marketing case study gaming

The Art of Video Game Marketing – Strategies and Real-World Examples

The first pixels of Pong hit the screen in the 1970s, and the video game industry has been skyrocketing ever since. From those humble beginnings, it has exploded into a billion-dollar sector, one that’s projected to reach over $200 billion by 2023, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence. But what fuels this vast, ever-growing universe of gaming? The answer is both simple and complex – marketing.

So, whether you’re an indie developer looking to make your mark, a marketing professional seeking to understand this booming industry, or a gaming enthusiast curious about what goes on behind the scenes, this guide is for you. Grab your controller, keyboard, or touch screen and get ready – it’s game time! (sorry that was corny… I’ll see myself out).

Understanding the Video Game Market

Demographics and psychographics.

Video game marketing success hinges on understanding your audience – who they are, where they’re from, what they love, and what makes them tick. This insight starts with a comprehensive understanding of the demographics and psychographics of the gaming market.

1. Demographics

Demographics refer to statistical data relating to a population or particular groups within it. These are concrete, quantifiable facts about a group, like age, gender, income level, education, and geographic location. Here’s a breakdown of these elements in the gaming market:

• Age: Gone are the days when video gaming was solely a child’s pastime. According to the Entertainment Software Association’s 2021 report, the average age of a video game player is 35-44 years old. This isn’t to say that younger and older gamers don’t exist; it merely illustrates that the age range is broad, spanning from kids to adults, making it crucial to cater to a wide age range in your marketing strategy.
• Gender: The same report reveals that the gender split in the gaming industry is almost even, with 45% of gamers being female and 55% male. Thus, it’s vital to ensure your marketing isn’t overly skewed to one gender unless that’s the specific audience your game is designed for.
• Geographic Location: Gaming is a global phenomenon. According to NewZoo’s 2022 Global Games Market report, the Asia Pacific region has the most gamers, but North America and Europe also have significant shares. Understanding where your potential players live can inform localization strategies and optimize ad spending across regions.
• Income and Education: Income and education levels can impact the type of games consumers play and how much they’re willing to spend on gaming. Higher income levels may indicate a willingness to spend on premium games or in-game purchases, while education could hint at a preference for strategy games or complex RPGs.

2. Psychographics

Psychographics delve deeper into the minds of consumers, revealing their interests, values, attitudes, and lifestyles. Understanding gamer psychographics can help tailor marketing strategies for maximum appeal.

• Gaming Preferences: Are your target gamers fans of sprawling open-world adventures, or do they prefer quick casual games on their phones during a commute? Understanding what types of games your audience prefers will inform both game development and the marketing narrative.
• Values and Motivations: What drives your audience to game? Is it the thrill of competition, the desire for escapism, or the love of problem-solving? Tapping into these motivations in your marketing can create a powerful connection with potential players.
• Lifestyle and Habits: Does your audience play games in long marathons over the weekend, or do they prefer short gaming sessions throughout the day? Do they follow gaming influencers or watch esports events? These insights can guide the timing and placement of your marketing efforts.
• Community Engagement: Many gamers value the sense of community that gaming can provide. They engage on forums, social media platforms, and in-game chat rooms. Understanding how and where your target audience communicates can enable more effective community-building efforts, a critical part of video game marketing.

Types of Video Games and Their Impact on Marketing

Video games come in a wide range of genres and formats, each with its unique appeal and audience. Understanding these different types and how they affect marketing is crucial for any video game marketing strategy.

1. Casual Games

Casual games are designed for quick, easy-to-learn gameplay sessions. They often have simple mechanics and are designed to be played in short bursts. Examples include mobile games like “Angry Birds” and “Candy Crush Saga.”

• Demographics: Casual games typically have a broad demographic appeal, including both young and older players. They often have a significant number of female players, and their mobile nature means they’re popular among people who might not consider themselves traditional gamers.
• Marketing Strategies: Casual games often rely heavily on social media and word-of-mouth marketing. They also frequently use in-game advertisements and purchase incentives as part of their monetization strategy.

2. AAA Games

AAA or Triple-A games are high-budget, high-production titles developed by major studios. They often have cutting-edge graphics, in-depth storytelling, and extensive gameplay mechanics. Examples include “The Last of Us Part II,” “Red Dead Redemption 2,” and “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.”

• Demographics: The audience for AAA games is typically more hardcore gamers, often in the 18-35 age range, who are willing to invest significant time and money into their gaming experiences.
• Marketing Strategies: AAA games often use traditional media strategies such as TV ads, online trailers, and influencer partnerships. Pre-order bonuses, limited editions, and post-launch downloadable content (DLCs) are also common strategies for these types of games.

3. Indie Games

Indie games are developed by small, independent studios or even individual developers. They often focus on innovative gameplay mechanics or unique artistic styles. Examples include “Hades,” “Among Us,” and “Stardew Valley.”

