Interview with Valentina Bagniya

Today, you stand as one of the most prominent iGaming Platform Providers, if not the most. You have hundreds of online casinos under your belt, and you have a very strong presence on almost every medium. Also, SOFTSWISS is the most popular provider on social media as well. What do you think is the main reason behind it?

I would separate these two aspects. Our expertise as an iGaming platform provider is a result of many factors, including having some of the best experts in the industry, a strong development team, constant focus on analytics, a deep understanding of the market’s needs, and maintaining exceptional customer service standards. Of course, this level of expertise didn’t develop overnight – SOFTSWISS has more than 15 years of experience, with a growth mindset at the core of our corporate culture and the ability to learn from failures and mistakes.

As for our presence on social media, it is a part of our winning marketing strategy aimed at increasing SOFTSWISS brand awareness and recognition. This aspect is the responsibility of my team, and I’m proud to have assembled professional and determined marketing people who help the company become an outstanding leader in the industry.

Can you describe the unique challenges that SOFTSWISS faces in marketing within the iGaming industry, and how do you overcome them?

When I joined SOFTSWISS around four years ago, iGaming B2B marketing was in its early stages. And for me, it was a double-edged situation. On one hand, it was evident that a strong marketing strategy can drive the extensive growth of the brand. But on the other hand, nearly every aspect of marketing was a challenge because of a lack of data, analytics, and marketing professionals. Together with the first generation of the team, we had to set the tone for the future of the B2B industry marketing, from analytics and strategy to a deep understanding of the target audience, a customer-centric approach, and a focus on building a strong and holistic brand.

So, we became pioneers of the strategic approach in developing marketing plans. We placed the Customer and the Brand at the center of our promotional activities, while also integrating emotional elements into the message. This made SOFTSWISS the first B2B company to launch bold and memorable marketing campaigns that later turned into the industry standard.

Since you’ve touched on marketing campaigns, can you share some examples of the most successful of them? What made them stand out?

First of all, I have to point out that SOFTSWISS has a strong product at its core. Any marketing efforts would have had a short-term effect without a solid and reliable product basement.

We had many outstanding campaigns that were honoured with the industry’s most prestigious awards. I can mention the “Bringing the Heat”, “Grab Success” and “100% technical satisfaction” campaigns as our most remarkable. What made them so remarkable? Bright and non-standard ideas, prominent visual communication, well-balanced channel mix, and emotional BTL activities as an icing on the cake. This set of strategies, and the approach in general, are not very relevant for the B2B industry, but we were brave enough to break the mold and it paid off, driving significant success for the business.

Besides that, I can’t help but mention our brilliant yearly project – the iGaming Trends report. It was the first of its kind in the industry, a free and widely distributed report on the future of iGaming from all possible perspectives. This is a huge piece of work that includes data from massive marketing surveys, desk research, and deep interviews with industry experts. The 2025 iGaming trends report is under development and will be released in November.

And of course, I must mention our social initiatives – Pink October and Movember. CSR projects are a crucial element of any big modern business, and iGaming can not stay away from that. And I’m happy to say that SOFTSWISS paves the way in this direction.

What are the core business strategies that have driven SOFTSWISS' growth in the iGaming industry?

SOFTSWISS’ industry leadership is based on its core values: Expertise, Service, Security, and Innovation. But the values alone are not enough – they must be implemented through a clear strategy and translated into effective working processes.

At SOFTSWISS, all products are built with a customer-centric approach in mind. We constantly implement new analytics tools to better understand clients’ needs and deliver best solutions available on the market. Additionally, we regularly monitor client satisfaction level employing third-party market research agencies. This helps us address any bottlenecks, whether related to our products or service support.

Moreover, detailed analytics empower us to stay ahead of market trends. By combining our internal insights with market research, our marketing team releases industry forecasts that are widely referred to by other market players. SOFTSWISS’ expertise and strong reputation serve as the best endorsement in this area.

Speaking of success, how does SOFTSWISS balance short-term business goals with long-term strategic vision in a rapidly evolving industry?

At SOFTSWISS, we’ve always recognised that long-term success requires a clear strategic vision, but we’re also aware that in a dynamic industry like iGaming, flexibility is key. Our strategic planning is grounded in long-term objectives, ensuring that every decision is aligned with the company’s core values. However, we also recognise that the market is constantly evolving, and to remain competitive, we must be able to quickly adapt to changes. Therefore we are ready to adjust our product offerings, refine our marketing approach, or respond to new regulations.

To balance these short- and long-term goals, we’ve adopted an agile mindset across the company. While our strategy is the foundation for future growth, we’re always ready to shift tactics when needed. And this is where market data and client feedback come into play again, allowing us to fine-tune our approach.

As SOFTSWISS and Revpanda have been collaborating for almost half a decade, how do you see Revpanda contributing to SOFTSWISS’ success?

Revpanda has been a key partner in helping us move quickly and efficiently with our strategic goals. They also helped us scale our content production and our website maintenance efforts. This partnership has been an important part of driving more organic traffic and attracting potential clients, which directly impacts our business growth.

Beyond just content, their support allows us to maintain a consistent and engaging online presence, helping us stay competitive. So this collaboration has been invaluable from the viewpoint of bringing real business results.

As the industry keeps evolving day by day, it might be overwhelming for individuals to stay up to date, and perform their best at the tasks. At that point, how do you ensure your team stays motivated and aligned with the company’s vision and goals?

First, communication is key. I regularly make sure everyone knows the company’s goals and how their work fits into the bigger picture. When people understand their impact, they’re more likely to feel motivated and connected to the vision.

We also focus a lot on learning and development. The industry moves fast, and so should we. Our approach to adaptive learning is highly personalised and tailored to each employee. Twice a year, we conduct evaluation interviews with employees, their manager, and an HR business partner. These evaluations, supported by concrete examples, form the basis for crafting personal learning plans. Employees can access both internal and external training, from workshops and masterclasses to any external courses they need for developing specific skills that match their personal goals.

Regular check-ins are super important too. I always want to know how the team is doing, what’s working well, and where they might need support. It’s about making sure everyone feels heard and has the tools they need to succeed.

Looking back on your career, what are you most proud of, and what do you hope to achieve in the next few years?

By now, what I’m most proud of is, of course, my team. I’m more than sure that this is one of the strongest teams in the industry and far beyond.

Looking back on my career, I can say that it’s been a journey with both successes and failures, and I know there will be plenty more of both in the future. But what makes me move forward is my ability to not get stuck on failures. Instead, I’ve always focused on learning from them. Every failure has made me smarter and more experienced, helping me improve and grow as a leader.

Looking ahead, I hope to continue building on this growth — and driving both my team and the business toward greater success. My goal for the next few years is to keep innovating, fostering a strong team culture, and staying ahead in an ever-evolving industry. The excitement comes from knowing that there’s always room for improvement, and I’m eager to embrace whatever comes next.

Thanks for taking your time to join us in this interview, Valentina. Are there any closing words you’d like to share with our audience?

First of all, thanks for the questions that helped me look back on the path that I had at SOFTSWISS during the last four years. As we were talking today mostly about success, I would say the words that I usually repeat to myself when I’m ready to give up: “In any difficult situation, only you choose to set limits or see limitless opportunities, so make an effort and open your eyes to see opportunities.”