Best Practices to Keep You in the Game
Since sports betting was legalized in 2018, more than half of U.S. states have approved the practice. Not only have these new policies allowed sports fans to add an extra dose of excitement to their viewing experience, it has also ushered in new opportunities for companies such as FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM.
However, as the mobile sports betting landscape gains traction and becomes more crowded, brands have to work even harder to ensure their advertising is breaking through to the right consumers and resonating in market.
Using our in-market measurement platform, MarketCast Brand Effect, we have analyzed the ad performance of some of the top players to identify three key takeaways to keep in mind when developing an advertising strategy in this market:
1) Lean in on Branding
Caesars Sportsbook has had a lot of success lately with their ads featuring actor J.B. Smoove as Caesar and Halle Berry as Cleopatra. By tapping into historical figures that are immediately recognized, the ad captures our attention and gives a fresh perspective on the brand, while also providing consistent brand cues throughout their spots.
In fact, the Ceasars Sportsbook ad, “Our Cleo Has Arrived,” came in as the top-performing ad of the group with a Brand Memorability score of 28%, aided mainly by their stellar Brand Linkage, referring to the percentage of viewers that remembered the advertised brand of those who remembered the ad’s content.
2) Leverage a Celebrity Presence
What’s the common theme between the top-performing ads in this space? The presence of celebrities. While Caesar’s Sportsbook has experienced success in this area, FanDuel hit the core of the sporting industry by featuring well-known icons like Charles Barkley and Chris Redd.
3) Entertain First
The way to the hearts of audiences is no secret – entertain first, then inform. According to MarketCast Brand Effect, one of the foremost ways to do that is to entertain the audience with relatable, emotional, or humorous content.
By tapping into historical figures tied to the brand, in addition to featuring well-known celebrities and icons along with strong story-lines, the top three performing ads within mobile sports betting tick all the boxes to deliver a memorable performance and engage audiences.
In the coming months, we will be keeping a close eye on the mobile sports betting industry as it continues to shift and new players enter the market. To learn more about how MarketCast measures advertising effectiveness and breakthrough, contact us.