Ronnie 2K is the not-so-secret all-star of the popular 'NBA 2K' game

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by Lindsey Francy Feb 18, 2023 News
Ronnie 2K is the not-so-secret all-star of the popular

The most hated man in gaming isRonnieSingh. It is part of the job for him to explain what his job is.

Singh is the head of lifestyle and content marketing for 2k. He is the face of the brand for NBA 2K.

The Fast Company has more to say.

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Singh became 2K's persona tasked with growing its presence online and within culture after he became one of the franchise's nearly 2 million avid players. Being an in-house spokesman for a brand can lead to complaints. Singh thought it was out of his control that glitch, server issues, unpopular features, and even player rankings all fell on his head. Singh is still thought of as 2K's forum and community manager, even though he spends too much time with celebrities and athletes. His job at 2K has evolved into facilitating and maintaining those high-profile connections.

It is the most hated man in gaming. Singh says it's really weird. Were we ever going to do that? I don't know if I ever wanted that type of exposure. It is not possible to say yes. It has been important to crafting these relationships. It would be harder for the athletes, the celebrities, and the community that play our game to connect with a brand without a persona involved.

A brand wants to have a good relationship with its audience. While celebrity and influencer endorsements still carry weight, more companies have leaned into the idea of in-house ambassadors to be their bridge to a community. Having someone like Singh relay information from the company to the game's fans instead of a brand account has made all the difference according to 2K's global chief marketing officer.

Bell says that Singh was brave. You are putting yourself out there for bullets when you put yourself out there.

Hoop dreams

Singh is a big fan of sports. He was a big fan of the 49ers and Giants but not the Warriors.

He says that the Warriors were terrible at the time.

Singh had a desire to become a sports agent. At the University of California San Diego, he minored in law. After graduating in 2004, he took a job at a law firm while also doing marketing and PR for a women's basketball team.

He hated his job at the law firm. I loved the women's basketball team. I had to stop and think about the law.

Singh went on to do more marketing work for the independent baseball team the San Diego Surf Dawgs before landing at 2K. Singh was present in the game's message boards as well as on the game's Leaderboards. Singh was contacted by the team at 2K to run its forum. Singh knew that it was an ideal position.

Singh says that it became apparent that they would need to figure out a way to talk to a larger audience. The more casual basketball fan and the more casual cultural fan were our social media strategies.

A social media star is born

During a launch party for NBA 2K11, Singh got his big break as an in-houseInfluencer. Michael Jordan was on the cover of that year's title and there was a lot of interest. Singh was asked to interview whoever he could for content because athletes and celebrities were breezing through the party and his bosses wanted to know who they were talking to. 2K pushed for Singh to be more than just a game developer.

In order to establish the brand within the larger culture of basketball, there has been a concerted effort to have a constant presence among fans. 2K has introduced apparel drops, music releases from popular rap artists, and opportunities for aspiring musicians to submit their own work to be featured on 2K's soundtracks over the years.

Singh helps with the licensing through his relationship with brands and through giving feedback on which shoes, clothes, and music are happening. Singh believes that attention to the culture is his biggest impact.

Singh says that they are more than a game. A brand can do that, but I think having someone to represent that brand and put it in the category of kids and celebrities has allowed us to live in that space.

Singh draws ire from the very community he is in.

Peeved or passionate?

Every hiccup that happens at 2K is Singh's fault. Klay Thompson called Singh aclown on social media last year and it was tied to his ranking in the game. Thompson apologized to Singh afterwards.

Some 2K fans have turned against Singh due to his actions. The ability to play underwater was one of the claims made by Singh when the company announced NBA 2K 17. It was clear from his delivery that he was joking. Some fans took his words as a sign of faith. In the run-up to the launch of NBA 2K20, Singh announced that players could rebuild their characters from the previous 2K game, saving them time and money. That wasn't the case when the game started.

These are not big problems. There are a lot of people railing against Singh on the internet. For Singh, the idea that fans would post negative videos about him, or that a five-time NBA All-Star would call him a clown, only shows passion.

Even if they are controversial, I love them. The most passionate fan base is this one. All of us, our development team, our marketing team, we want to give them as much as we can because they are so passionate.

Singh has become a key part of 2K and will be in charge of how the brand continues to grow.

Bell wants to be at the forefront of cultural change. Ronnie is critical for us to be not only maintaining our credibility but being part of the team to plot the path of what's next, not only for NBA 2K, but the other titles

If you step in front of a brand, you'll be the first to be attacked. 15 years is a long time to develop credibility.

Singh says that no one will ever say that I don't work hard or that I don't love basketball. I don't think that you can get bad feedback if you work for a brand that you love so much.