PokerStars has scooped the Poker Operator of the Year award at the International Gaming Awards event for a 4th year in a row. Although the last couple of weeks were pretty eventful for Amaya, the company that owns PokerStars, it could be said that the platform’s reputation has remained untarnished.
PokerStars’ management team has always been striving to increase the popularity of the poker game around the world, conquer new markets, and attract celebrities to promote the brand. The arrangement of high profile sports stars and celebrities from the poker and entertainment industries was quite a strategic move, given the fact their pages in social networks have millions of followers.
The marketing campaign intended to arrange popular figures from the gambling and entertainment industries has, indeed, proved to be successful so far. The current brand ambassadors gladly introduce poker to mainstream audiences.
Rafael Nadal’s Absence
Back in 2012, PokerStars signed the tennis superstar Rafael Nadal. Three years later, in 2015, his name was excluded from the Sportstars team list and it was announced that he has parted ways with the poker platform. According to information released by PokerStars, Nadal has played an important role in popularizing their brand, but now, they would like to focus on working with Neymar and Christiano Ronaldo.
Nadal represented the PokerStars brand during different international tournaments, promotional and charitable events. It is important to note that PokerStars signed the tennis pro a few weeks after Spain legalized online poker in 2012 and Nadal’s fame definitely had a positive effect on PokerStars’ popularity in the country.
Yuiko Matsukawa
It is a well-known fact that the Asian gambling sector is a thriving one and PokerStars wanted to consolidate its positions on the market. That is why back in March 2015, they signed the popular Japanese model Yuiko Matsukawa as a brand ambassador. The world’s biggest poker room confirmed that it aimed at expanding its coverage in Asia and the support of such “an exciting celebrity” was definitely a relevant step towards fulfilling their goal.
Yuiko Matsukawa has made a number of appearances at prestigious poker events and she has been working hard to promote the poker game in Japan and beyond.
Matsukawa takes pride in being popular in Japan because of her appearance in Terrace House: Closing Door as well as her appearances as a fashion model.
That made her a perfect match for PokerStars’ ambassadors team. Signing such a familiar face as Matsukawa was of paramount importance for reinforcing PokerStars’ presence in Asia.
Neymar Jr
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior or Naymar Jr for short, is one of the most popular football players on a global scale. The distinctive combination of creativity, speed and trickery makes him a well-recognized figure in the sports industry. Apart from being a part of the fantastic MSN trio (Messi, Neymar, Suarez), he is known as a recognizable and charismatic person. He loves interacting with fans via social media and most of all, he loves playing poker. What made him a good fit for PokerStars’ brand ambassador team was the fact that the skills he needed for being a successful football player were also essential for being a good poker player. These included mental strength, patience, focus and composure.
The Brazilian football superstar has been a PokerStars’ ambassador since May 2015 and he dedicated a lot of efforts to popularize poker by taking part in different events and engaging poker enthusiasts by showing them that poker can be a fun game that requires you to think strategically. PokerStars also works with Neymar Jr Project Institute via Helping Hands, a corporate giving program.
Christiano Ronaldo
PokerStars managed to attract yet another La Liga Star – Christiano Ronaldo. The famous football player singed a contract for promoting the company’s poker products across the world by participating in global marketing campaigns.
Christiano Ronaldo is one of the most successful football players and he has scooped a number of awards. He is a top goalscorer in La Liga and he has been on top of different prestigious ratings defining him as one of the best paid players in the world. The popularity of the Portuguese national team captain makes him a powerful marketing machine. He has a number of lucrative contracts for the promotion of different brands.
Being a PokerStars ambassador and taking part in tournaments was kind of a challenge for him, although he was a fan of poker.
According to the contract clauses, Ronaldo promotes PokerStars by participating in online poker tournaments and live events under the name C.Ronaldo. Players are given the opportunity to challenge him at a poker table.
Ronaldo
No matter if you are an avid football fan or not, you must have heard about Ronaldo, considered one of the best players of all times. Since his debut in 1994, he has won a number of prestigious football awards including the World Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and Copa America.
Although Ronaldo stopped playing football in 2011, he remains a popular figure, so PokerStars decided to appoint him as a brand ambassador and arrange him for advertising campaigns and marketing initiatives. Players who have accounts with PokerStars can watch his performance in poker tournaments.
