If there is one business advertising technique that has proven its value in terms of improving brand reliability and elevating audience interest, it’s celebrity marketing.
As explained by researchers published on ScienceDirect, this works because having ties with a popular individual can result in their own strengths and acclaim becoming similarly associated with the brand they work with. Any endeavors a brand enters can thus immediately benefit from the enrichment that their celebrity endorser’s own reputation offers. As a result, reports estimate that celebrity marketing has helped boost the global worth of endorser advertising to around $24 billion.
While celebrity marketing is prevalent across all fields, it’s perhaps best utilized by the poker industry, which is roughly worth more than $82 billion worldwide. In particular, poker providers have wisely explored the different types of celebrity endorsers to capture their target markets best and further their own hold within this slice of the massive gaming sector. If you’re interested in learning more about how the poker landscape has mastered the use of diverse celebs for its growth, read on.
Industry Icons
According to Stack Influence, 92% of consumers trust key opinion leaders (KOLs) when deliberating on a brand, as their expertise lends to a brand’s own credibility. This information has evidently guided leading online poker sites that have onboarded industry icons. America’s number one online poker site, ACR Poker, has made a name for itself not just with its huge tourneys, secure banking methods, accessible games, but also through its roster of poker stars. Since they were established in 2001, the site has partnered with many elite poker players who have made waves in some of the biggest and most prestigious tournaments, like the World Series of Poker. This includes stars like Nacho Barbero and Katie Lindsay, among several others.
Today, one of their most noteworthy poker pros is none other than Chris Moneymaker. Considered the man responsible for the online poker boom in the early 2000s, Moneymaker’s historic 2003 win at the WSOP Main Event has cemented him as a contemporary poker legend. In 2019, he was even inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. As an endorser for ACR Poker, Moneymaker lends his influence, helping draw thousands of interested players who want to participate in the online and offline tournaments that their idol backs. This is also why Moneymaker and ACR Poker are currently engaged in the Moneymaker Poker Tour, which will be held in premier poker destinations like Aruba and Las Vegas, with legs offering up to $400,000 in guarantees in light of the many hopeful players they attract.
Mainstream Athletes
Three out of four responding consumers admit that they may trust athletes more than the usual celebrities, per Open Sponsorship polls. This is due to the fact that the grit and hard work that athletes practice are believed to position them as more respectable and trustworthy. Consequently, this bodes well within the poker industry, as it helps endear them to audiences who may otherwise be wary due to the sensitivities of this niche industry. Through the years, this has encouraged a number of poker entities to partner with some of the biggest pro athletes today. One great example is the poker platform PokerStars, which has penned multiple endorsement deals with athletes from varying sports backgrounds.
One of their most popular athlete partners today is Brazilian soccer player Neymar, who has been known to frequent high-limit poker games even in his own time. This even includes hosting games at Hustler Casino Live, where players include other big names, such as NBA player Jimmy Butler and champion boxer Ryan Garcia. Over the last few years, Neymar has joined a number of tournaments under the PokerStars banner, including the exclusive Titans Event in 2023. A few years ago, Neymar was even appointed the brand’s cultural ambassador, which has helped establish the footballer in poker circles while also boosting the platform’s mainstream relevance.
Gaming influencers
Given that online poker continues to surge in popularity, it makes sense that industry stakeholders are now taking advantage of gaming influencers’ power. As we previously mentioned in our article, The Impact of Influencer Marketing on the Gaming Industry, these individuals are largely responsible for helping fuel organic interest among fans who trust their word.
In the poker space, this is why many now count pro gamers and streamers among their partners. For instance, the gaming site PartyPoker’s ambassadors include siblings Matt and Jaime Staples. Both are famous Twitch stars who regularly stream their poker games to their followers, who number in the hundreds of thousands. As a result, they’re helping improve brand recall and familiarity among viewers who may otherwise be unaware.
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