How to branding in esports?

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.

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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.

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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.