Brands

Winning Esports Sponsorships with AI

September 9, 2020

Tags: eSports iQ, IBM Watson, AI, esports brand marketing, eSports sponsorship

Categories:analytics, eSports iQ, Brands, Marketing, Sponsorship

“Values aren’t buses…They’re not supposed to get you anywhere. They’re supposed to define who you are.”  Jennifer Crusie The world of competitive video games, while no longer a secret, still holds significant opportunity for non-endemic brands and marketers.  However, one of the biggest hurdles is selecting the right entry point to reach digital sport audiences – e.g. partnering with a game publisher, league operator, or team. And rightfully so, as esports is an out-of-market experience for those outside of gaming.  Nonetheless, all compelling sponsorships begin with partners who … Continue reading “Winning Esports Sponsorships with AI”

Branding in the Age of Esports

June 10, 2020

Tags: eSports iQ, IBM Watson, AI, esports brand marketing, branding

Categories:Insights, Brands, Marketing

“A brand is a living entity, and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.”  Michael Eisner, former Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company  It’s alive All successful brands have distinct personalities. And much like humans, these personalities develop over the course of years. Meaning while brand image can change over time, personality is more consistent.   … Continue reading “Branding in the Age of Esports”

Winning Esports Merchandise

March 25, 2020

Tags: NYXL, Puma, merchandise, FaZe Clan, eSports iQ, esports brand marketing, Cloud9

Categories:analytics, eSports iQ, Brands

“If you create a good product and a unique product, they will buy it. It just has to be something different. It has to be high quality.”   Rocky Savio, chief merchandising officer for the Atlanta FaZe via ESPN The convergence of fashion and esports is gaining steam. With non-endemic brand partnerships, ranging from high fashion (Louis Vuitton) to athletic wear (Champion), serving notice that the momentum is real.   As a result, the business of esports merchandise is positioned to … Continue reading “Winning Esports Merchandise”

Presenting the Esports Playbook: For Brands and Marketers

September 13, 2016

Tags: data, brands, eSports marketing

Categories:Advertising, Brands, Marketing

Note: The SlideShare version of the playbook can be found here. In June 2016 Blicx, Ltd. – a market research firm based in the UK – released snippets from a comprehensive survey of 1,125 console and PC gamers. The results captured key data points about eSports participation and fandom. Shortly after, I began collaborating with Blicx – to combine their data with insights … Continue reading “Presenting the Esports Playbook: For Brands and Marketers”

Winning with eSports Advertising – Part II

August 10, 2016

Tags: MeUndies, advertising, brands, eSports, LCS

Categories:Advertising, Brands

Part I of the series can be found here. The year 2016 has seen increased sponsorship and advertising spend in eSports, to the tune of an estimated $661 million – according to SuperData Research. Yet, effective advertising techniques for eSports demographics are far from widely established. Sky-high rates of ad-block software usage further complicate matters – especially … Continue reading “Winning with eSports Advertising – Part II”

Four Game-Changing eSports Trends in 2016

June 29, 2016

Tags: Amazon, eSports, Facebook, Sling TV, Twitch

Categories:Analysis, Brands, Insight, sports, Streaming, TV

Earlier this month, renowned venture capitalist and trends analyst, Mary Meeker released her comprehensive, annual Internet industry overview. The report contains a treasure trove of data and analysis on multiple trends, a number of which will affect complexion of the global eSports marketplace, in some form or another. As the first half of 2016 winds … Continue reading “Four Game-Changing eSports Trends in 2016”