HOW BRANDS CAN THRIVE IN THE ESPORTS ECOSYSTEM

HOW BRANDS CAN THRIVE IN THE ESPORTS ECOSYSTEM

So whether you’re considering an experimental media buy or carving out a dedicated esports budget, there are a few tips we’d recommend keeping in mind to help your advertising efforts succeed.

SPEND SOME TIME ON TWITCH

First and foremost, don’t hesitate to personally watch a livestream or two of gameplay on Twitch before you go all into advertising in the esports industry. With Twitch chat and social media, you can get a feel for audience sentiment in real-time. The learnings from just lurking in the community are invaluable, and by meeting the people where they are online, you’ll get a better understanding of the esports audience and the communities around different game types.

To get started, head over to Twitch, pick a game type (preferably an esports game like League of Legends or DOTA 2) and jump in a channel to watch a livestream and follow along with viewer conversations via the Twitch chat. 

Plus, by watching a livestream, you’ll have the chance to experience other brands’ advertisements to see how the community responds to different types of ads and what tactics are being used by advertisers to appeal to esports fans.

GET IN THE GAME

The Internet is a daunting place, and the world of esports is no different. Because the community is so passionate and engaged with the sport, fans can easily identify brands not as invested in the community or only in it for short-term gain. Don’t let the digitally-native aspects of the ecosystem intimidate you. Instead, use it to your advantage by planning an omnichannel strategy across channels and partners to meet and engage the esports fans before, during, and after the event. An example via social could be paid media placements on Twitter to be apart of pre-game conversations, using various media buys via Twitch during the gameplay, and catching up with fans afterward across Facebook and other social platforms to celebrate the win or great plays. Get creative, be authentic, and recognize that the target audience is sophisticated, energized and in the end, just want their team and the industry to grow and succeed.

BE READY FOR ANYTHING

Like traditional sports, anything can happen in the esports arena. Be prepared for all outcomes and lean on your learnings about each game’s specific community to prepare you for sentiment and guide your strategy. Fans of one game will probably have different interests than fans of another.

For example, Clash of Clans is a mobile-game, with bright, animated characters with the objective of taking down other kingdoms while Call of Duty is set to the scene of a war-zone where violent gameplay is commonplace; take these nuances into consideration when choosing a tournament to sponsor or media to buy to ensure your brand aligns with the community and the viewer’s expectations.

THE KEY TO REACHING ESPORTS FANS IS TO “REALLY UNDERSTAND THEM AND, IN A WAY, BE ONE OF THEM [SO THAT MARKETING] IS ORGANIC AND NATURAL. IF IT IS, YOU GET UNBELIEVABLE LOYALTY AND PRAISE. AND IF IT’S NOT, YOU CAN GET SOME PRETTY SERIOUS TOXIC BACKLASH.” — MATT WOLF
(VP OF ENTERTAINMENT VENTURES AND GAMING)