There is not so much information about Sergey Portnov in the internet. Now he is well-known as CEO of Parimatch. He has been working for the company since August 2011, until September 2012 he held the position of Marketing Director. But what about his childhood and what were his dreams about the future profession. The one thing is obvious — he is the son of a gambler. Of course, it effects the boy: he made a first bet at the age of 12.
He was educated at the University of Salford, Manchester, in 2010 he received a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Gambling and Entertainment Management. So the future was clear. Now Sergey Portnov CEO is a main part of the world-famous bookmaker office.
Parimatch differs from other bookmakers in that at the moment they do not have physical centres for accepting bets. By the 00s, Parimatch is transforming into an «online bookmaker’s office». It was the first company that accepted bets online, and by 2017 it completely moves into the internet sphere, where it quickly became famous among forecasters. In 2019 it was decided to start rebranding.
How to attract attention to the brand
Today the company spends at least $ 60 million a year on promotion for all markets. There are many methods of doing this:
- Advertising on channels that have bought a license to broadcast football matches.
- Outdoor advertising on football fields, etc.
- Penetration into other areas, not just sports.
- Partnerships with football clubs.
- Collaboration with famous people — brand ambassadors. Parimatch works with Mike Tyson, Conor McGregor. These two athletes attract different target audiences: Tyson’s fans are mostly in their 30s, McGregor’s are youngsters.
If you are wondering why Mike Tyson and Conor McGregor, then you should know that it was necessary to show the strength, the willpower and the spirit. It all happens during the rebranding of Parimatch as a menswear brand. Its motto was «Let a man be a man». And this spirit of alpha males should be in Parimatch. It was very important to know that they were sponsors of the UFC, sponsors of boxers and MMA stars: that was like introducing fighting genes into Parimatch. When they finished the rebranding and made sure that they had enough aggressive energy, their colour was electric yellow, and they became much more confident in themselves.
They studied the market and the audience in order to understand who was right for them: who are these people, who are the customers, what do they think about and who are they proud of? Their opinions on who should become an ambassador were divided: Parimatch had both a young audience and an aged one, among which there were more VIP clients — they were more conservative and old-fashioned. And the company found two perfect stars — Mike Tyson and Conor McGregor. They both have different effects, and combined their efforts, the brand doubled this power without overdoing.
