Betano: “The winner is the one who is relevant in the consumer’s mind” – Games Magazine Brasil

In a fast-growing Brazilian sports betting market where many brands look and sound alike, Betano says the real edge comes from uniting creativity with a strong product and a frictionless user experience. Senior Marketing Manager Arthur Niggemann argues that being top of mind happens at the moment a consumer decides to open an account—and that demands more than catchy ads. It requires a platform people trust, services that truly help, and ideas that cut through.

Standing out in a look-alike market

Niggemann notes that similarity is a natural phase for new industries: countless names anchored in “bet,” similar tones of voice, and overlapping offers. For Betano, differentiation has to be holistic—touching product features, bonuses and offers, CRM, customer support, and communications. The goal is to craft an experience users can’t easily find elsewhere. In his view, three pillars sustain that: product quality, reliable service, and creative excellence. That combination, he says, is what makes a brand memorable when the user is finally ready to sign up.

Media spend only works with a strong idea

Investment remains essential to scale awareness and reinforce brand positioning—especially in a category still building familiarity with the general public. TV, he emphasizes, continues to be central in Brazil for reach and credibility. But money alone won’t solve sameness: without an idea worth remembering, the message fades quickly.

To fight that, Betano emphasizes strategic media planning. Beyond sheer volume, the brand focuses on the right channel mix, variety in formats, and tailoring messages by touchpoint. Repetition of the name matters in a nascent market where consumers are still forming references—but it has to come with relevance and consistency to stick.

Creativity under the “Confia” platform

Betano’s creative platform, “Confia,” acts as more than a slogan. It’s a guiding concept anchored in trust and reliability that unifies the brand’s voice and enables humor and contemporary storytelling without losing coherence. According to Niggemann, the partnership with Wieden+Kennedy thrives on a two-way relationship: the agency’s ambition meets a client willing to open space for bold ideas.

That openness, he says, was underpinned by a phase of consolidation through major sports properties—such as partnerships with Fluminense, Atlético Mineiro, and presence across global tournaments. With a stronger foundation, the brand could confidently explore bolder campaigns. The Brasileirão work, structured around multiple short films, reflected this alignment and the audience’s growing familiarity with Betano. In 2025, the team even revisits and plays with the previous year’s campaign assets—something only brands with consistent platforms can pull off effectively.

Navigating regulation with responsibility

On the regulatory front, Niggemann underscores that established rules are already followed: legal requirements, 18+ warnings, and guidelines from authorities are embedded in Betano’s operations. Many of these practices were in place even before formal regulations matured. As for what might change next, the company’s posture is to remain compliant with current norms and be ready to adapt swiftly if new restrictions emerge. Flexibility and responsibility, he stresses, are non-negotiable in such a sensitive category.

Football assets as strategic amplifiers

Betano’s sponsorship portfolio in Brazil—especially the Brasileirão, the Copa do Brasil, and Flamengo—forms a central piece of its strategy. The approach is consistent with the brand’s global playbook across other markets: secure major properties that deliver scale and credibility, then activate them with creativity and precision.

Recent seasons have provided a fortunate sequence of high-impact moments: Fluminense in 2023, Atlético Mineiro in 2024, and now Flamengo in 2025—all reaching the Libertadores final. That continuum drives sustained visibility and narrative coherence. Meanwhile, the Brasileirão and the Copa do Brasil ensure broad, year-round engagement, speaking to fan bases from every corner of the country. Niggemann highlights the Copa do Brasil’s “democratic” character, bringing clubs from diverse divisions onto the same stage, boosting local economies, and energizing cities nationwide.

With decisive matches stacking up at year’s end—the Libertadores final, the Brasileirão run-in, and the Copa do Brasil finals—Betano expects an intense cycle of exposure, activations, and fan engagement. The brand plans to leverage this concentrated attention to fortify recall and deepen emotional ties with supporters.

The real battleground: relevance

Niggemann returns to a simple premise: scale matters, but relevance wins. In a crowded category, the brands that endure are those that turn media weight into meaningful experiences—ones that feel reliable, helpful, and enjoyable at every step. Creativity becomes the spark, product and service the engine, and consistent delivery the reason people come back. In that equation, he says, the winner is the brand that stays present and trusted in the consumer’s mind at the exact moment of choice.