• Demographics: Indie games appeal to a wide demographic, including both younger players and older gamers who appreciate their innovation and creativity.
• Marketing Strategies: Indie games often rely on word-of-mouth and social media marketing. They also frequently leverage gaming platforms’ communities, like Steam’s community forums and review sections. Crowdfunding campaigns on platforms like Kickstarter can also serve as marketing tools.

4. Esports Titles

Esports titles are games designed for competitive play, often in a professional setting with tournaments and prize pools. They require a high level of skill and have a significant spectator component. Examples include “League of Legends,” “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” and “Dota 2.”

• Demographics: Esports titles often attract a younger, predominantly male audience. Many players are also active spectators of the game, watching professional tournaments and streams.
• Marketing Strategies: Esports games often use competitions, tournaments, and partnerships with professional teams and streamers for marketing. In-game cosmetics related to esports teams or events, like team jerseys or branded weapon skins, are also common.

5. Virtual Reality (VR) Games

VR games provide an immersive, 3D gaming experience through VR headsets. They can span various genres, from casual games to AAA titles. Examples include “Beat Saber,” “Half-Life: Alyx,” and “Superhot VR.”

• Demographics: VR games often attract tech-savvy gamers willing to invest in the required hardware. The age range can vary, though the physical nature of many VR games can appeal to younger players.
• Marketing Strategies: VR games often leverage the unique features of VR for marketing, showcasing the immersion and interactivity of the medium. Demos and experiential marketing, like VR installations at events, can also be effective.

Each of these game types attracts a unique set of players, and therefore requires distinct marketing strategies tailored to its audience. Understanding these differences, along with the current trends and popular titles within each category, is crucial when shaping your video game marketing efforts. It’s not only about reaching your target audience, but also understanding their gaming preferences, behaviors, and spending habits.

Ultimately, each game’s brand identity, target audience, and unique selling propositions should inform its marketing strategies.

Key Elements of Video Game Marketing

Marketing strategies and their relevance.

There are several strategies that can be employed in video game marketing, each with its own benefits and relevance. Here’s a brief explanation of the main ones:

• Pre-Launch Marketing: This involves generating buzz and anticipation for the game before it is released. Tactics could include teaser trailers, early access offers, influencer partnerships, press releases, and participation in industry events.
• Content Marketing: This involves creating and sharing valuable content related to the game to attract and engage potential players. Content could be anything from game guides and behind-the-scenes footage to developer interviews and player-generated content.
• Social Media Marketing: Leveraging social media platforms to promote the game, engage with players, share updates, and handle customer service.
• Community Marketing: Building, nurturing, and engaging an active community of players through forums, social media, in-game events, and user-generated content.
• Influencer Marketing: Partnering with influencers (streamers, YouTubers, professional gamers) to promote the game to their followers.
• Esports Marketing: If applicable, creating or sponsoring esports events to promote the game and engage with the competitive gaming community.

In the subsequent sections, we will dive deeper into each of these strategies, with real-life examples and case studies that illustrate their application and effectiveness in video game marketing.

Strategies for Video Game Marketing

Influencer collaborations and partnerships, 1. importance of influencers in the gaming industry.

In the world of video games, influencers hold significant power. The rise of streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube, along with the increased popularity of esports, has created a new class of celebrities within the gaming community. These influencers, whether they’re professional gamers, streamers, or content creators, command vast audiences who trust their opinions and follow their gaming habits closely.

Influencers have become an integral part of the gaming industry for several reasons:

• Reach: Influencers have wide-reaching audiences that span different geographies and demographics. A single post or live-stream can reach millions of viewers, providing a global reach that few other marketing methods can achieve.
• Trust: Fans of gaming influencers often view their favorite content creators as friends or peers. As a result, their opinions and recommendations carry significant weight. If an influencer endorses a game, it’s likely their audience will consider playing it.
• Engagement: The interactive nature of platforms like Twitch allows influencers to engage with their audiences in real-time. This two-way communication fosters a sense of community and keeps viewers invested in the influencer’s content.
• Content creation: Influencers regularly generate content around the games they play. This content, which can range from game reviews and playthroughs to highlights and meme compilations, provides additional exposure for the games and helps sustain interest over time.

As a result of these factors, influencer collaborations and partnerships have emerged as a powerful strategy for video game marketing. By working with influencers, game developers and publishers can increase their game’s visibility, attract potential players, and enhance community engagement.

2. Case Study: Fortnite and Travis Scott’s Virtual Concert

Fortnite, developed by Epic Games, is known for pushing boundaries and continuously innovating its approach to engage players. One of their most successful marketing strategies involved a collaboration with the Grammy-nominated artist, Travis Scott. In what was dubbed as the “Astronomical” event, Fortnite hosted a virtual concert featuring Scott, attracting over 12.3 million concurrent players and making it the game’s biggest event ever.

