Nicosia, Cyprus. SOFTSWISS participated in TechIsland’s seventh MarComms Community Meetup in Cyprus, where its chief marketing officer Valentina Bagniya outlined how the company’s iGaming Trends Report evolved into a product developed by its in-house marketing team.
Presentation on iGaming Trends initiative
SOFTSWISS, which develops platforms for casino operations, aggregation, affiliate management, sportsbook services and jackpot solutions, presented the iGaming Trends initiative as part of its broader marketing strategy. The company employs more than 2,000 people across Malta, Poland and Georgia.
Bagniya said the iGaming Trends initiative illustrates how research-based content can move beyond thought leadership and become a commercial tool, and described how the in-house team built and scaled the project internally, linking marketing output directly to business conversations.
Panel discussion on in-house and agency partnerships
The topic was also discussed during a panel titled “The Marketing Team Mix: Balancing in-house and agency partnerships,” where leaders from tech companies and global and local agencies discussed changes in marketing structures.
Participants cited a shift away from reliance on full-service agencies toward stronger in-house capabilities, while noting that agencies continue to provide specialised expertise, strategic bursts, and multi-market execution. Speakers described a hybrid model in which organisations retain ownership and speed internally while collaborating externally when scale or niche expertise is needed.
The panel was moderated by Aleph Group regional marketing manager Evgeny Kozlov and included Wargaming CMO Nikolay Kozlov, Action Global Communications managing director and head of communications Rebecca Theodorou, thinkbloom general manager Pietra Flouri, and CAPSBOLD PR director Olga Loktionova.
Bagniya’s comments on marketing team structure
Bagniya said, “Marketing teams are being rebuilt around speed, ownership, and closeness to the business.”
She added, “The most sustainable results come when core capabilities stay in-house, and agencies are used as strategic partners where their expertise creates real value.”
How do you see organisations balancing in-house marketing capabilities with agency partnerships?