Alex Wilson, Head of Marketing Division at GameOn, explains why AI, brand-building, and community-led strategies are essential for long-term success
When we first launched GameOn’s fractional CMO service last October, we anticipated a year of massive change. During that time, we have had the pleasure of working alongside some amazing businesses that are all dedicated to driving innovation across the industry.
As such, as we celebrate our first anniversary, there is no time for looking back. Forward-thinking momentum is everything right now. Our partners often ask us what they should be focusing on, and the truth is, in an industry that is moving so fast, there is no single answer.
However, to celebrate our first full year in operation, we will highlight what we believe will be some of the biggest trends that are set to change the marketing landscape over the next year.
The Rise of AI
This time last year, most marketing teams were cautiously testing the waters with AI LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude for content creation, treating them as little more than glorified search engines, which could produce some questionable, em-dash-heavy writing. That already feels like a lifetime ago.
AI has now become a day-to-day part of a lot of marketing teams’ workflows, and it’s hard to imagine a world where that doesn’t continue to accelerate rapidly over the next 12 months.
Companies are now investing in custom GPTs that understand their brand voice, compliance requirements, and customer demands, as well as agents that can automate mundane administrative tasks to make teams more efficient, and AI specialists who can help them stay ahead of emerging trends.
AI is also moving far beyond content creation. Predictive computer vision test ad creative effectiveness before launch, NLP platforms like Persado optimise messaging across audiences, and regression analytics forecast ROI to optimise spend are bringing in an era where decisions are guided less by instinct and more by predictive intelligence.
The Long and Short of It
One of the biggest swings we are witnessing is in brand-building. For years, iGaming marketing has been dominated by performance mindsets. The Les Binet and Peter Field research, detailed in their seminal ‘The Long and the Short of It’, has long demonstrated that sustainable growth requires balancing brand-building (60 per cent) with sales activation (40 per cent). However, iGaming has often ignored this, putting an emphasis on short-term results.
Ironically, it looks as though AI might be the factor that finally tips the scales back in the other direction. These technologies have made brand authority more important than ever. Long-term, cross-platform marketing strategies are now vital, and companies solely seeking short-term results and quick hits are going to be left behind.
Social Media and the Power of Community
Social media and customer engagement are also evolving. While traditional social media platforms still have their place, conversations have migrated to Instagram stories, Discord servers, and Telegram channels. These platforms offer the opportunity for authentic, real-time engagement in a way that standard social media posting does not.
Brands that are mastering these channels are building communities. Whether it is B2B relationships being cultivated through LinkedIn groups or B2C player communities on Discord, these spaces are allowing companies to build loyalty, gather genuine feedback, and create longstanding relationships.
Likewise, the content creator economy plays a significant role in this. Influencers and streamers have become major players in the marketing world. Like AI, they are something that can no longer be dismissed, and they now provide an incredibly powerful marketing tool for businesses.
Figures from the US in 2023 showed that people were watching over 17 hours a week of online video content. Further to this, 79 per cent of them were watching it on their mobile devices. The reach that these influencers and content creators have is unparalleled right now, and short-form video content is the king.
Learning from the Outside
Perhaps one of the biggest things we anticipate more of in the coming 12 months is a willingness to learn from other sectors.
One trend we have noticed is an increased focus on B2B and B2C affiliate management. Operators are finally recognising what other sectors learned years ago: performance partnerships require dedicated expertise and relationship management, not just commission structures and a dashboard. The days of treating affiliates as a set-and-forget channel are over.
We are also seeing out-of-home advertising being deployed more strategically. Companies are beginning to truly understand the value of this, particularly for new market entry, where brand awareness needs to be built quickly, and at major industry events where decision-makers are concentrated.
A Year of Change
As we mark our CMO services’ first year, what strikes us most isn’t a single trend; it’s the industry’s growing marketing sophistication. After years of a growth-at-any-cost style approach, we are entering an era where marketing maturity, not just marketing spend, will determine the winners.
With the rise of AI and content creators, as well as the expansion of more markets worldwide, the companies that will succeed are those that understand which tools best benefit them and those that have genuine, long-term marketing strategies.
