18 Peaches x Marketing Decoded: how community-driven campaigns fuel brand growth

• Marketing Decoded debuts at ICE Barcelona 2025, featuring seven CMOs and marketing leaders from major B2B iGaming providers.
• In the first episode, Elen Atanesyan, Head of Marketing at 18 Peaches, discusses the brand’s gap-filling strategy and community-driven campaigns since 2022.
• Series presented by Excellent Expo, produced by iGaming Real Talk and iGaming Republic, focusing on actionable marketing insights.

A new interview series spotlighting iGaming’s marketing leaders has launched from ICE Barcelona 2025. Marketing Decoded brings together 7 Chief Marketing Officers and heads of marketing from leading B2B providers to share the strategies behind their brands’ success.

The series debuts with 18Peaches, featuring Ellen Atanesyan, Head of Marketing at 18Peaches, who reveals how the company built exceptional brand awareness through community-driven campaigns and social media engagement since launching in 2022.

18Peaches is a disruptive slot games provider blending creativity and technology to deliver innovative gaming experiences. Led by industry veterans and passionate creators, the company pushes the boundaries of slot game development.

Community-first marketing drives real engagement

18Peaches adopted a distinctive approach to entering the competitive iGaming space. Rather than directly challenging established players, the company identified market gaps and filled them with fresh perspectives through community-focused initiatives.

“We didn’t plan to take over the market. The key strategy here is not to take from the market, but to bring value,” Ellen explained during the interview.

This philosophy shaped everything from product development to campaign execution. The approach centres on building with the community, not just for them. This distinction defines how 18Peaches approaches every marketing decision and brand interaction.

#PeachMarathon: bold video series with industry leaders

The #PeachMarathon campaign exemplifies 18Peaches’ focus on authentic engagement. The company created a bold video series featuring industry leaders in unfiltered conversations, structured around two competing teams with winners determined entirely by audience participation.

Colin Thompson (Clever Duck Media) from Team A and Sergey Ghazaryan (GR8 Tech) on Team B emerged victorious. The campaign prioritised community involvement over individual contribution. 

The campaign demonstrated how video content can create meaningful connections when it features honest, unscripted dialogue rather than polished corporate messaging.

Consistency across all touchpoints

The company’s signature slogan, “Juicing Up the Industry”, emerged before their games and marketing campaigns. It became central to their identity, influencing game design, signature cocktails, and booth experiences at industry events.

Maintaining consistency across all touchpoints drives memorability and brand recognition. From social media posts to trade show activations, 18Peaches ensures every interaction reinforces their core message and values.

Player retention beats acquisition

Ellen shared several core beliefs that guide 18Peaches’ marketing decisions. The company prioritises player retention over acquisition, questioning the value of gaining customers who won’t stay.

“If you can’t retain a player, why acquire them?” she said, highlighting the importance of long-term value creation.

This principle challenges conventional marketing metrics that often emphasise new customer acquisition. By focusing on keeping existing players engaged, 18Peaches builds sustainable growth rather than chasing short-term numbers.

Creative storytelling in the age of AI

Creative storytelling takes precedence over pure data analysis in 18Peaches’ marketing strategy. 

“People want more creativity, genuine content,” Ellen noted, pointing to growing demand for authentic brand narratives in an industry often dominated by metrics and performance indicators.

As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in content creation, the need for genuine human creativity becomes more valuable. 18Peaches emphasises original ideas and authentic voices over automated solutions.

Intentionality underpins every initiative. 

“We don’t do things just for the sake of it,” she added, highlighting that each campaign must serve a clear strategic purpose.

Industry-wide marketing insights ahead

Marketing Decoded is presented by Excellent Expo and produced by iGaming Real Talk in collaboration with iGaming Republic. The series captures expert perspectives from industry innovators at ICE Barcelona 2025, one of iGaming’s most important annual gatherings.

Each episode delivers actionable insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and strategic frameworks from leaders shaping how major brands connect with their audiences. The format provides marketing professionals with practical takeaways they can apply to their own organisations.

The complete series features six additional episodes with marketing leaders from prominent iGaming providers: Märit von Stedingk (Alea), Yaroslava Romaniv (GR8 Tech), Valentina Bagniya (SOFTSWISS), Tereza Melicharkova (Elantil), Irina Veselkova (Endorphina), and James Bennett (EveryMatrix).