A new job listing suggests Sega is planning to work more closely with influencers and content creators to promote the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. As one of the most storied franchises in gaming, the adventures of Sega's flagship mascot have garnered a massive fanbase of players around the world. Despite the iconic status of the "Blue Blur," recent years have not been kind to the franchise with the series' reputation taking a nosedive after games like Sonic Forces and the notorious Sonic '06. Now, Sega is reportedly looking at a new method to promote the franchise.
Throughout the franchise's more than 30-year-long history, Sega has tried no shortage of different approaches towards marketing the beloved Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. From TV series and toys to the recent success of the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, Sonic has been featured in a wide variety of different media from Sega. Sonic would even debut as a Virtual YouTuber in 2021 following the explosion in popularity of VTubers throughout the previous year. Now, Sega's newest approach to Sonic the Hedgehog would see the company teaming up with influencers.
A new job listing from Sega is looking for an "Associate Influencer Manager" to work with the company towards the promotion of Sonic the Hedgehog. The position would feature a heavy collaboration between Sega and social media influencers, using their platform to market the massively popular video game franchise. The job listing also suggests Sega is potentially looking to include Sonic the Hedgehog content creators as a part of future events, working closely to promote Sonic on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
The push towards including content creators in Sonic the Hedgehog's marketing strategy comes as gaming companies have increasingly stressed the importance of social media. Many of the biggest franchises feature active social media accounts, often interacting with fans and sharing new media and art for passing milestones on platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The Sonic franchise already features an active Twitter account that often interacts with other gaming accounts, including humorous engagements with other popular games like Among Us.
While the Sonic franchise has struggled throughout recent years, the long-running series has looked to rebound with the success of Sonic Frontiers late last year. Frontiers would see success following its release, quickly becoming the fastest-selling main-series Sonic game in Japan less than two weeks after launch. Frontiers has maintained its position in the months since, recently passing three million units sold worldwide. A new approach geared towards social media and content creation could prove to be a major boon for Sonic the Hedgehog's success in the future.