In today’s age, every product that is made is sold out to the customers using different types of marketing strategies. The way these products and services are endorsed is monitored by a dedicated team of experts who often opt for celebrity endorsements.
Historical Perspective: Celebrities and Endorsements
Celebrity endorsements are synonymously used with celebrity advertising. In simple words, it means that a celebrity is roped in to promote and advertise a brand or product. The celebrity’s fame and mass appeal are used to reach out to a larger audience, and a market strategy that helps generate profits for the brand using the association with the celebrity is created and worked on.
However, celebrity endorsements are not always used to generate profits. There are some celebrities who are often seen collaborating with non-profits or NGOs to support their awareness campaigns and fundraisers.
The Power of a Celebrity Name
There are numerous reasons why many brands, including those involved in gaming, want to associate with celebrities. Celebrity endorsements are used popularly due to the impact that they have on the sales. It also helps in increasing the recognition of a brand over time.
Expert Insights: What Makes a Successful Endorsement?
Generally, celebrity endorsements are done to mark the new arrivals or any major change that a brand is doing in the regular products and services that they offer. They are also used to introduce and endorse any new schemes and offers that are available for the customers, especially in the field of gambling, says nz-casino author George Willson.
Celebrity endorsements in gambling often help create a benchmark and a differentiating factor that puts you one step ahead of your competitors. Along with this, if the celebrity that is associated with you is working on any other project and the people see him/her, they are able to form that instant connection by relating your brand and gambling whenever they come across that specific celebrity’s presence.
Most Notable Celebrity Partnerships in Gaming/Gambling
Below are some noteworthy celebrity partnerships:
- Imagine Dragons and League of Legends
- Blackpink and PUBG
- Jamie Foxx and BetMGM
- Ed Sheeran and Pokemon
- Mariah Carey and Roblox
- Pedro Pascal and The Last of Us
- Jay Chou and League of Legends
- Ben Affleck and WynnBET
However, some of the celebrity partnerships also proved to be a wrong decision for the gaming industry.
- Eugene Levy and The Wacky World of Golf
- PewDiePie and Tuber Simulator
- David Beckham and Go! Go! Beckham! Adventure On Soccer Island
- Britney Spears and Dance Beat
Potential Risks and Pitfalls
Celebrity Endorsements for Gaming does look like a glamorous option. However, there are some potential risks that one should look out for while opting for a celebrity endorsement.
Choosing the Right Celebrity
Choosing the right celebrity to endorse gaming is a difficult job. For this, the marketing people should have an idea of what kind of audience they are trying to reach out to. Then, they must shortlist the celebrity that could resonate with that audience and also be suitable for endorsing gaming and related services.
The chosen celeb must not only have the appeal to attract the right audience but should also be able to sell the gaming and related services convincingly.
Overshadowing
If the celebrity is an A-lister and they promote gaming, they will always steal the spotlight. Getting on board a top celebrity would deviate the audience’s attention from your gaming service and put more focus on the person endorsing it.
This does more harm than good as it will just be another promotional campaign for the celeb, but your endorsement will not be that fruitful.
Brand Reputation Risk
With the paparazzi being on a continuous lookout for juicy and scandalous stories of celebrities, an association with a celebrity who has been under the radar recently might not go as planned for a gaming service.
If the celeb is accused of something that puts them in a bad light, the gaming also gets criticized and looked down on by reason of association.
Overexposure
Sometimes, celebrities tend to endorse more than one product and service. For example, if a celebrity is endorsing a de-addiction service and at the same time, he/she is endorsing a gaming service, it may feel contradictory, and the customers might not be able to relate to it. This puts a question on the credibility of both the celebrity and what they are endorsing.
Striking the Right Chord
Often, striking the right chord with a celebrity becomes difficult in the process of roping them in to endorse gaming.
There are a lot of legalities and formal procedures that are involved, and most of the time, celebrities also have their own sets of terms and conditions, which can turn out to be a headache.
Celebrity Gamers: The Dual Role
There are a few celebrities who are genuine gamers and enjoy spending their free time playing games. Some of the most popular celeb gamers include:
- Snoop Dogg
- Michael Phelps
- Brie Larson
- Rosaria Dawson
- Naomi Osaka
- Daniel Craig
- Michelle Rodriguez
- Henry Cavill
- Samuel L. Jackson
When using celebrities who genuinely enjoy gaming, you’re likely to get a more authentic, real reaction and response to the game than when using celebrities who don’t play games. As with anything, experience is always best.
Conclusion
According to experts, it is an effective tool if used correctly. Gaming can be promoted using celebrity endorsements in the form of ads and commercials. Celebrity endorsements in gaming can be brought about by conducting live events and showing the participation of the associated celebrity in gaming.
Celebrity endorsements in gaming can be brought about by using captivating taglines and punchlines. A long-term healthy working association can help celebrity endorsements in gaming.
However, there are certain areas that should be monitored carefully in celebrity endorsements in gaming, as mentioned above. If proper care is taken, one can establish a long-term establishment with celebrities for endorsing gaming.