Fomento Agency: ‘Affiliates must be committed to sustainable, ethical growth’

In the lead-up to SBC Summit Rio 2026 and the Affiliate Leaders Summit, Affiliate Leaders and iGaming Expert spoke with Alessandro Gherardi, co-founder and director of Fomento Agency – a firm specialising in affiliate marketing, media, and PR for the iGaming industry across Latin America and beyond. 

In the discussion, Gherardi explored how regulation in Brazil is reshaping the affiliate landscape, why localisation goes far deeper than language, and how combining performance marketing with brand authority can drive long-term growth in emerging markets.

Could you tell us what Fomento is all about and what makes its approach unique in Latin American?

Fomento Agency is a specialised firm operating at the intersection of high-performance affiliate networking and strategic media and PR within the iGaming sector. 

We have offices in Malta, UK, Brazil, and Colombia, as well as a local set-up in the UK and Brazil that allows us to work directly with regulated operators.

What sets us apart, particularly in Latin America, is our dual focus. First, we view our affiliate network as a quality filter, prioritising high-LTV traffic over sheer volume, which is a crucial distinction in emerging markets. Second, we recognise that performance is built on trust. 

Through our media and PR services, we help operators strengthen their brand authority, which in turn drives higher conversion rates for affiliates and better retention for partners. This blend of performance and prestige is what truly differentiates Fomento in the Latin American landscape.

With Brazil now officially regulated, how has this shift reshaped the reality for affiliates? Has anything truly changed in how you operate, or is it more about perception? And in your opinion, how much accountability should affiliates bear in a regulated system like this?

The shift in Brazil is definitely more than just perception; it’s a profound operational change. Affiliates now face increased pressure regarding compliance and advertising standards. 

While the underlying mechanics of traffic generation remain similar, the due diligence required for every campaign, ensuring messaging adheres to local regulations, particularly concerning responsible gambling and minors, has intensified.

We are the frontline of marketing, responsible for what the player sees first. This means we must shoulder the weight of accountability, taking extra effort to remain compliant around licensing mandates, misleading claims, and prohibited advertising.

If the industry is to succeed long-term, affiliates must embrace this responsibility fully, not just as a legal necessity. Affiliates must be committed to sustainable, ethical growth.

Localisation is often cited as essential, but it goes far beyond language. In practical terms, what cultural and behavioural insights about Brazilian players are most critical for affiliates and operators to succeed in this market?

The most critical insight is understanding Brazil’s social and payment culture. Localisation isn’t just about language. It’s about adapting to how people pay, what they care about, and how they communicate.

For payments, affiliates need to focus on local solutions like Pix, which are essential for conversion. Trust comes from offering familiar, fast, and reliable methods rather than relying on global credit cards.

Football is sacred here, so affiliates looking to tap into this market should consider building their promotions and content around local teams, rivalries, and the emotions that come with them.

Finally, communication style is key. Brazilian players prefer a direct, informal, and personal approach. Campaigns that feel too corporate tend to underperform compared to those that create a sense of connection and community.

We understand this well, which is why we’ve developed our own content and blogs in both English and Portuguese to engage players more effectively.

Affiliate success depends not just on acquisition, but also on retention. How do you collaborate with operators to improve player lifetime value (LTV) and reactivation rates in Brazil’s maturing market?

Our collaboration is data-driven and focused on long-term value. We don’t simply deliver players and move on; we work closely with operators to refine their retention strategies.

We maintain ongoing feedback loops with operators’ business intelligence teams, sharing conversion data that helps identify which creative assets or traffic sources bring in players with the highest lifetime value after their first deposit. 

We also provide segmentation insights, advising operators on how to tailor retention campaigns according to the acquisition channel. For example; players acquired through media campaigns often need different reactivation strategies than those coming via direct affiliate links.

Finally, our media and PR work strengthens brand trust. Players are more likely to stay loyal and return to an operator they recognise and see represented consistently in credible outlets.

In a recent interview, you mentioned that while you specialise in Latin America, you also have traffic in other markets like India. What key lessons from your experience in Latin America have helped guide your approach to developing a presence in India?

The key lesson we’ve learnt in Latin America – and one that applies equally to India – is the importance of hyper-localisation and payment familiarity. For markets like Latin America, relying on global standards simply doesn’t work. 

When we entered Brazil, we had to adapt to local payment methods like Pix and embrace cultural nuances. The same principle applies in India, where success depends on understanding local payment preferences and the diverse regional and sporting cultures. 

Both regions share rapidly digital audiences and evolving regulations, so compliance and trust-building through strong PR are essential foundations for growth.

With over a decade in iGaming, Fomento Agency has seen affiliate models evolve from simple traffic generation to complex, data-driven ecosystems. How has your business model adapted to these shifts, and which strategic decisions proved pivotal during that journey?

Our model evolved from being purely an acquisition broker to becoming a strategic partner. The most important shift was integrating media and PR services into our core affiliate network.

In the past, affiliates were focused solely on clicks, but operators now expect brand quality. By adding PR, we help operators build credibility and authority, which strengthens their brand positioning, boosts conversion rates, and improves player trust. This change also increased our value. We’re now able to charge premium rates for traffic because the brands we work with are better placed to convert and retain players. 

It also diversified our risk, allowing us to rely on two strong revenue streams – performance and strategic advisory – rather than one. These factors have helped future-proof our business, positioning us as compliance specialists in media and advertising, ready to operate effectively in newly regulated markets.

You’re heading to SBC Summit Rio 2026. How was your experience with the affiliate pass application, and what motivated you to attend? More importantly, what are you hoping to take away from the Affiliate Leaders Summit and the event as a whole?

The affiliate pass application was smooth and very efficient, reflecting SBC’s understanding of the importance of the affiliate segment.

I was motivated to attend SBC Summit Rio because, despite our strong presence, Brazil remains the most important growth vector globally. We need to be on the ground to feel the pulse of the market, understand the latest regulatory interpretations, and solidify existing partnerships.

From the Affiliate Leaders Summit, I hope to gain valuable insights into the future of regulatory compliance, data privacy, and sophisticated BI tools. My main takeaway goal for the event as a whole is to foster deeper relationships with key tier one operators looking to enter or expand in Latin America and confirm our position as the partner of choice for both performance and brand integrity in the region.