Connexi Founder and CEO Rory Stewart-Richardson looks at why brands are still confused and uncertain about entering the wide world of Esports.
Within the world of sport, Esports has to be one of the most spoken about topics in 2020.
You can understand why, by just looking at some top line numbers. The growth has been evident in recent years and illustrated even more so in the past three months as regular sports have been nowhere to be seen due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning Esports has been given a golden opportunity to capitalise.
But what is less obvious is finding the hidden value behind the staggering numbers.
Yes, the reach is great, with the total Esports audience is set to reach 495million by the end of 2020, with a projected audience of 646 million in 2023. And yes, it is a great media to interact with a highly engaged audience which provides a great platform for brands to use in marketing to their customers.
- 82% more likely to buy brands they see advertised.
- 60% more likely to be motivated to promote a brand online for being involved.
There are so many engaging choices you can select to target, from grassroots players to professionals, individual markets to international competitions. Esports has content that brands of all sizes can work with.
Despite the wide array of options the Esports market offers, at Connexi we are still seeing reticence from brands afraid to enter this relatively new market, which has many unknowns for the people who are currently outside of the Esports world looking in.
iSportconnect’s Esports eMasterclass series will continue on Tuesday, June 16th with ‘How Not To Fail: Brands In Esports’ in association with Kairos Esports – which you sign up to via this link: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/68/6v9kqf0m
Historically, sponsorship investment decisions are also emotional, no different to anything else we invest our time and money into. Every sponsorship opportunity must navigate the personal prejudices and preferences of the individual decision maker in the organisation.
There is a lack of trust and understanding with Esports – and this is not meant in a derogatory way – it is just a relatively new and complex industry, and human instinct does not trust what we do not know or understand.
“We are delighted to be working with Connexi. Rory and his team have really helped us present our esports opportunities to brands and make them more relevant and understandable. Traditionally esports events have been very last minute, which is the polar opposite to sport. So Connexi is making sure that esports is being considered as a credible alternative to sport sponsorship.” – Chester King, Co-founder of the London Royal Ravens Esports team
Too much choice – With the option to invest in individuals, teams, leagues, tournaments or publishers.
The fear of getting it wrong as a brand and the gaming community rejecting your brand, having long-term negative effects is another, so the industry must strive to help
So what is the solution?
Understanding the audience is the key to ensuring you counteract brand reservation. It is more than just engaging with assets that have big numbers, instead, it is about engaging with assets that your customers are watching.
With esports being a digital play, gaining insight into the behaviour of the customer has become a lot easier, and by using a mixture of first party data, real-time social data and consumer profiling data you will be on the right track to ensuring your investment delivers a strong ROI.