How To Level Up Your Business With Esports Marketing

If you haven't heard of it yet, esports marketing is a potential avenue for brands to promote their business in front of a massive gaming audience.

Esports might not be your usual option to market a business. However, big brands are already collaborating with video game platforms. Nike, for instance, released exclusive shoes available in Fortnite.

Esports is more than just watching video games live or on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. The viewership alone is among the reasons why businesses choose esports as an additional arsenal to their marketing. Thousands of crowds will gather to watch a competitive game of StarCraft or Call of Duty, drawing audiences both on the event itself and millions more watching via live stream. 

With a massive audience similar to or even surpassing NFL games, esports is no child's play in the bustling world of digital entertainment. 

Thus, brands are now covering their bases when it comes to esports to gain more exposure. Just what is the potential in esports, and is it a rising industry to watch out for? Let's find out.

Is Esports the Fastest Growing Industry?

Professional gamers and engaged viewers drive the interest in esports, making it an industry to watch out for when you want to promote a business. Esports is an industry that is about to reach a revenue of $1.62 billion by 2024. Most of their earnings come from sponsorships and advertisements.

Having a large viewership is what draws businesses to get into esports marketing. On a year-by-year basis, occasional viewers and esports enthusiasts are increasing. Here are the numbers from a Newzoo Global Esports Report:

• 2019 - 397.8 million total audience
• 2020 - 435.9 million total audience
• 2021 - forecasted to reach 474 million audience
• 2024 - forecasted to reach 577.2 million audience

From the same report, Newzoo predicts a 7.7% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of esports enthusiasts from 2019 to 2024. There will be more millions of audience watching esports just like sporting events like the NBA. What makes them get engaged in watching a competitive video game played live?

Esports are exciting to watch by people who like to play video games. These video games have become a favorite pastime across all ages, catapulted by improved graphics, faster PCs, and advanced smartphones.

The relatable gameplay of esports and its exhilarating action - despite digital - unites gamers from different nationalities and ages. This makes it a fast-rising industry that businesses can also penetrate with their marketing.

How Is Esports Used in Marketing?

1. Connecting with influencers

There are also influencers in the gaming industry, which businesses use to reach a niche audience. These influencers make it more interesting to watch a game on the screen. Just like your typical social media influencer, they also amass a tribe of gaming fans.

One of the most well-known influencers, for instance, is VanossGaming or Evan Fong, boasting 25.6 million YouTube subscribers. Sponsors pay up to $450,000 to appear on his videos. Another one is the professional gamer Peter Dager, who has reportedly grossed over $3 million from brand deals.

While they share similarities with social media celebrities, esports influencers are a breed of their own. They mix their skills and entertaining gameplay to capture more audiences. Esports influencers can drive interest to your business as their audience relates to them with authenticity. Unlike social media, esports is an active and engaging platform, which means that esports influencers have highly engaged followers instead of passive ones.

2. Sponsoring an esports team

Having a logo on the sports jersey of athletes occurs regularly. It's the same with esports marketing, where companies have their logos on the uniform of an esports team.

Aside from the visible logo, it can be a holistic marketing campaign. Team SoloMid, a popular esports team, had a Gillette collaboration by integrating with Twitch. Another notable example is Team SoloMid appearing in a Dr. Pepper advertisement.

Your business on an esports team keeps your business visible in various events and tournaments. The esports team essentially becomes an endorser of your business, carrying your brand wherever they have an appearance.

3. Event sponsorships

Another form of esports marketing is by sponsoring various events where esports enthusiasts gather. Joining these events will boost your brand presence to a wide range of gaming populations - from enthusiasts to competitive gamers. 

Which companies does it? T-Mobile is one of the founding sponsors of the Overwatch League. Another example is Honda, the only automobile company that sponsored the League of Legends and was even the single sponsor of an esports tournament in Thailand.

These huge live gaming events with professional gamers are usually streamed live on various digital platforms. Displaying a logo on one of these events is easily one way to reach millions of audiences.

4. Starting a tournament

For better reach and massive coverage, you could even start an esports tournament. A tournament named after your business catches people's attention right away, attracting those in the gaming community.

Probably one of the biggest esports sponsors, Red Bull, once organized their very own esports tournament. In 2014, they held the Red Bull LAN event in Seattle, U.S.A., with 100 Dota 2 gamers vying for the prize.

You could even make it a regular event held once a year, for instance. Organizing a tournament makes people remember your business and is a more authentic promotion than unsolicited advertisements.

5. Streaming and in-game ads

Online gamers usually show their play via live streaming, and this is one way to get your business in front of your target audience. Gamers also interact with their audience while playing a game. It will be an interactive and engaging experience to have your business during these streaming activities.

Another opportunity with esports marketing is by creating targeted digital ads. Free-to-play games, for instance, usually have in-game ads to offset the cost of their game. Meanwhile, brands can also collaborate with established games by having branded digital items. Businesses can also have limited edition game features that players will have to snap up.

What Does Esports Marketing Mean for Your Brand?

Being relevant

Esports and video games are becoming one of the go-to forms of entertainment, especially for the younger generation. Playing along this immense interest in esports propels your brand to be relevant to your target demographics.

Your business will be more relevant as you incorporate esports marketing into your promotions. As one of the fastest-growing industries, esports will continue to be a driving force of game entertainment.

Authentic experience

What draws people to esports is the authentic gaming experience. Playing a game isn't a passive encounter. It's a highly engaging and entertaining activity. What the gamers feel during playtime is true to the nature of the game.

It's easier to market a business by subtly including your brand name or logo during these games. Esports marketing provides your target audience with an authentic feeling about your brand. As long as your ads do not interfere with the game itself, esports advertising is an effective means to reach them.

Ready To Get in the Game?

The potential in esports is huge, and brands can tap into marketing to the growing number of competitive players and esports enthusiasts.

If you want to market in the esports industry, have top talent work on your marketing creatives. You can have the option to hire a freelancer or in-house staff.

Alternatively, on-demand subscriptions will be beneficial if you're considering esports marketing. Subscription-based services such as Delesign has a wide service capability from graphics, video editing, development, and SEO writing. The complete suite of services makes Delesign an ideal partner for your esports marketing.

You'll gain the advantage of a one-stop-shop provider to create graphics, edit videos, develop apps, and even content writing support. Esports marketing, when used properly, will be an effective tool to lead target consumers towards your business.