Wait, what are esports exactly? Simply video games that are played in a highly organized competitive environment. Esport athletes can do multi- or single-player for various types of games: fighting, first-person shooters, racing, sports, cards, real-time strategy… Some events drawing more than a million viewers, players attract lucrative sponsorships with corporations and brands.
Harvard International Review noted that viewership of traditional sports is declining, while that of esports is skyrocketing. “The boom is so significant that almost every major popular video game on the market currently has some type of pseudo-professional circuit.” Global esports revenue is thus projected to exceed $1.5 billion in 2023. It is no longer considered as a niche, and it became a real entertainment industry with its own rules.
3 tips to engage Millennial & GenZ consumers with esports.
Both generations have profiles for which gaming is a way of life. A phenomenon that increased as the coronavirus pandemic upends outdoor activities and traditional sports. Therefore, any kind of advertisers that is looking to engage such marketing target groups must consider this channel to start building brand affinities. Especially because compared to traditional sports, online games have a deeper level of engagement. Indeed, players are often more accessible to their audiences and open for a chat than professional athletes.
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Become an official sponsor and build long-term partnerships with community interactions, such as the “Ask Me Anything” initiative for Honda and Team Liquid in America.
“For us as a brand, [that] is exactly the type of thing that we look for because we want to have that authenticity. To give something to this audience. We don’t want to just slap a logo and call it a day. We want to present ourselves in a meaningful way that gives something to the fans.”
Phil Hruska, Manager of Media Strategy at Honda.
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Partner tactically with influencers who can deliver branded content while using their authentic voices, like Nestlé and its Hot Pockets brand – convenient snack to eat during video games.
“We don’t want an influencer to come through as a parrot…
If an influencer is using our marketing verbiage, we’re failing.”
Douglas Veney, Influencer & Esports Marketing Manager at Nestlé.
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Trust experts to find the right esport partners and gaming content creators who will help you take over a niche, and convey messages that work with the targeted audience.
“There are a lot of content creators out there who really love working with brands, and a lot that really don’t. Your job as a brand is to figure out who wants to support you authentically, and who’s just at it for a paycheck.”
Justin Warden, CEO of Ader Gaming.
So, are you interested in smart influencer collaborations and high engagement rate? Watch our latest Twitch case study for Pringles with live streaming events from March 2021. And, contact us for more details!