In boardrooms across the country, companies are talking about how they can get a piece of the esports industry. It’s not simple: the esports space is complex and for brands to be successful, they must first understand the competitions themselves and then the audience. So what do brands need to know about the world of esports? DBLTAP, the esports arm of Minute Media, recently released its Esports Report For Brands to begin to answer that question.
We caught up with Duncan McMonagle, the GM of Esports and Global SVP at Minute Media. Here are the high level points from the report and our conversation with him:
First, esports is not a catchall term. There is a drastic difference between marketing to a CS:GO audience, a League of Legends audience and a Smash Bros audience. Approaches that worked for one game, might not work for another.
“We have had many conversations with brands who haven’t committed yet because they are learning and I think that’s good,” said McMonagle. “I only want brands to commit to the space when they realize which game they should get around, why they are doing it, what is unique to that game and how they are going to add value.”
Second, to get the audience to accept your brand, make sure you’re adding value to the experience, not just blasting them with ads. Having the casters plug a product helps, but it isn’t the way to make a lasting impression. Esports fans are very ad-conscious. They see ads and are quick to turn them into memes for Twitch chat. This can either be a positive or a negative. What it comes down to is embracing the meme. Esports viewers are going to make fun of your product/slogan, that’s a given.
Take Mercedes-Benz’s 2017 partnership with ESL for example, which by many indications was a success. Mercedes-Benz parked eight, branded E-Class sedans outside the venues, each one bearing the logo and colors of the different teams involved in the competition. That alone wasn’t what made the campaign a success – in fact, it almost ruined it. When the audience erupted in laughter upon hearing the announcer blatantly plug Mercedes-Benz and its cars, the company turned the moment in its favor, riding the wave of memes spawned by the awkward initial engagement and poking fun at itself:
Proud to be part of #ESLOne and the amazing @DOTA2 action!
Nearly as amazing as the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan, test drive it now! pic.twitter.com/CanAMwk4A6— Mercedes-Benz (@MercedesBenz) October 29, 2017
“It’s a fine line between embracing the meme and being made fun of,” McMonagle said. “(Mercedes) made a meme with their E-Class sedan and got free advertising from it. That’s what brands should do, add value instead of forcing themselves in.”
Mercedes-Benz won this round. Brands take notice. Sponsors and brands have always been a part of esports but the continued growth means major non-endemic brands will be entering the space. Whether or not they are successful will come down to how well they understand esports and how they connect with a unique audience.
“Esports fans haven’t been inundated to date by advertising,” McMonagle said. “Brands and sponsor are how we grow the whole industry. Esports fans have to accept that brands will come. Its incumbent on the early brands to show that it is possible to connect with the audience authentically.”
The full Esports Report can be downloaded from Minute Media here.