Branding boo boo from Betfair

Cheltenham Festival, one of the fun sporting events of the year. Hundreds of millions of pounds of bets are laid. This event attracts the biggest and best companies from the betting world; they are all seeking to acquire customers…and they are prepared to invest.

The usual on course betting options were there from the independent bookies to the Tote. A lot of advertising was visible for betting apps as well. As a punter the choices were plenty, the challenge was picking a winner.

Betfair was spending money to promote their business. I think they got it wrong. They had teams of girls handing out bright yellow, Betfair branded, scarves. They gave out thousands of them. The trouble is they were cheap and nasty. Consequently, even before racegoers got into Cheltenham Racecourse, people were stepping over discarded Betfair scarves on the path, in the gutter, and in the road. Some tidier racegoers had put theirs in bins, the untidier ones had stuck them in hedges. What message does that give about the brand?

Kevin Harrington

I’m a UK-based B2B marketing consultant, specialising in strategic advice for SME business owners. I bring extensive hands-on expertise to every client engagement. Senior leadership roles across technology, media, payments, and publishing have shaped my practical approach. Highlights include serving as Chief Marketing Officer at The Panoply plc (now TPXimpact), Chief Commercial Officer at Tungsten Network, and Global Marketing Director at BBC Worldwide. Over the years, I’ve guided numerous SMEs through transformation and value creation. Helping businesses evolve and thrive is a genuine passion. Practical marketing insights and succession planning strategies are at the heart of what I do, as I believe growing a business’s asset value should be a rewarding and positive journey for every entrepreneur.

See Full Bio