This article is an opinion piece by Yoni Sidi, CEO of Winpot, a Mexico-based online casino and sportsbook operator.
It’s been 40 years since Mexico last hosted the World Cup, so it’s fair to say the country has never experienced the level of sporting noise and hype it is seeing right now in the digital era. The 1986 tournament was played in a world without smartphones, social media, or online play or betting. What is coming to the market this summer is a different beast entirely.
While Mexico is far from an unknown market, the level of marketing it will experience over the summer is unlike anything it’s seen before. Every operator with a presence there will be spending and battling for visibility, and the competition for player attention will be intense.
Cutting through the noise
Like many of us, Mexican bettors are used to being bombarded with advertising from every angle. When you are constantly exposed to endless bonuses and promotions, it is very easy to become desensitised. People are perennially on their phones, and swiping past or waiting for the ‘skip ad’ button to appear on paid ads is second nature for many of us.
Operators who are going to have any chance of cutting through all of the noise this summer are not necessarily those with the biggest spending budgets, but those who can tap into local cultures and get their messages through partnerships with people that fans and local communities can actually trust.
The depth of local partnership potential in Mexico runs deeper than many operators realise. Sporting personalities are the obvious choice – former players who fans adore, who have remained a part of the footballing world. Local sporting commentators and media figures are also an excellent option – they bring genuine insight and authority to a brand.
Streamers and content creators also provide great opportunities for operators. These are an excellent way to connect with younger audiences and often bring loyalty brands love to tap into. On a more niche level, there are micro-influencers. These are smaller influencers who are tightly embedded within a community. These can deliver high-quality connections within specific fanbases or communities.
Streamers and content creators can be particularly effective during a World Cup, with live streams and watch-alongs offering a strong opportunity for engagement among local viewers.
The common theme among all of these partnership types is trust – and that is not necessarily something you can see just from looking at an audience size. A content creator with 80,000 followers who are 99% Mexican football fans is going to prove to be much more effective than a major name with ten times that but no authority on sports or Mexico.
Establishing trust
For many operators, the temptation this summer will be to scale quickly and get the biggest possible name behind their brand. Pulling in a globally recognised athlete or celebrity may help to grab some headlines, but in a market as passionate as Mexico’s, connections need to be much stronger than this.
Football culture, in particular, is deeply rooted in Mexican society. The figures that Mexican fans trust are the ones who have been involved with the sport for many years, whether that’s on TV, in the content community for years, or as respected ex-players. A global celebrity parachuted in for a campaign will carry none of that weight, and Mexican fans will recognise that.
In fact, the ones who are best placed are those who started the relationships long before the World Cup became the dominant conversation in the country. The partnerships that have had time to develop organically, where creators and ambassadors have genuinely integrated and endorsed a brand, are the ones that carry the same kind of authenticity that fans will respond to.
True understanding
The World Cup is going to create the most competitive marketing environment the Mexican market has ever seen. Every major operator will be at the top of their game, and customers will have more choice than ever. In this kind of environment, the inclination is to think that those who shout the loudest are going to cut through the noise, but it will actually be the ones who can talk directly to Mexican audiences that really make a difference. Local partnerships, built on real trust and cultural understanding, are how that happens.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SiGMA News editorial team.
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