Women in gaming: Is our marketing diverse enough in igaming?

With a background in marketing, what struck me most when entering the world of igaming 11 years ago was that in spite of the number of women utilising online casinos and sports betting sites increasing – there was a definitive bias towards men when it came to understanding player behaviour, and in turn the marketing materials that were being used were still male-dominated.

There have been numerous reports that suggested that there was very little research being done relating to the nuances of women’s gambling. As such, if we don’t understand the behaviour of this demographic – how can we effectively market to them, provide them with a valuable product and, perhaps most importantly, ensure we are taking care of their wellbeing with our responsible gambling measures?

We have seen some progress over recent years, where operators have taken steps to be more inclusive in their campaigns.  Different styles of messaging have come into force, the use of influencer marketing where prominent figures with a broader appeal have been utilised, and with the rise of more social media channels – other outlets being used, but is this enough?

Unfortunately, I do think there is still some work to do, and there are now new considerations in play.  There has been a distinct social shift in recent years which we all need to take notice of. People are much less likely to buy into products that push gender clichés or stereotypes.  The idea of having a product/service with any type of gender bias or label attached is likely to be widely rejected by the younger generation who are the future of our industry.

This is where building diverse teams can come into play.  The formula is simple. The more diverse a team you have, the more diverse the output from that team will be. Ensuring gender inclusivity in terms of the talent you bring in can have a direct impact on the success of your marketing campaigns if you ensure that inclusivity flows through your processes.  The beauty is, by having a mixed team – your research and marketing strategies will naturally be more inclusive.

We also need to be making huge efforts to ensure our campaigns are being tested with diverse audiences. Being aware of what our prospective players views are on gender, will result in much more sensitive and informed marketing communications. It may also be worth considering, for brands launching in multiple geo locations, that there could be regional nuances, as things are moving at different paces across the world.

As an industry we need to be more progressive and move faster on these issues. Let’s hope we can look forward to a more diverse industry with well thought through, sensitive campaigns.

Sharon McFarlane is managing director of Crystal Content, a marketing agency that specialises in the igaming field. She has 11 years’ experience in this field, and Crystal Content has been shortlisted as marketing agency of the year and marketing and PR supplier of the year.