Diana Larina: “We see real value in building a two-way relationship with our audience”

In this interview with Evoplay, Diana Larina, Head of Marketing, speaks with Casino Guru News about the company’s Big Adventures campaign. Designed as a bold attempt to push the boundaries of the iGaming market, Larina drills down to the core of what drives differentiation for suppliers and helps them stand out.

From tackling "bonus blindness" to building two-way connections with audiences, Evoplay is committed to unorthodox formats and omnichannel strategies that deliver results. Larina outlines the direction of Evoplay’s marketing efforts and how player-centered experiences help the company thrive in a competitive industry built on fun.

Q: Evoplay has recently embarked on a new range of creative strategies aimed at further differentiating your brand. Do campaigns like Big Adventures put your business in a stronger position?

I believe campaigns of this scale are fundamental for any brand, as they actively shape industry perception and set new benchmarks for differentiation. Formats such as Big Adventures help strengthen relationships with the audience that is already with us, increasing loyalty. So it’s also interesting for our partners, as it’s a unique, ready-to-use promo instrument that helps improve player experience and make stronger brand loyalty. We believe that the synergy of these advantages makes Big Adventures stand out from other offers in the iGaming market.

Q: Why are campaigns that award prizes to as many players as possible so popular today? And how do you drive innovation and differentiation in your own products within this category?

'Banner blindness' has been a well-known phenomenon for a long time, and I believe the industry is now rapidly becoming subject to 'bonus blindness'. The more we give away, the higher the risk of losing sight of the true value that our company offers as a leading provider. The true purpose of these campaigns isn’t just about rewards, but about creating lasting connections and inspiring players with a high level of entertainment.

This campaign integrates a variety of mechanics in a way that is new on the market. Its mechanic ensures fair play by combining a competitive tournament leaderboard with randomisation elements, such as Wheel of Fortune and Random Prize Drops, giving every participant a genuine chance to win. At the same time, the inclusion of multiple smaller prizes encourages broader participation and engagement.

Q: Evoplay has been recognised by industry awards for consistently driving innovation in iGaming. Is innovation easy to define in the context of modern iGaming, and does it occur as frequently as you feel it deserves credit for?

Our industry is probably one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Innovations happen here every day, and it is really hard to say what is already an innovation and what is just the natural existence of iGaming. It isn’t easy for me to single out one example. Yet, some products and companies truly act as game changers, shaping the industry and delivering lasting value to both players and partners.

I believe that true innovation accounts for only a small fraction of all solutions – perhaps around 5%. However, business success doesn’t rely on innovation alone. The key lies in maintaining a balance: introducing groundbreaking ideas that capture attention and drive the market forward while implementing systematic, well-structured solutions.

Q: What are your key drivers of engagement in 2025? You’ve spoken about the need to engage audiences differently—can you explain how this engagement happens, and what you mean by "non-standard" formats?

I would say that the most crucial factor today is omnichannel presence. Whereas previously it was enough to attract an audience through a single medium, players are now much more demanding – they need several points of contact with the brand before they make a decision. That is why marketers need to think bigger and create full-fledged 360-degree campaigns.

Visibility is essential. It means appearing across multiple touchpoints: as a review on one platform, a banner on another, through social tournaments, or via an affiliate’s viral campaign. And when the player finally clicks the link, they should land on a high-quality page highlighting the game’s features before registration – ensuring the gameplay becomes the final, compelling step of the journey. In other words, using multiple channels and building a holistic user journey is no longer a privilege, but a necessity.

Q: Big Adventures has been positioned as a win for both players and partners. Why is that the case, and have you received positive feedback from the campaign to support this?

This campaign creates value for both parties. For players, this is a new activity with an exciting opportunity to win different prizes. And for partners, it is a ready-made instrument to entertain players in a new way. And it’s also a tool that increases retention and helps attract new players. Therefore, the feedback we have so far is positive, both from players and partners. According to our reports, the results speak for themselves: we’re seeing steady growth across all key metrics. It’s a clear signal that our approach is resonating with the audience.

Q: Based on your experience with Big Adventures, do you believe there’s room for more campaigns of this kind? And if you could start over, what would you do differently?

We see huge potential for creating similar campaigns and testing new formats and mechanics. If we had to do it all over again, we would do the same with current mechanics, because we see great potential in this campaign. And in the future, we plan to add more promotional tools to such initiatives to meet the high expectations of players and partners, and provide even higher levels of entertainment. We already have a backlog of promo tools, so I think we’re setting the stage for an even more ambitious and groundbreaking campaign in 2026.

Q: You’ve also emphasized scalability and noted that close collaboration with partners is the best way to achieve it. Could you share examples of such initiatives and how they’ve worked out?

We have started to launch many campaigns on a larger scale with partners, especially those helping to promote unique products. Also, we have constantly worked on building trust relationships with our media partners, organizing creative initiatives together to offer players completely new ways of entertainment. We have also collaborated with one of our affiliate partners, SlotCatalog, to create a new game – Uncrossable Rush – together. This title combines our innovative design and technical expertise with SlotCatalog’s deep player insights and data analysis. It’s a step forward in something we call ‘game-changing’ initiatives. In the future, we plan to expand the number of products we make this way in collaboration with market leaders.

Q: How does Evoplay envision future campaigns, and what steps are you taking to bring that vision to life?

As I said, we see strong potential in creating such promo campaigns. We do a lot of social listening, reading forums, Reddit, and similar channels where players give product feedback. And we validate some product ideas with our players. Therefore, all our campaigns that are launched now and that will be launched in the future will be user-oriented and people-first. If we are talking about cooperation, it means close interaction with our partners and players to ensure that the products we launch meet the standards of all parties. A recent example of our approach was a collaborative initiative with our affiliate partners, where we gave players exclusive early access to a game demo ahead of its official release. It was a great way to involve them in the process, not only as players but as contributors. We see real value in building a two-way relationship with our audience – one where the level of engagement and collaboration reflects the importance of their voice in what we do.

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