than 15 years of professional experience in marketing roles across regulated sectors, the digital economy, financial and professional services and luxury retail. The industry will know me from my time at Microgaming and Apricot Investments, where I was fortunate enough to lead brand/employee experience, communications, affiliate and digital marketing, and ultimately to head the department incorporating PlayItForward, Microgaming’s CSR/ESG program. Career highlights include working under licence with brand partners to produce retail and gaming products associated with household names, leading mass participation research projects and orchestrating 4,000+ attended events.

I think it’s crucial to have in and outside of industry experience – which I have – to innovate what gaming companies are doing and to ensure they don’t fall into the trap of simply following suit and then disappearing into the background of a noisy marketplace.

How do most companies see marketing? And will you be able to change that perception?

Marketing is often seen as a promotional function in the absence of a commercial strategy, and this disconnect leads to it being considered a cost or having an intangible value. My experience in senior roles in large companies, where importance is placed on overarching brand strategy encompassing product, pricing, process and people, elevates its purpose and ultimately its effectiveness. Having years of experience means I know how to help businesses expedite this process to make high-value marketing accessible to start-ups as well as established organisations.

What challenges do operators and suppliers face when it comes to marketing, especially when building out their teams and deploying strategies and campaigns?

There are some core challenges most businesses face. The first is saturation. This is a crowded market where it’s tough to cut through the noise. This is why businesses need a strong sense of self and then communicate this consistently and cohesively. But brand positioning, storytelling and tone of voice don’t yield an immediate return, and it can be hard to draw a straight line with profit. Those who do invest in a long-term brand strategy, alongside short-term product activations, ultimately win out.

The next challenge is talent. Marketing is multi-disciplinary and while there’s a pool of generalists who can cover many areas, and concentrated specialists who can take a channel strategy or function to the next level, excellence in isolation won’t make a brand. You need a blend of these two distinct groups – tactical execution led by a sound, overarching, commercially oriented strategy and someone who is going to manage and measure the team against the plan.

Another challenge is attracting players. There is a growing demand from suppliers traditionally operating in the B2B space who want to gain visibility and drive demand from the end player. This not-so-subtle change from a push to a pull strategy equates to establishing new routes to market. This is a task often landed on the desk of a comfortable B2B marketer who may quickly find they are not so comfortable in the B2C space.

Are these challenges harder to overcome for start-ups?

They can be. For a start-up in start-up mode, operating lean yet producing products that challenge large-scale industry pioneers means fighting fires on many fronts – including marketing. But size – and even the perception of size – can open doors and professional marketing that establishes a brand image that looks the part from the get-go and can pay dividends in the early days and certainly down the line. Of course, this can be easier said than done when running on a start-up budget, but there are plenty of great examples where start-ups have punched above their weight.

How does GameOn’s Marketing Division and Fractional CMO offering help companies, especially start-ups, overcome these challenges?

We place just as much importance on the overarching strategy as we do the tactical execution and campaigns themselves. Support is provided by a highly experienced team of tier-one marketers who are well-versed in the online gambling industry and with the full backing of GameOn’s PR and social media experts and network. By working to a fractional model, companies that don’t have the budget to afford – or enough work to justify – an experienced marketing manager can still benefit from the same level of expertise for a fraction of the cost while those with a marketing team in place can use our service to fill gaps without the need to onboard additional talent full time. In short, we allow any organisation to benefit from the power of marketing regardless of the size of the company or the budgets it has to play with.

If a fractional solution would accelerate your marketing efforts or alleviate a pinch point, please do not hesitate to reach out to discuss where GameOn 's collective of Tier 1 CMOs can support - [email protected] .