ESPORTS LEARNINGS. Peculiarities of esports marketing & communications
Esports in Ukraine is an industry of contrasts. Multimillion turnovers — yet esports gained an official status only recently. Huge potential for advertisers and sponsors — yet there is such limited realization of this potential. How to use all esports opportunities and get maximum result in return, tells Iryna Kurochkina, founder and CEO of the international marketing agency Digital Choo (DC), that organized a thematic esports day at Ukrainian Creative Awards 2019.
Esports development dynamics
$1.58 Billion. That’s about the amount that the global esports market turnover will be by 2022, as stated by international company PwC. CAGR here is over 18%. And that is one of the most modest forecasts. Goldman Sachs, for instance, estimates more than triple growth of the current turnover — up to $2.96 Billion.
Those numbers illustrate the potential of the global esports market very well. During fewer than 20 years, this category made progress that many others can’t achieve in 50. And it’s still actively growing.
Ukraine is traditionally catching up with the Western markets. Here, esports became an official sport two years ago, while Ukrainian esports team NA’VI is well known in the world since 2010-s. Yet, according to DC’s observations, there’s also a development: bigger tournaments take place in Ukraine each year, and more fans, partners, sponsors, and media are attracted to this sport. Now is the best time to get on this train and use its potential for business promotion.
Esports marketing peculiarities
To enter the esports market and stay there, you have to take into account the properties and laws of the industry. Its main regulator is its audience, which today differs from other sports pretty much. All over the world, there are 500 million people, mostly under 34, really engaged in the industry’s events. Esports enthusiasts make up almost half of the target audience.
What are the features of this TA? First, a departure from traditional media. Esports event broadcasts and sponsorships become the main communication channels. It is also necessary to place your bet on nativity and compliance with the industry’s spirit. Based on the experience of Digital Choo, brand’s adaptation for the audience’s expectations is a must, otherwise, the audience will not take it seriously. The partnership should be built in accordance with common values such as dynamics, innovation, and globalization.
Second, internationality. Esports is a direct leap to the global arena with its blurred borders. Teams become global rather than national, practicing transfers of the most successful players all over the globe. Thus, communications with esports audience have to be global too, with a separate plan for each region, or they have to be targeted only at local events from the start. Anyway, the strategy is the key, and it should be created with a trusted marketing agency.
Marketing trends in esports for the nearest future
What should we expect from esports, in Ukraine and globally, in the years to come? The biggest trend is continual development, a strong rapidly growing positive dynamics. Not only the global market will grow — but with the audience growth local events will also become more popular. It can be compared to the way local influencers found their own stable niche after the rise of the global ones.
Another trend is growth of industry’s capitalization. As I stated earlier, many international marketing research teams forecast significant growth in market turnovers. Business’ interest in investing in gaming will also help to increase the budgets.
Finally, the cooperation of esports and brands as partners and sponsors will result in widening industry’s audience. There will be more people just aware about esports. And that, in turn, will contribute to further development of the category. How much can this synergy accomplish, is a question of esports potential. The answer to it, I am sure, will yet surprise us more than once.
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