In the interview with iGamingExpress, Martin Hodges, Chief Marketing Officer at BetComply reflects on the company’s marketing evolution, and discusses how BetComply is navigating the complexities of compliance in a global industry.
You’ve recently been recognized by iGamingExpress as one of the top marketing professionals in the iGaming sector. How do you feel about this recognition?
Of course, it’s always an honour to be recognized by my peers. What’s particularly pleasing with this one is that it comes for work with a relatively new company that has taken huge strides forward over the last 12 months. It’s challenged me to think outside the box, and find ways to present our brand to a rapidly-growing group of partners and potential clients. It’s certainly keeping me on my toes!
What were your initial priorities with BetComply, and how do you see its marketing strategies evolving under your leadership?
BetComply brings together many of the leading compliance experts in our industry, so it makes my job a little easier. For both operators and suppliers who are serious about compliance, you’ll struggle to find a better partner. We really offer something unique and compelling, and that gives me plenty to work with!
In terms of initial priorities, much of the first year has been spent on the branding side of things. We’re a new business, so we needed to communicate to the industry and let them know what we offer.
We’re now entering a period where we’re a little more established, and accordingly we’re beginning to output slightly more in-depth content that can provide some genuine value to potential clients. That’s going to be the focus going forward.
BetComply operates in a highly specialized and regulated sector. How do you approach marketing in such a complex field, particularly when communicating the value of compliance to your clients?
Perhaps that’s a polite way of saying that compliance isn’t always seen as the sexiest of topics! You are right, but right now there’s an unprecedented appetite for more knowledge around it. As markets worldwide roll out new frameworks, operators and suppliers know that compliance is now a key battleground. Getting it right provides a competitive advantage. It’s a core part of running an igaming business. We know how much value BetComply brings to partners, and we’re communicating that across media and at conferences by showcasing our knowledge, and the simple fact that we don’t think there’s anyone else with the same depth of understanding our team boasts.
Your background includes over 15 years of experience in marketing leadership roles. How have your past roles prepared you for the unique challenges at BetComply?
I’ve been lucky to work with some great companies in this industry. BetComply is such an exciting opportunity because it’s at the very heart of how igaming is changing right now. More markets are regulating, those who have already regulated are generally becoming stricter. It means that compliance has gone from what many considered a distraction to perhaps the single most important thing for businesses in our industry to consider.
That’s a great platform for BetComply. People want to be informed about compliance. My job is to deliver value to this audience while showing how BetComply can help.
BetComply is expanding its global footprint. How do you plan to navigate the diverse regulatory landscapes across different markets, and what marketing tactics do you think will be most effective in reaching new clients globally?
We’re already helping partners enter and thrive in regulated markets around the world. While our initial focus was in Europe, we’re now working in both North and South America. We expect this to expand as countries in other regions roll out regulatory frameworks; the Middle East is one exciting area to keep an eye on in that regard.
From our perspective, the message doesn’t really change. We’re building a team with greater expertise on the daily compliance challenges facing both operators and suppliers, and we’re confident we can support these companies globally.
You’ve led numerous innovative marketing campaigns throughout your career. Could you share one of the most impactful campaigns you’ve been involved with and the key lessons you learned from it?
One that comes to mind was from earlier this year. We launched ComplyCheck, a new self-assessment tool and audit hybrid designed to help licence holders in the Netherlands navigate increasingly complex requirements.
The challenge here was that we were launching a completely new approach. Operators weren’t familiar with it, so as well as announcing the product, we needed to clearly show why it was so beneficial. We lent heavily on the expertise of our chief compliance officer, one of the world’s foremost experts in this field, and produced some high-quality, value- adding content that helped frame the launch. It has proven a real success.
