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Brand Engagement Summit

Esports Continues To Show Relevance To Sponsors, But Some Still Slow To Buy In

SuperData Research Owner & CEO Joost van Dreunen analyzed what drives fans of esports during a presentation at the ’17 Intersport Brand Engagement Summit in Chicago. Van Dreunen said one of his main takeaways from more than 15 years researching esports is that it has become relevant to many traditional sponsors. Van Dreunen: “It’s grown, of course, into a relatively large category, but that’s not going to slow down. It’s not because it’s big that we should pay attention. It’s because it provides a different type of entertainment.” Van Dreunen’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion that looked at points of entry and how brands can evolve in esports, and included Activision Blizzard Media Networks Head, Partnership & Sales Josh Cella; Turner Sports/ELeague Senior VP/Ad Sales Seth Ladetsky; Intersport Exec Dir of Esports Kurt Melcher; Twitch Head of Strategic Partnerships & Sponsorships Bill Young; and Gillette Global Dir of Sports Marketing Greg Via. One of the first topics the panel addressed was the risk brands face when entering esports. Arby’s was highlighted as a brand whose gamble on esports advertising paid off. Melcher: “When I look at Arby’s and the commercials that they’ve put on, it’s a home run in my mind. They shot a rifle at one of their sandwiches and it exploded as a commercial. It’s unbelievable that the brand is like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’d love to shoot my sandwich.’ It’s spectacular. That was relevant to me and probably a bunch of us. It made sense, it was great, it was funny. It plays perfectly into the audience. It’s a matter of leveraging that community and doing it in the right way.”

A DIFFERENT APPROACH: The unique audience for esports was cited by Ladetsky as the reason Turner wanted to get involved. Ladetsky: “The reason why Turner entered esports -- we didn’t have to do it -- we did it because we saw this unique audience that was different than other sports. ... There’s a passion there.” The panelists agreed that the passionate nature of the audience makes authenticity critical for sponsors. When asked how to achieve authenticity, Young approached the question from a different angle. “Leave your hammer in the bag," he said. "Don’t come swinging like you’re coming to play the game the same way that you played it with the NFL. Rather than just authentic, try to think more altruistically. What could I as a brand provide this audience or these players or these leagues? What could I do to make that experience better? And that will be rewarded through that fandom and loyalty.”

TAKING IT SLOW: As for when those who follow esports should expect a major long-term commitment from a non-endemic brand, Via said that Gillette, for one, will not be rushing into anything. “We’re trying to still figure this thing out,” he said. “Every day I’ve got somebody calling me or emailing me how they’re going to take this to esports and they’re the expert. I hear people calling the space the Wild, Wild West. I kind of look it as a poker game. If I’m playing poker and I don’t spot the sucker, it’s me. You’ve got to stay true to the brand and we’ve got to figure out what we’re trying to achieve. I’m not going to put my whole deck of cards, my whole pot, into one thing right now.”

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