Sports and entertainment are perfect advertising matches for gaming brands

Juuso Puranen uses his experience from inside the gaming industry to craft advertising packages that hit the spot with Finnish players. Sports and entertainment content provide particularly exciting advertising environments for gaming brands. 

It’s safe to say Juuso Puranen has a rare set of experience when it comes to gaming marketing. Currently Commercial Manager, Gaming at Sanoma, he found his footing in the gaming industry when living in Malta and doing marketing, content creation and brand building for an online casino and betting company. 

A deep understanding of the industry and its challenges, limitations and opportunities is essential now that Puranen works with productising Sanoma’s sports and entertainment content into advertising packages for all advertisers, but especially gaming companies. 

“Gaming operators have had their hands tied in terms of marketing, which has forced them to be creative. A part of my job is to help them maintain their innovative and resourceful approach when the advertising moves on to traditional media in Finland.”

Big sports events provide high brand visibility

As a former Product Manager for IS Urheilulehti, Puranen sees sports content as a natural advertising context for a betting company. Advertising in multiple media around a sports event is an effective way to build brand visibility and awareness among a target group with lots of potential. 

The multimedia approach is easy to implement with a large media house such as Sanoma. In one season of the Finnish Hockey League Liiga, for example, Sanoma’s news outlets publish thousands of articles that accumulate tens of millions of impressions. Other content formats include radio show IS-Kiekkokierros, a printed season guide in IS Urheilulehti and real-time match reporting in news media. 

This year, Puranen has built advertising packages around the Winter Olympics, the Ice Hockey World Championship and the FIFA World Cup. 

“The packages allow our partners to grow their share of voice with all the content related to these events. They can utilise contextually targeted digital and video advertising, print media as well as podcasts and fantasy league games.”

Gaming operator, consider these three sports categories when planning your advertising! 

• Prime sports: ice hockey, football and big leagues that are particularly interesting to the target group of gaming 
• Target sports: more niche sports with engaged fan bases who actively follow and consume content 
• National favourites: widely followed sports such as athletics, skiing and motorsports; through these, you’ll reach both your target group and the wider public
  

Go multimedia with popular entertainment brands

The power of multimedia advertising also applies to entertainment. Sanoma offers a wide range of contexts from successful international and domestic TV formats to iconic radio brands such as Radio Suomipop’s morning show Aamulypsy, several big music festivals, popular podcasts, magazines and news media. 

“If you partner with Radio Suomipop, sponsoring their festivals is a logical next step. In addition to a TV sponsorship, you can appear on a related podcast. Retargeting can be used to reach people who have read articles on a particular show.” 

Partnering with a star that hosts the show is another way to expand a sponsorship. 

“Of course, we still don’t have the final interpretation of everything the new gambling laws allow. Sanoma has the expertise to stay on top of discussions and find ways to run impactful multimedia campaigns within the limits of the legislation,” Puranen says.

Sanoma’s strength in entertainment advertising lies in three things:

• Multimedia reach at scale, combining TV, radio, digital advertising, podcasts, print media and live events
• Iconic local brands and global entertainment formats with a strong audience loyalty
• Deep expertise in regulated advertising; navigate legislation without sacrificing impact
  

A widely trusted media partner is a sign of reliability

Gaming is a field that sparks controversy. Working with a media partner known for their ethical advertising practices provides an element of reliability. 

“It’s a statement in itself to be linked to a strong and trustworthy media brand,” Puranen says. 

In all media, the consumer comes first. This is why Sanoma’s priority is advertising that does not interfere with the reader’s or viewer’s experience. 

The preparations for the opening of the gaming market have been going on at Sanoma for several years already. 

“We have all departments involved from strategy to insight, tv and audio, digital advertising, print media and so on. The team has an incredible amount of expertise on what the new gaming market will bring and what Sanoma has to offer.”

Looking for a trusted partner who knows the gaming industry inside and out? Get in touch with Juuso!