Esports has evolved into a global phenomenon, capturing the attention of millions of fans and creating lucrative business opportunities. To excel in this competitive landscape, it is crucial to develop and implement effective marketing strategies tailored specifically for this unique industry. In this blog, we will explore five esports marketing strategies that have proven to drive success.
What is Esports Marketing?
Esports marketing is the process of promoting and advertising esports products and services to a target audience. This can be done through a variety of channels, including social media, streaming platforms, and traditional media. Esports marketing is a rapidly growing field as the popularity of esports continues to explode. In 2022, the global esports market was worth an estimated $1.38 billion, and it is expected to grow to $1.87 billion by 2025.
5 Esports Marketing Strategies
Live Streaming Tournaments
Live streaming tournaments in esports use platforms like Twitch and YouTube to broadcast events to a wide global audience. This strategy involves collaborating with popular influencers who stream the tournament to their followers. By offering special content and interactive features like chat and polls, live streaming creates a sense of community and excitement.
Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of the League of Legends World Championship is a great example of how brands can use live streaming tournaments to engage with audiences in real-time. Coca-Cola’s logo was displayed prominently on the stream, in the chat, and on the streamer’s overlays.
As a result of their sponsorship, Coca-Cola reached millions of viewers and associated their brand with a popular esports event. This helped to increase brand awareness and loyalty among esports fans.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer Marketing in esports is a strategy where companies work together with popular individuals or personalities in the gaming community to promote their products, brands, or tournaments. These individuals, known as influencers, have a large number of followers who trust and value their opinions. By collaborating with these influencers, companies can create engaging content like sponsored videos or social media posts, where influencers share their experiences with the brand’s products or endorse their offerings.
In 2020, Ninja signed a sponsorship deal with Adidas, who is the most popular esports influencer in the world. As part of the deal, Ninja released his own line of Adidas shoes and apparel. Ninja also promoted Adidas products on his social media channels and during his live streams.
Ninja’s sponsorship with Adidas was a huge success.
Content Sponsorships
Content sponsorships are when companies partner with creators or organizations in the gaming community to support and promote their content. These sponsors provide financial or material support to content creators or organizations in exchange for exposure and brand association
In 2022, the energy drink company Red Bull partnered with the gaming influencer Ninja in a content sponsorship deal. As part of the deal, Red Bull became a sponsor of Ninja’s Twitch channel and YouTube channel. In return, Ninja featured Red Bull products in his content, including during his live streams and in his videos.
The sponsorship was a success for both parties. Red Bull gained exposure to Ninja’s large and engaged fan base, while Ninja received financial support and resources.
Social Media Engagement
Social media engagement in esports marketing strategy involves utilizing various social media platforms to actively interact and engage with the gaming community. Companies and brands leverage social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to connect with esports enthusiasts, gamers, and fans through social media live streaming.
Louis Vuitton is a luxury fashion brand that sponsors the League of Legends World Championship. Louis Vuitton uses social media to engage with esports fans and promote their sponsorship.
Louis Vuitton has created a dedicated social media account for their League of Legends sponsorship. They have reached a large and engaged audience of esports fans. Additionally, their positive engagement with fans has helped to increase brand awareness and association among esports fans.
User-Generated Content Campaigns:
User-generated content campaigns involve encouraging fans and gamers to create and share their own content related to a specific brand, game, or event on social media or websites. Companies may run contests or challenges where fans can submit their videos, artwork, or other content showcasing their skills or experiences with the brand or game.
In 2019, Doritos launched a UGC campaign called #DoritosBold. The campaign encouraged fans to create and share bold and creative content that reflected their own unique personality.
The #DoritosBold campaign was a huge success. The campaign generated over 100 million impressions and reached over 10 million people on social media.
These esports strategies can help you boost brand recognition and connect with your audience. Tailor them to your goals and stay updated on trends. Keep these strategies in your arsenal, adapt as needed, and watch your brand thrive in the esports ecosystem.
Author Bio:
Sehar Altaf
Sehar is an avid tech blogger with keen hindsight on the latest and evolving trends in the global tech industry. She currently works as a Digital Content Curator at OneStream Live, a live streaming service that allows multistreaming to multiple social media and the web at once.