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Celebrities endorsing brands is nothing new. It’s a phenomenon way before social networks, though they did give it a new context. There’s just something that makes us feel at ease when we see a familiar face giving their approval of a certain product.
According to the recent news, online gambling is no different. Nicki Minaj, one of the most prominent female rappers, has signed a partnership contract with MaximBet Sportsbook. The deal will make her a creative director and global ambassador for the brand. Her new role will include promotions via merchandise, interactions with fans, and similar promotional content.
Right now, MaximBet is available only in Colorado. But, judging by their latest move, their ambitions go beyond the borders. Minaj will also play the part of a special advisor to the board of directors and have a bigger role in the company’s expansion plans. Counting 280 million followers on social media, her promotional responsibilities should go smoothly.
Before Minaj, several celebrities from the entertainment and sports world endorsed online gambling. Recently, New York legalized sports betting and got a new celebrity endorser. The newest addition was Henrik Lundqvist, a former goaltender for the New York Rangers. The legendary hockey player became a Caesars Sportsbook ambassador, which was a huge deal for him.
While some countries, like the UK, have banned this type of gambling advertising, the US has been accepting to this point. New growing online gambling markets, such as India and Brazil, are starting to see celebrity endorsements become the norm. At the moment, as Daniel Fugate from gamesreviews.com reports, 5 states in the US have legalized online casino. And the prognosis is that the trend will only continue. Although it remains to be seen if there will be a place for this type of advertising in the future.
Previous experience might have led us to assume that celebrity endorsements will remain a crucial part of promotional campaigns. A recent international survey by YouGov has given contradicting results. At least when it comes to the gambling industry. The survey revealed that only 9% of global consumers believe that celebrities are successful in promoting gambling products. The results also showed that financial services were the only sector below gambling.
Ranking the results per country, the biggest number (14%) of consumers who believe in effective celebrity endorsements is in the UK. A similar view is shared by the consumers in Australia(13%) and Sweden (13%).
Above the global average,12% of consumers in the US think that celebrities advertising gambling products is effective. Slightly fewer consumers in Mexico (11%), Germany (11%), and Spain (10%) share their opinion.
On the Asian continent, the numbers are very low (4-5%). This means that consumers hardly believe in celebrity endorsement effectiveness.
Data were also divided by the age range. The results show that older generations tend to think more that celebrities can affect their opinions.
More specifically, the age range between 18 and 24 years old scored 6% while there’s a slight change in the next generations (25-34 years old) with 7%. After that, numbers go up, reaching 12% for 55 years old and older consumers.
From the data, we can see how opinions differ between younger and older generations on this topic.
