Are Celebrity Endorsements For Online Casinos The Next Big Thing?
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Jun 26 2017, 7:06 AM
Celebrity endorsements are extremely important in the way business is conducted in 2017. The link of a celebrity inspires consumer confidence in the brand or product, and Forbes reports that stock can be seen to rise as much as .25 at the mere mention of a celebrity linked to a brand. But what about when the brand is more difficult to market with celebrities? Sports brands can easily tie in their athlete to their product, while models and actors can promote lifestyle, health, and beauty products. But what about the casino and mobile casino? It’s a thriving industry, but one that is almost devoid of household names. So, how can online casinos utilise the presence of celebrities to heighten their brand?
Branded Celebrity Content
The first way casinos can link to celebrities and existing influencers – after all, 81% of those who have used some form of influencer marketing have deemed it effective – is through branded content. Content is key when it comes to engaging with consumers, and while those famous in the casino world are a niche market, by framing the online slot games around celebrity led brands, this can work just as nicely. For example, 32Red mobile casino utilize the power of Ant and Dec as a brand – and while the duo don’t actively endorse the company, the fact that their branded version of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is one of the playable mobile slot games, the connection for potential consumers will be made, especially given it features a studio-like backdrop, and contains gameplay elements based on the show itself, such as the Win the Ads bonus and Super Computer Booster feature.
Brand Mascot Celebrities
The celebrities used in casino endorsements don’t even have to be real people. By creating a brand character, or mascot, the casino will be able to eschew the traditional celebrity endorsement and effectively create their own celebrity. In 2015, it was reported that brand mascots add up to 22.2% of the buzz around a brand. So, as Lucky Admiral demonstrates, by choosing a mascot that represents the core offering of their online casino, they can forego celebrity endorsements and focus on building a reputation around their admiral mascot.
Source: @investinglatest via Twitter
Celebrity Appearances
Celebrity endorsements don’t even have to involve the celebrities actively stating an affiliation to an online casino. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro were reportedly paid $8.5million to open a casino in China. Their presence in the building and being caught by the press at the opening was sufficient, in the casino’s eyes, to qualify as a celebrity endorsement. The appearances of poker stars logging on to online poker that lists the winners – whether it is them or not, can also up the ante for some fans, especially the diehard poker fans who can infer from a name and a location as to who might be playing.
Movie Tie-ins as Celebrities
The term celebrity can be used loosely here to define anything that is known by the majority of the general public. And that can also work for movies as well. Movie releases generate a great deal of buzz, which would work well alongside the buzz needed for a new mobile casino slot game. For example, 32Red released a Tarzan slot game around the time the Tarzan 2016 film was released. While indirectly connected, the timing of the releases enabled the film to act as a secondary influencer for the slot game. Those newly interested in the film may then cast their sights to their new favourite slot.
Source: @vegaspalms_en via Twitter
Live Endorsements
While not necessarily celebrities, the live versions of some online games feature real people. These people can generate somewhat of a following for their presence in the game and their ability to interact in some way with the player. For example, Mr Mobi offers live versions of blackjack and roulette that feature real people playing alongside the online player. This real life connection works much the way that standard celebrity endorsements do by giving a personality and a human face to the game.
Overall, it is clear that influencer marketing as depicted by celebrity endorsements can be extremely positive for a brand. With more and more online casinos utilising what they can do with celebrities, watch this space for the new wave of familiar faces spreading the virtues of your favourite online and mobile casinos.
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Celebrity endorsements are extremely important in the way business is conducted in 2017. The link of a celebrity inspires consumer confidence in the brand or product, and Forbes reports that stock can be seen to rise as much as .25 at the mere mention of a celebrity linked to a brand. But what about when the brand is more difficult to market with celebrities? Sports brands can easily tie in their athlete to their product, while models and actors can promote lifestyle, health, and beauty products. But what about the casino and mobile casino? It’s a thriving industry, but one that is almost devoid of household names. So, how can online casinos utilise the presence of celebrities to heighten their brand?
Branded Celebrity Content
The first way casinos can link to celebrities and existing influencers – after all, 81% of those who have used some form of influencer marketing have deemed it effective – is through branded content. Content is key when it comes to engaging with consumers, and while those famous in the casino world are a niche market, by framing the online slot games around celebrity led brands, this can work just as nicely. For example, 32Red mobile casino utilize the power of Ant and Dec as a brand – and while the duo don’t actively endorse the company, the fact that their branded version of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is one of the playable mobile slot games, the connection for potential consumers will be made, especially given it features a studio-like backdrop, and contains gameplay elements based on the show itself, such as the Win the Ads bonus and Super Computer Booster feature.
Brand Mascot Celebrities
The celebrities used in casino endorsements don’t even have to be real people. By creating a brand character, or mascot, the casino will be able to eschew the traditional celebrity endorsement and effectively create their own celebrity. In 2015, it was reported that brand mascots add up to 22.2% of the buzz around a brand. So, as Lucky Admiral demonstrates, by choosing a mascot that represents the core offering of their online casino, they can forego celebrity endorsements and focus on building a reputation around their admiral mascot.
Source: @investinglatest via Twitter
Celebrity Appearances
Celebrity endorsements don’t even have to involve the celebrities actively stating an affiliation to an online casino. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro were reportedly paid $8.5million to open a casino in China. Their presence in the building and being caught by the press at the opening was sufficient, in the casino’s eyes, to qualify as a celebrity endorsement. The appearances of poker stars logging on to online poker that lists the winners – whether it is them or not, can also up the ante for some fans, especially the diehard poker fans who can infer from a name and a location as to who might be playing.
Movie Tie-ins as Celebrities
The term celebrity can be used loosely here to define anything that is known by the majority of the general public. And that can also work for movies as well. Movie releases generate a great deal of buzz, which would work well alongside the buzz needed for a new mobile casino slot game. For example, 32Red released a Tarzan slot game around the time the Tarzan 2016 film was released. While indirectly connected, the timing of the releases enabled the film to act as a secondary influencer for the slot game. Those newly interested in the film may then cast their sights to their new favourite slot.
Source: @vegaspalms_en via Twitter
Live Endorsements
While not necessarily celebrities, the live versions of some online games feature real people. These people can generate somewhat of a following for their presence in the game and their ability to interact in some way with the player. For example, Mr Mobi offers live versions of blackjack and roulette that feature real people playing alongside the online player. This real life connection works much the way that standard celebrity endorsements do by giving a personality and a human face to the game.
Overall, it is clear that influencer marketing as depicted by celebrity endorsements can be extremely positive for a brand. With more and more online casinos utilising what they can do with celebrities, watch this space for the new wave of familiar faces spreading the virtues of your favourite online and mobile casinos.
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