Marketers have been diverting their focus towards the gaming and esports industry. Brands understand the potential of the industry and how rapidly the industry has grown. Brands that are industry-specific like ASUS, HyperX, MSI and AMD Ryzen and so on always had their focus on gaming influencers. Surprisingly, brands that are not industry-specific have started investing in gaming talents judging on the potential and influential powers of the young gamers. Gamers are committed, consistent and loyal, rising popularity of gaming is something which is appealing to advertising and marketing hoping to align their brands with this loyalty.
As gaming and live streaming continue to fuel development, marketers are increasingly paying attention to esports. Smart marketers want to connect with millennials and meet them where they are. They don’t watch TV or utilise other forms of traditional media. Video games are the perfect location to do so. And the greatest gaming opportunity for advertisers lies in esports and gaming. Gaming has become the new social networking platform for millennials, Generation Z, and Generation A. People are eager to take part. People desire to connect and be a part of something bigger than them. And gamers want to support brands who they believe supports them.
Influencers have always been a good medium for brands to advertise. Influencer marketing has been a trend past few years. In the early stages, influencers who caught brand attention were famous models, YouTubers and social media renowned personalities. In recent years, a new group of influencers have emerged which is gaming content creators. Content creators not only play the games but entertain their audiences as well. Their fan following is mostly the age group of 15 to 30 which is the most targeted audience in advertising terms. There are 90 per cent chances of the target audience going to search and buy the product which is always an advantageous situation for brands. Brand participation should seem like an investment in gaming and players, not like a cash grab or “commercial.” Esports firms are partnering with brands to conduct tournaments and provide amateur and rising gamers with excellent prizes, scouting, and rating. Things like this provide the community with a strong sense of worth, which leads to brand adoption and affection.
Out of all the influencers in the market, gamers are known to have the best audience engagement in terms of viewership and audience-creator relationships. Audiences tend to admire their creators and feel more connected to them due to their high level of engagement. Let’s not forget the fact that gaming influencers are easy to approach. For example- for products like gaming phones, if audiences see a gamer playing on a particular phone and giving good results in the game, the audience will definitely think about buying that phone.
Brands have understood the potential and growing scale of the gaming industry. Investing in the gaming industry has yielded great results and will continue to provide the best results in future. Brands focusing their attention on the gaming industry will not only boost the brand’s loyalty but also uplift the gamers in India. All sorts of consumer brands, from exclusive high-end fashion houses to fast food chains and even movie studios, are realising the opportunities to connect with their customers through games.
(This article has been contributed by Trinity Gaming co-founder and COO Shivam Rao AnimationXpress does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)
