Episode 20·16:04·11 Feb 2026

ICE 2026 Marketing Decoded x Endorphina: Viral Campaigns and Entertainment-First Brand Building

Surya Palli

Founder of iGaming Real Talk.·11 Feb 2026

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Welcome to our second episode of Marketing Decoded, our special series from ICE Barcelona 2026!

In this episode, Irina Veselkova, Head of Marketing at Endorphina, reveals how creative campaigns drive viral engagement and brand awareness in iGaming.

Key Points

The Roach Challenge: how to turn a "disgusting" theme into viral LinkedIn content (130+ posts in 5 days)
Event marketing as month-long campaigns, not just 3-day activations
Building brand through entertainment: from 9K to 20K LinkedIn followers in one year
Team collaboration: why company-wide buy-in matters for campaign success
Award-winning pre-marketing: Clarion's Best Pre-Marketing Campaign at ICE Barcelona 2025

Quick takeaway: Build campaigns that give people creative freedom to participate, even those who don't usually post will engage 💡

Key takeaways

Leveraging Viral Themes. Irina explains how unconventional themes, like the Roach Challenge, can be transformed into highly successful viral content that drives significant engagement.
Extended Event Marketing. Marketing for major industry events should be treated as month-long strategic campaigns rather than limited to the few days of the actual activation.
Entertainment-First Branding. By prioritizing entertainment over dry corporate messaging, the brand successfully grew its LinkedIn presence from 9,000 to 20,000 followers in a single year.
Internal Team Collaboration. Successful marketing campaigns rely on company-wide buy-in, ensuring all team members are aligned and active participants in the brand's creative output.
Empowering Participation. Creating marketing frameworks that offer followers creative freedom encourages participation, even among users who do not typically engage on social platforms.

Notable quotes

Build campaigns that give people creative freedom to participate, even those who don't usually post will engage.

Event marketing as month-long campaigns, not just 3-day activations.

How to turn a 'disgusting' theme into viral LinkedIn content.

Transcript excerpt

A short passage published by the podcast, not the whole conversation.

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Surya Palli
Welcome to Marketing Decoded, coming to you live from ICE Barcelona 2026. Today, I’m joined by Irina Veselkova, Head of Marketing at Endorphina, to discuss how to redefine B2B engagement through bold, entertainment-first strategies. Irina, why is it so important for modern marketing to move away from the traditional corporate mold?
Irina Veselkova
It’s vital because the old ways just don't capture attention anymore. We believe marketing needs to be entertainment-first. We want to transcend the typical corporate image and actually connect with our audience through creativity and genuine participation.
Surya Palli
You really proved that philosophy with "The Roach Challenge." That was quite a bold move, how did you turn something that could be perceived as "disgusting" into such a massive social media success?
Irina Veselkova
It was certainly counter-intuitive, but that was the point. We wanted to see if we could take a challenging theme and turn it into a viral phenomenon. By encouraging genuine creative participation, we managed to generate over 130 LinkedIn posts in just five days. It really showed us that if you provide the space for your audience to be creative, they will engage.
Surya Palli
That campaign clearly had an impact on your growth. Did it help drive your recent surge in followers?
Irina Veselkova
Absolutely. That campaign served as the backbone for our brand-building efforts, which helped us grow our LinkedIn following from 9,000 to 20,000 in just one year.
Surya Palli
Beyond viral hits, you’ve been advocating for a major shift in how we approach event marketing. Can you explain your move away from the traditional three-day activation model?
Irina Veselkova
We’ve found that the three-day model is becoming outdated. We are advocating for a month-long, immersive narrative instead. These are ambitious projects, and they require significant company-wide buy-in to be successful. When our internal teams are aligned and empowered, it creates a multiplier effect that really elevates our brand’s visibility.
Surya Palli
That strategic foresight seems to be paying off, especially with the recognition you’ve received. You even won Clarion’s Best Pre-Marketing Campaign at ICE Barcelona 2025. What is the biggest takeaway for others looking to achieve that kind of success?
Irina Veselkova
The key takeaway is that when brands provide the space for their employees and audience to exercise creative freedom, they build more than just awareness. You end up building a community of active participants, and that is where the real value lies.