This strategy was a win-win situation for both parties. For Travis Scott, it was a unique opportunity to reach a massive, global audience at a time when traditional live performances were impossible due to the pandemic. For Fortnite, it brought unprecedented attention to the game and demonstrated the potential of virtual spaces for unique shared experiences.

The event was not just a passive viewing experience for players. Instead, Fortnite’s virtual world transformed in sync with the music, providing an interactive and immersive experience for the players. The success of this strategy lies in its understanding of the gaming community’s values: a desire for new, shared experiences, and a blending of gaming with other elements of pop culture.

Moreover, this event offered Fortnite an opportunity to make headlines and become a topic of conversation, even among non-players, proving the power of creative influencer collaborations in gaming.

Content Marketing

Content marketing has become an increasingly popular strategy for video game marketing. This approach focuses on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online. The goal is to provide valuable content that helps build strong relationships with your audience, improves engagement, increases brand recognition, and ultimately drives action.

In the realm of video games, content marketing can take many forms, ranging from blogs, game guides, and behind-the-scenes looks at game development, to trailers, live-streams, podcasts, and even in-game events.

One crucial thing to remember when employing a content marketing strategy is to provide value. Gamers appreciate content that enhances their playing experience, whether it provides new insights about the game, teaches them how to improve their skills, or simply entertains them. A successful content marketing strategy will take into account the preferences of the target audience and create content that meets their needs and interests.

1. Content Marketing in Gaming

In gaming, content marketing goes beyond just promoting a product. It’s about providing value to the gamer, enhancing their gaming experience, and establishing a deep connection with them. Content marketing in gaming can take several forms, including but not limited to:

• Game Trailers and Teasers: These provide a sneak peek into the game, exciting potential players about what to expect. They often include gameplay, storyline hints, and game mechanics. Trailers are a way to create hype and anticipation around a game before it’s released.
• Gameplay Videos and Live Streaming: Gameplay videos and live streams allow potential players to see the game in action. Platforms like Twitch and YouTube have millions of users who spend hours watching their favorite gamers play. It’s a chance for audiences to learn strategies, tips, and tricks while experiencing the game’s atmosphere.
• Blogs and Articles: These can be in-depth guides, tips, tricks, game lore, behind-the-scenes development processes, and any other written content that provides value to the player.
• Podcasts and Interviews: A growing trend in the gaming industry, these offer insights into the game development process, host discussions about game theory, or even delve into storytelling within the game universe.
• Social Media Interaction: Developers engaging with fans on social media platforms, answering questions, sharing insights, and teasing upcoming features or releases, fosters a sense of community and direct connection with players.

2. Case Study: Cyberpunk 2077 and Its Diverse Content Marketing Strategy

Cyberpunk 2077, developed by CD Projekt Red, serves as an interesting example of a diverse and multi-faceted content marketing strategy. Despite controversies post-launch, there’s no denying that the anticipation and buzz generated before the game’s release were monumental, largely due to their marketing approach.

• Pre-Launch Trailer and Teasers: Cyberpunk 2077 released multiple trailers over the years, each providing glimpses into the game’s world, story, characters, and gameplay. Their trailers amassed millions of views on YouTube, stirring interest and conversation.
• Celebrity Endorsement: The involvement of Keanu Reeves, a well-known actor, added a unique aspect to their campaign. His appearance at the E3 2019 conference announcing his role in the game became a viral moment and contributed significantly to the hype.
• Behind-the-Scenes Content: CD Projekt Red regularly shared behind-the-scenes videos titled ‘Night City Wire’ episodes. They offered deep dives into various aspects of the game, from lore to gameplay mechanics, further engaging their audience.
• Social Media Engagement: Their social media strategy was a key pillar of their campaign, with regular updates, interactions with fans, and announcements. Their Twitter account was particularly active, engaging in conversations and even embracing memes related to the game.
• Partnerships: Cyberpunk 2077 also employed a unique strategy of partnering with various brands for limited-edition products, from energy drinks to cars, reinforcing their presence and visibility even outside of traditional gaming circles.

Though the game’s launch was met with criticism, the hype generated by their content marketing strategy led to strong initial sales, demonstrating the power of a well-executed content marketing campaign in gaming.

Community Building in Gaming

1. role of community in gaming.

Community plays a pivotal role in the video game industry. It is the backbone of any successful video game, as it fosters player engagement, retention, and promotes a sense of belonging. An engaged community contributes to the longevity of a game, as active, committed players can keep a game alive and thriving for years.

