Marketing in esports is a brave new frontier for digital agencies to crack open. While the phenomenon of competitive video gaming is not entirely new, seeing big money committed to esports has startled some brands. At first, they had difficulty comprehending it, but then the numbers started making sense.
Esports, as it turns out, is watched globally by 700 million people and this number is growing constantly. Between 2010 and 2020, the global audience for esports has grown by over 690 million people, meaning that streaming wasn’t popular around the time Twitch was just starting out, but it has progressed to one of the most impressive industries in the world.
According to Adrun, while mainstream sports such as soccer have reached the end of the road when it comes to global viewership, esports is only stretching their legs. With new games entering the scene every year, there is plenty of angles that developers explore to advertise and appeal to tech-savvy youngsters.
As a result, Adrun expects the viewership to continue growing, albeit at a slightly smaller pace with each year and no end in sight. This begs the question, what can an esports marketing agency do to help your brand tap into a promising new market. According to Adrun, there is a lot of untapped potential.
Targeting the Right Audience
In esports, you will need to find a way to the minds and hearts of the 700-odd million people watching events. An esports marketing agency can help you analyse the market and predict which segments are more vibrant than others.
For example, a sports wear company would be far more successful advertising and investing within the FIFA and NBA2K esports community. Then again, with the right branding strategy, you can alter your company’s strategy a bit to now be promoting trendy clothing that even esports would want to wear because it’s comfortable.
Be Honest with Your Audience
Promoting a comfortable line of clothing for gamers is a great idea, but in order to be successful, you will have to deliver. Marketing in esports is predicated on truth and this truth begins with the branding message, Adrun cautions.
You do not want to turn people away by promising one thing, but failing to deliver. While targeting the right audience and transparency is immensely helpful, the move that could seal the deal is putting a familiar face to your product. Someone with an established presence.
Many brands try to secure the biggest names, such as Fortnite streamer and player ‘Ninja’ or League of Legends professional ‘Faker.’ Both are excellent choices, but Ninja tends to have a slight edge because he is actually engaging more with an international audience.
FaKer’s presence is still slightly shrouded in mystery, even though he, as a person, is one of the best people you will meet in esports. Regardless, securing any of the two names, or any relevant personality is the correct way to carry out esports marketing, Adrun confirms.
