In an increasingly competitive market, brand building has never been more important. Yet, it’s often “pushed aside” with operators focusing on quick wins and neglecting the long game – creating a product and experience consumers can trust and will return to.
One company that has excelled in this respect is Casumo, and joining us on the iGamingFuture virtual couch today is Nikola Jellačić, their Chief Marketing Officer.
Read on as we discuss the secrets behind the company’s Umoverse, how it was created, and what Nikola plans to present at the upcoming iGX Summit, where he will feature in both a panel session and case study on how Casumo’s ‘Umoverse’ elevates the player experience.
The iGaming industry currently has an abundance of conferences and events taking place worldwide and throughout the year. How do you decide which ones are worth your time to attend, and why is it so important for you to attend iGX?
“There’s certainly a lot of events. Sometimes, it feels like there’s at least one a week taking place somewhere in the world. This also means it feels like a lot of topics get recycled.
“I tend to decide which to attend based on the speakers and topics. It’s also about the experience these people can bring to the table, their journey and what they’ve been through. If the speaker is covering a topic I want to know more about, and they have the experience to boot, I’m there – as long as my schedule allows.
“In terms of iGX, I’m really excited about it. It’s a great time for Casumo, so I’m eager to share our experience with the attendees.
“I’ll be part of a panel titled ‘Mastering The Trifecta: How Can You Make The Right Tech Investments To Create Market-Leading Products And Provide A Competitive User Experience?’, and later I’ll be presenting a case study called ‘How Casumo’s ‘Umoverse’ Strategy Elevates Player Experience’.”
What will you be speaking about during your panel session at IGX? What knowledge or practical tips will delegates learn by attending?
“I’ll be focusing on brand power and equity. This is a topic that the industry continuously comes back to, and it’s regularly pushed aside, but it’s pivotal.
“A lot of brands focus on what they can offer right now without focusing on long-term brand building and creating a name that players can trust.
“Casumo is just such a brand. We’ve been on the market for 12 years. People know us, know what we stand for and trust us – we’ve stood the test of time.
“New brands are continuously popping up, but the real question is how do you make something that resonates with your consumers and your team? Because a brand lives within your company. This will be my main focus – how to create a sustainable brand strategy within the iGaming industry.”
What is the “Umoverse” and what can the industry learn from this regarding elevating the player experience?
“Casumo has always been known for creating its own universe – a world where unique characters and stories exist alongside the product itself. One of the features we had in the early days was called ‘Adventure’, which was part of our gamification offering. It was built around a character who lived on a different planet.
“As we evolved from a new brand into a mature one, we needed to develop a broader, more flexible storytelling framework that could support the growth, so we looked at the broader trends in the entertainment industry and the idea of a multiverse.
“And that’s where the idea of the Umoverse came from. We thought about a bigger world that connected all our characters to the brand and introduced ‘Umans’, which are unique, humanoid characters with distinctive ways of walking, talking, dressing, and presenting themselves. They live on an imaginary planet, but they’re relatable and human-like.
“This also allows us to localise our content and the Umoverse itself because we don’t define all the characters from the start. Instead, the platform is flexible, and the characters can be tailored to different markets, such as Ontario, Spain, or the UK, making the brand feel relevant worldwide.
“Every local market has nuances, and our characters can be made relevant to these – we’re not talking stereotypes, but cultural and traditional traits that we can employ to make our characters unique, quirky, authentic and culturally relevant.
“For example, something as simple as how people eat toast in the morning varies from country to country. Getting little details like that right can create a sense of recognition, like: ‘That’s exactly what my mum used to do.’ That’s the kind of subtle authenticity we want to capture.
“We’ve also applied this internally, which helps with brand building, reflecting that our staff are more than just their job titles. Our team can have Umoverse characters, which allows them to express themselves. For example, everyone knows I’m the CMO at Casumo, but I’m not just that; I’m a father of three, I love basketball shoes, and on weekends, I’m a go-kart mechanic.
“The Umoverse gives us a space where people can bring their whole selves to the table – whether that’s our consumers or employees.”
Which other speaker or panel session are you most interested in hearing at iGX?
“If I had to pick one, it would be Dale Fisher-Brown’s Superbet Case Study on Geo-Targeting and Locational Focus. I used to work at Superbet; in fact, I was Dale’s manager, so I’ve got a personal interest in hearing what he’s been up to and what the company is doing.
“Dale’s session will discuss how operators can better tailor content to local traditions and culture, how to leverage influences and trending topics for better consumer engagement and how to use geo-targeted data for more precise marketing campaigns, so it’s my field of interest.”
Editor’s Note:
Casumo’s Umoverse is a standout example of what immersive gamification and brand storytelling can achieve in the iGaming industry.
As Nikola emphasises, when done right–blending character-driven narratives and cultural nuances–this type of creative brand-building can deliver meaningful experiences for consumers and within the company, fostering employee identity and inclusivity across the board.
Ready to dive into the future of branding in iGaming? Then don’t miss Nikola Jellačić’s deep-dive into the Umoverse at the iGX Summit, taking place in London on 18–19 June.
During his sessions, Nikola will unpack what it takes to build a resonant brand strategy and how operators can move away from burn-and-churn tactics to create long-lasting connections and an unforgettable player experience.
