Celebrating World Creativity and Innovation Day 

Sunday, April 21st, marked United Nations World Creativity and Innovation Day, highlighting creativity and innovation’s indispensable roles in shaping various aspects of human development. Creativity encompasses problem-solving, the design of new products, and the development of strategies to address everyday challenges, while innovation drives competitiveness, improves products and services, and significantly boosts productivity.

In the fast-paced gaming industry, Betsson Group proudly stands as a testament to the power of creativity and innovation. Our numerous accolades over the years, including recognitions for Innovation in Casino, Responsible Gaming, Marketing Campaigns, and Sports Betting, among others, underscore our commitment to pushing boundaries and driving progress in the industry.

To gain deeper insights into Betsson’s daily approach to creativity and innovation, we reach out to some of our Betssonites from the Creative Commercial and the Product Development team.

Who they are

	Ryan Schembri, Chief Product Officer
	Joakim Thor, Director of Sportsbook Product
	Dalar Jivanian, Head of Product – Brand Experience
	Adam Brimmer, Head of Creative
	Claire Ciantar, NordicBet Team Lead
	Naomi Grima, Betsson Team Lead
	Karl Sciberras, Betsafe Team Lead
	Isabelle Sciberras, Casino Brands Team Lead
	Caroline Borg, Projects and Media Team

Keep reading to explore the importance of creativity and innovation in their dynamic positions.

Product Development

1. What does innovation mean to you?

Ryan Schembri – For me, innovation represents the drive to continuously improve things and push boundaries to be ahead of the game… and it is what makes work fun!

Joakim Thor – For us in Sportsbook, innovation means pushing the product to new heights. As competition in our industry continues to grow increasingly by the day, pursuing innovation is essential to stay attractive to our customers and avoid having a “Me-too” product.

Dalar Jivanian – Innovation, to me, is about pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities. It’s the driving force that challenges us to continually improve and rethink the status quo.

2. How important is it for your job, and how do you incorporate it all year round? 

Ryan Schembri – Since I work in product, innovation is always what I aspire to. Whatever you do, no matter how small, it is important that you always think about how it could be done better.

Joakim Thor – As a Product Development team, innovation is something that needs to be built into our DNA and processes. Innovation is never a one-off initiative but rather a mindset and continuous ambition of wanting to push the boundaries of the product.

Dalar Jivanian – Innovation is crucial in my role; it keeps our products and strategies fresh and competitive. We integrate innovative thinking throughout the year by staying open to new ideas, technologies, and methodologies that can enhance our workflows, products, and outputs.

3. How do you stay inspired and continuously generate new innovative ideas in the fast-paced product development world?

Ryan Schembri – It can be difficult at times when there is so much going on with tight deadlines. There are many ways to stay inspired and be innovative; everyone is different, so you need to find what works for you. For me personally, I found two things that really help me:

First is to manage my time well – so that I have the time to properly learn, understand and think. It’s almost impossible to be creative and innovative if you don’t have the right knowledge and understanding, and it’s difficult to be creative if you don’t give yourself the right amount of time to do so.

Secondly, it’s simply to always see how I can do something better next time. We often do similar things over and over again in our jobs. By challenging yourself to always do it better next time, you naturally come up with creative ways to do things differently and continuously raise the bar.

Joakim Thor – Inspiration can come from our industry, but it can also come from other sectors, depending on the innovation. We try to live and breathe the iGaming and Sportsbook space, and we have lots of passionate people on the team who find the Sportsbook product thrilling to work with. Innovation tends to happen by itself if you have passionate people who have a genuine interest in the product they are working on.

Dalar Jivanian – In our fast-paced world, I stay inspired by keeping my pulse on the latest trends in various industries, engaging with diverse communities, and questioning the norm. This approach ensures a continuous flow of fresh, innovative solutions.

Creative Commercial

1. What does creativity mean to you?

Adam Brimmer – Simply put, it’s about finding excitement in the everyday. It can be personal – taking an idea from your own head and trying to express it in the world – be it through a splash of art or trying new spices in a dish while cooking, or it can be about finding delight in other people’s work – seeing art in a museum or a performance in a theatre. If there was no creativity, we’d just live in grey boxes.

Claire Ciantar – Creativity, to me, is coming up with fresh and valuable ideas by thinking out of the box.

Naomi Grima – For me, creativity is a way of thinking that allows our minds to wander freely without guidelines or limitations.

Karl Sciberras – A process of putting order to chaos. And in the case of artistic work that’s done for personal reasons, creativity is also a meaning-making exercise. You create, you become.

Isabelle Sciberras – Creativity is the boundless expression of imagination that brings something new and meaningful into existence.

Caroline Borg – It’s about interpreting, building, and thinking differently/outside the box. It can be through generating a concept/idea or problem-solving.

2. How important is it for your job, and how do you incorporate it?

Adam Brimmer – It’s literally in the job title! But genuinely, I would say the creativity I employ is more in the problem-solving arena. How to address issues with lateral thinking, how to build visuals that can be repurposed for commercial reasons, and so on.

Claire Ciantar – Creativity is key. It helps me stand out and solve problems better. I use it by trying new things, working with others, and looking for inspiration everywhere.

Naomi Grima – Consider we do all the creatives – it’s extremely important! We structure our creative ideas according to brand guidelines and product requirements to achieve what is required for the markets and all our brands.

Karl Sciberras – Creativity is super important, and in my job, I try to use it in tandem with empathy. Very often, I am not just directing my chaotic thoughts but also those of the client. Empathy to generate a shared understanding and derive a shared outcome can go a long way.

Isabelle Sciberras – For designers, storytelling through visuals is key. I use composition, shadows, and effects to create engaging narratives. It’s about conveying messages effectively and evoking emotions through design.

Caroline Borg – It’s essential. Through creativity, I can visualise a message or a process.

3. How do you stay inspired and continuously generate new ideas in the fast-paced design world?

Adam Brimmer – Keep absorbing culture at all times—art, music, theatre. Visit galleries, read books, and play records you might not normally reach for – there’s always something out there that one day will spark something special in your mind.

Claire Ciantar – I stay inspired and think of new ideas by exploring art, nature, and technology. I also take breaks, stay mindful, and listen to feedback from others.

Naomi Grima – I find inspiration from a variety of sources – whether it’s music, traditional art, or the diverse cultures I encounter during travels. These experiences continually boost creativity and help me develop new ideas. Being trapped in the same routine is a creativity killer.

Karl Sciberras – I try to interact as much as possible with different media and genres, listen to new music, follow pop culture, and look analytically at music videos and album art. Most importantly of all, I keep a diary of what I like. Nowadays, it’s mostly a digital diary, but I have physical ones too.

Isabelle Sciberras – With things around me, online research, movies, and adverts.

Caroline Borg – I inspire myself by following other artists and keeping up to date by subscribing to/researching various online content such as Behance, Pinterest, etc.