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SOFTSWISS detailed its marketing strategy evolution at Cyprus industry event, highlighting shift from agency reliance to in-house product development capabilities.
Mar 3, 2026 · 4 min read
SOFTSWISS outlined its strategic shift towards stronger in-house marketing capabilities at TechIsland's 7th MarComms Community Meetup in Cyprus, using its flagship iGaming Trends Report as a prime example of successful internal product development.
Valentina Bagniya, CMO at SOFTSWISS, presented how the company transformed its iGaming Trends Report from a simple research initiative into a comprehensive marketing product developed entirely by the internal team. The case study demonstrated how research-driven content can extend beyond thought leadership positioning to become a practical sales enablement tool that reinforces brand authority.
"Marketing teams are being rebuilt around speed, ownership, and closeness to the business. The most sustainable results come when core capabilities stay in-house, and agencies are used as strategic partners where their expertise creates real value."
— Valentina Bagniya, CMO at SOFTSWISS
The presentation led into a panel discussion examining the evolving relationship between in-house teams and external agencies. Moderated by Evgeny Kozlov, Regional Marketing Manager at Aleph Group, the panel featured senior marketing executives from across the tech and gaming sectors.
Panelists included Nikolay Kozlov, CMO at Wargaming; Rebecca Theodorou, Managing Director & Head of Communications Action 360x at Action Global Communications; Pietra Flouri, General Manager at Thinkbloom; and Olga Loktionova, Representative of SPORTSOFT and PR Director of CAPSBOLD Creative Marketing Agency.
The discussion highlighted a fundamental industry shift away from comprehensive agency dependence towards enhanced internal capabilities, while maintaining agency partnerships for specialised expertise and multi-market execution.
A significant portion of the Q&A session focused on artificial intelligence's emerging role as a third component in marketing team structures. Panellists shared practical AI implementation experiences and discussed how the technology is transforming collaboration patterns between internal teams and external partners.
Bagniya detailed SOFTSWISS's approach following the appointment of Denis Romanovskiy as Chief AI Officer (CAIO), including the rollout of an enterprise AI platform designed to securely scale automation by integrating AI capabilities with existing corporate systems and data infrastructure.
The company's marketing evolution strategy received industry validation when SOFTSWISS's marketing team was recognised as Best Marketing Team at the EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards in 2025, reflecting the organisation's sustained investment in developing internal marketing capabilities and building long-term brand assets.
This marketing model evolution signals broader industry recognition that proximity to business operations and product development creates competitive advantages that external agencies cannot replicate. For iGaming operators evaluating their marketing structures, the SOFTSWISS approach suggests that strategic content development – particularly research and thought leadership assets – may deliver stronger returns when developed internally, while maintaining agency relationships for execution scale and market-specific expertise.
Marketing Strategy Optimization
For iGaming operators evaluating their marketing structures, consider developing strategic content assets like research and thought leadership internally while maintaining agency relationships for execution scale and market-specific expertise. This hybrid approach maximizes both control over brand messaging and operational efficiency.
In-house capabilities provide proximity to business operations and product development that creates competitive advantages external agencies cannot replicate. This approach allows for greater speed, ownership, and closeness to the business while maintaining strategic control over core marketing assets.
AI has emerged as a third component in marketing team structures, transforming collaboration patterns between internal teams and external partners. Companies like SOFTSWISS have implemented enterprise AI platforms to securely scale automation by integrating AI capabilities with existing corporate systems and data infrastructure.
Agencies should function as strategic partners for specialized expertise and multi-market execution rather than comprehensive service providers. The industry is shifting away from complete agency dependence while maintaining partnerships where agency expertise creates real value, particularly for execution scale and market-specific knowledge.
According to SOFTSWISS.
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