Surely you have ever wondered how to branding in esports. And the truth is that the recent growth of esports in Western popular culture has taken many well-known and less well-known brands by surprise.
Not only has its audience grown, but also
the number of brands trying to invest in this still unknown gaming
culture. While esports has been incredibly successful for more than a
decade in countries like Korea, the esports boom has now spread to many more
countries.
A Business Insider article
reported that esports corporate and ad sponsorships are around $ 900
million. Brand owners and advertisers are adapting to this emerging new
form of entertainment . And there is expected to be further
growth in endorsement deals across the industry.
So how do you branding in
esports? Basically stepping into your community. And with a good
strategy. Ensuring that you add value to the experience of fans and
players, as well as the game itself.
As a brand, and this is absolutely true, it
can be challenging to find the right opportunities to connect with esports
fans. And in the most authentic way possible.
Skymarketing offers wonderful space propelled lodgings and a powerful social scene
at awe inspiring territories like park view city .
Discover how to branding in esports
This is a list of some of the most common
initiatives to know how to branding in esports. And that as a brand you
should start to launch if you are interested in communicating the value of your
product to esports enthusiasts and followers.
1.- Create attractive videos around
esports
According to Mill , 78.8% of marketers confirmed that video marketing ,
specifically YouTube, is their most effective marketing channel. One
way to bring your brand closer to the esports audience is to create engaging
videos around esports that may be of interest. And in which your brand
can take a back seat to the content itself.
Esports fans appreciate brands that provide
them with valuable content. The one that is relevant to your
interests. And this may be the tactic you need to get your brand
recognized. Without necessarily having to come through sales processes
that can be considered aggressive.
These video content sales
opportunities can cover topics such as education, entertainment, and
advertising. And they can create brand recognition within the esports
space.
People don't like direct and promotional
sales anymore. What you want is to consume content. And the challenge
in this case is that the content must be attractive and valuable to the
specific esports audience.
2.- Speak the language of the community
If as a brand you want to know how to branding in esports, it is important that
you know that speaking the language of the community to keep your
audience engaged is the key . Each of these esports influencers
has a huge number of loyal fans.
Your audience sees you as a source of
valuable information. And related to your favorite electronic
sport. In this way, by leveraging the relationship between content
creators and content consumers, brand messages increase in effectiveness.
3.- Sponsor a team
One of the most interesting concepts to
know how to branding in esports is that you understand that
the esports teams are of two types: " Esports Works Teams ",
and " Esports Agency Teams ":
A.- Esports Works Teams
Esports Works Teams teams are teams funded and run by product companies . An example is Samsung Galaxy Pro-Game
Team , the current League of Legends world champion.
When it comes to implementing your strategy
and knowing how to branding in esports, you must know this
business model. Surely you know it if you are a fan of football, rugby or
motorsports. In these cases, brands such as Volkswagen, IBM, Samsung,
Toyota and Airbus have invested many times in their financing.
The upshot of these Esports Works teams
being sponsored by larger, product-focused companies is that sponsorship can
bring more challenges for brands. Mainly for those who want to start
investing in the world of esports.
Also read : Qnnit
Needless to say, many work with product
sponsors. Like Nike, for example. That makes your brand visible through
the players of the teams. So if you're looking for more brand visibility,
it probably makes more sense for your marketing investment to start by
sponsoring an Esports Works team.
B.- Esports Agency Teams
The second variety is Esports
Agency Teams . Agency teams are much more attractive to brands
looking to create awareness through esports. And they function
as mini sports marketing agencies . They use
their equipment to market brands and treat sponsors like customers.
Brands that sponsor Esports Agency Teams
generally gain visibility by placing their logo on the corresponding team
jersey. Also with his presence on the team's website. And its
presence on social networks. They get additional visibility through posts
when the team does well and wins. These are some keys to know how to
branding in esports
These Esports Agency Teams typically offer
additional services such as branded content creation. And they offer their
players influencer status for reviews and testimonials of
products and offers from their sponsors.
The downside to this type of
sponsorship is that many of these agency teams are not mostly made
up of salespeople.
Which means that while brands that sponsor
these types of teams reap great benefits, such as the visibility that team
sponsorship gives them, the traditional marketing they offer can be
limited. And not very imaginative. Something that affects the
decision you must make about how to branding in esports
4.- Sponsor an event
Event sponsorship is one of the most
visible and effective ways to get started in the world of esports. Many
brands are already financing most of the actions related to
esports. Mainly through sponsorships with some of the most innovative
brands in the world. Who are already taking advantage of esports event sponsorship.
Companies like Coca-Cola, IBM, Intel, and
LG are generating big, blockbuster events for esports fans. And the fans
thank him for that. Because they become loyal brand advocates.
Sponsorship of esports events is a
relatively low investment alternative compared to sponsorship of traditional sporting events . Sponsoring
a big esports event still costs a lot of money. But compared to
traditional sports, it is significantly less expensive.
A good and really creative way to subsidize
the cost of hosting or sponsoring a large esports event is through
crowdfunding.
Last year, DOTA 2 creator Valve sold
in-game items and bundles with a portion of the proceeds going
directly to The International event. The result was a jackpot of more
than $ 20 million and one of the largest esports events to date. Think
about how you could take advantage of crowdfunding for your brand initiatives
within esports.
5.- Create White Label Events
White Label Events are usually
smaller. They are invitation only tournaments . And
events organized by agencies. Its structure and format are already
established.
These events are almost always successful
for brands, without question. Provided that the agency implementing the
initiative is competent to adapt the brand's message to the gaming
consumer. Red Bull is one of the followers to participate in esports
events of this type.
Some examples of great White Label Events:
- Red Bull Battlegrounds.
- Red Bull Kumite .
- North America iBuyPower Invitational .
- Goro Lives: Mortal Kombat X Full Access Launch Event.
- St. Jude PlayLive .
6.- Take advantage of the potential of
esports facilities
Like conferences, marketing facilities that cater to the interests of esports
enthusiasts could be a very successful method of promoting your brand and learning how
to branding esports .
Or promote your product within the field of
esports. MadCatz and Xtension Arcade Cabinet did it at EVO in 2013. While
Coca-Cola took this concept to a new level at the 2014 League of Legends World
Championship in Seoul, Korea.
“ The worlds of the physical and
the digital are completely merged now. These gamer and esports enthusiasts
are at the epicenter of this new physical / virtual playground that blurs
altered realities. Creating multi-sensory brand experiences for your core
audience puts' excitement 'in sports and stimulates the mind thousands of times
faster than standard rational thinking .' Peter Sena, Digital
Surgeons
7.- Create landings and immersive
experiences
Surprisingly, landing pages are
still relatively rare in esports campaigns. Although landing pages can
be one of the most important aspects to consider in a digital marketing
campaign.
If you are thinking of using esports to
market your brand, creating an effective campaign aimed at esports involves
building specific landing pages.
Set your goals and choose the right
moment. This will help you know how to branding in esports. At
Antevenio we can help you with your esports &
gaming marketing strategies so that you can make your way in
this new and exciting market.