Every advertising campaign and heartwarming affiliate event requires a team that knows how to achieve results, and one person who leads the charge. Meet Gurgen Sargsyan, Head of Marketing at BROFIST, who spoke to us about creativity, teamwork, and what “your BROs in an affiliate program” really means. This is a BROFIStory Q&A. Let’s get started!

How did you get into the affiliate industry?

My journey began in 2018 in iGaming: I was a business developer at BETCONSTRUCT, handling white-label casino sales. Later, in 2022, I moved to CPA Club as Head of Sales, where I worked on large-scale events with world-class speakers (Jordan Belfort, Molly Bloom, etc.). Over time, I realized that marketing was my passion: the ability to build strategies, test hypotheses, and manage brand growth. So I transitioned from sales to marketing and took over at Brofist.

How are you different from networks and agencies? Why should affiliates come directly to you?

Brofist is an advertiser that builds partnerships, not just distributes offers. We offer a flexible structure, transparent terms, fast decisions, and direct support. Unlike networks and agencies, we have direct influence on the product and analytics, allowing buyers to adapt campaigns faster and maximize profits.

How many people do you have working on traffic and marketing now?

We currently have about 15 people in marketing and performance. This includes PR, content, designers, analysts, and affiliate managers. The team is structured as a single unit, closely linked to product and sales.

How do you think you differ from other advertisers in the market?

We’re all about honesty and dynamism. We’re not afraid to try new formats: crash games, unconventional media approaches, creative integrations. At the same time, we focus on long-term relationships with buyers and continuous optimization.

What is your strength that your partners value you for?

We are valued for our honesty, stable payments, and willingness to work together to explore hypotheses. We provide quick feedback, don’t cut traffic without reason, and are always willing to adapt to a partner’s workflow if it yields results.

Do you have an internal philosophy or work principles that you are really proud of?

Yes. Our principle—”Your BRO in affiliate”—means we’re not just a business partner, but also someone who will support, advise, and help find solutions. We structure our work so that buyers and partners feel confident and know they can turn to us in any situation.

If you had to describe your team in one word, what would it be?

Brotherhood. Brofist is more than just a team of specialists. We work as a single entity: we share expertise, back each other up on projects, and always have each other’s backs. Even under tight deadlines, no one is left alone to tackle a task.

In the affiliate industry, everyone is chasing a quick ROI, but as an advertiser, you also think about strategy. How do you maintain a balance between “what I want here and now” and “building a brand for the long term”?

In affiliate marketing, you always want quick results, but if you only think about ROI “here and now,” your brand won’t grow. We maintain a balance through two parallel vectors: a portion of the budget that focuses on short-term cycles—traffic, testing, and rapid optimization; and a “strategy fund”—which is used for content, partnership, and awareness projects. The latter pays off more slowly, but creates long-term stability.

What marketing tool turned out to be a complete failure, although an explosive effect was expected from it?

Mass seeding in Telegram. We expected a flurry of signups, but instead experienced a low conversion rate and a lot of “empty” traffic. We concluded that it’s better to target micro-communities and influencers.

If you had an unlimited marketing budget, where would you spend it in 2026?

I would invest in a combined channel: UGC + influencers + AI creatives. Strong creatives and advanced personalization algorithms can significantly improve conversion, especially when combined with live content and community.

Buyers often complain that advertisers “don’t understand creatives.” Do you ever feel like buyers don’t understand the brand at all?

Yes, sometimes buyers only see numbers and miss the brand DNA. That’s why we often hold workshops and share sessions on ToV and brand positioning to ensure creatives align not only with metrics but also with the product’s style.

What in 2025 marketing seems like overhyped hype?

An overabundance of “AI-everything.” Algorithms help, but people often forget that without the right idea and testing, any technology is just a tool, not a magic button.

Do brands compete at conferences to create the most beautiful booths? Does a bright image really work? What’s your opinion?

A flashy display works only if there’s a team behind it that knows how to communicate. A “pretty picture” alone won’t do the trick if people can’t turn interest into meetings and deals.

Can the event pay for itself in a day or two? Or is that just out of reach? If so, how?

An event is about relationships, not instant sales. More often than not, the return on investment comes through follow-up and a second meeting, not immediately after exchanging business cards.

What was the most cringe-worthy situation your brand has ever experienced at an event?

Our most cringe-inducing situation was at a conference in Poland. We’d booked a booth in advance, but no one on the team was able to get a visa and attend. Ultimately, our partner represented us on-site, but he, of course, couldn’t fully cover all the tasks. To attract attention, we came up with an unusual activity: you could “milk” alcohol from a cow installation directly into your mouth. It was quite cringe-inducing, but everyone remembered it.

What do you personally miss about arbitrage events to make them more useful for advertisers?

More content about data and traffic analytics, less generalities. For advertisers, metrics workshops and discussions about real-world cases are more useful.

Everyone talks about “brand recognition”—but what does that mean to you? What’s the sign that a brand is truly working?

For me, a sign that a brand is working is when people at conferences start talking about our product, even if we don’t know them personally. That means the brand is alive in their minds. If they accurately describe the brand’s values, that means awareness is working.

Is it possible to organize an event without a large budget and still get good media coverage?

Of course you can! Together, we organized a private party with personal invitations and a focus on intimate networking at PartyJan, a partnership with CPA.club and Pin-Up. We optimized the budget without sacrificing quality, received an overabundance of applications, and attracted participation from nearly all the industry’s top executives. The event generated strong media exposure and strengthened the companies’ image, proving that a great event can be created with minimal costs—through strategic partnerships, exclusivity, and value for guests.

If your brand were removed from the market tomorrow, what would people remember first?

That we kept our word and always supported our partners.

What emotion was intended to be conveyed in the logo?

Trust and a friendly handshake – a feeling that everything with us is brotherly.

Imagine your brand as a character at an arbitrage party. Who are they: the shy introvert at the bar or the one who’s the first to take the stage?

This is the man who first listens at the bar, and then draws everyone onto the stage and turns the evening into a show.

If tomorrow someone gets a tattoo with your logo, what will you give them as a gift?

KPI-free rates, exclusive merch, and barbecue from Gurgen🤭