In the gaming world, community building goes far beyond simply having a player base. It’s about creating a shared space where players can interact with each other and with the game developers. Here are some key aspects of community building in gaming:

• Player Engagement: It involves developers directly interacting with players, listening to their feedback, and responding to their needs. Regular updates, patches, and game improvements based on player feedback is a common method of engagement.
• Shared Experiences: Multiplayer and cooperative gameplay, in-game events, and competitions provide shared experiences that foster a sense of community among players.
• Player Support: Forums, help centers, and responsive customer service help players feel supported and heard, further enhancing their engagement with the game.
• User Generated Content: Encouraging players to create and share their own content, such as game mods, fan art, and gameplay videos, can create a powerful sense of ownership and commitment in the community.
• Social Media Interaction: Leveraging platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and Discord to create a dialog with players, share updates, and address concerns, can foster a stronger connection between game developers and players.

2. Case Study: Among Us and Its Use of Community Engagement

Among Us, developed by InnerSloth, serves as a brilliant example of how community engagement can propel a game to success. Despite its release in 2018, it wasn’t until mid-2020 that Among Us surged in popularity. The game’s simplicity, combined with its emphasis on social interaction, made it highly engaging for players, but it was the community engagement strategies that sustained and increased its popularity:

• User Generated Content: Among Us benefited enormously from user-generated content. Twitch streamers and YouTubers playing the game with friends created hilarious and relatable content, which was then shared across various platforms, reaching a large audience and enticing new players.
• Active on Social Media: InnerSloth maintained an active presence on social media, sharing updates, engaging with players, and even sharing fan-created content, fostering a sense of camaraderie and engagement within the community.
• Responsive to Feedback: InnerSloth was responsive to player feedback, consistently updating the game and addressing issues pointed out by the community. When the game’s popularity skyrocketed, instead of rushing to release a sequel, they decided to focus on improving the current game based on player feedback, an approach appreciated by the community.
• Support for Modding Community: Among Us also has a thriving modding community. InnerSloth’s support for this community and the user-generated content it produces added another layer to the game’s appeal and community strength.

In a nutshell, Among Us’s unprecedented success can be attributed to the power of community engagement in video gaming. By encouraging user-generated content, being responsive to player feedback, and leveraging social media for community interaction, InnerSloth was able to transform a simple game into a global phenomenon.

Utilizing Social Media and Streaming Platforms

1. benefits of social media and streaming platforms.

Social media and streaming platforms are invaluable tools in video game marketing. They offer multiple benefits that make them indispensable in the current gaming industry landscape:

• Visibility and Reach: Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube have billions of active users. Utilizing these platforms allows developers to reach a global audience and increase the visibility of their games.
• Community Building: Social media platforms provide an excellent avenue for building and nurturing a community. Developers can interact directly with their player base, solicit feedback, and keep them engaged with regular updates and news about the game.
• Influencer Marketing: Influencer marketing is a powerful strategy in the gaming industry. Social media platforms allow developers to collaborate with influencers who can play and promote their games to their followers, creating buzz and driving game sales.
• Streaming Platforms: Platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming are particularly effective in video game marketing. Live streams of gameplay provide potential players with a first-hand experience of the game and foster a sense of community among viewers. Exclusive live-streamed events and partnerships with popular streamers can significantly boost a game’s popularity.

2. Case Study: Apex Legends and Its Launch Strategy on Twitch

The launch strategy of Apex Legends, developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, offers a textbook example of effectively leveraging a streaming platform for game marketing.

Unlike traditional marketing campaigns, Apex Legends was launched without any pre-release hype or advertising. Instead, Respawn focused on a “surprise” launch strategy leveraging Twitch, the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers.

• Influencer Partnerships: On launch day, Respawn partnered with top gaming influencers and streamers, including Shroud, Dr Disrespect, and Ninja. These streamers were among the first to play the game live on their Twitch channels, instantly exposing Apex Legends to their millions of followers.
• Twitch Rivals: Respawn also collaborated with Twitch to host the Apex Legends Challenge, a two-part competitive event that took place within a week of the game’s release. This event featured 48 of the biggest streamers on Twitch and provided high-level exposure for the game.

This strategic use of Twitch and influencer partnerships led to a staggering success for Apex Legends, with the game amassing over 2.5 million players within the first 24 hours of its launch and 50 million in the first month. It demonstrates the power and potential of social media and streaming platforms in the marketing of video games.

Creative Advertising and Brand Collaborations

1. importance of creativity and collaboration in ads.

Creative advertising and brand collaborations form a crucial aspect of video game marketing. A creative ad campaign can make a significant impact, grab potential gamers’ attention, and differentiate the game from a sea of competitors. The best ad campaigns often tell a story, engage emotions, or use humor, all of which helps to create memorable content that resonates with audiences.

Meanwhile, brand collaborations open up a wealth of marketing opportunities. They offer an excellent way for video games to reach new audiences, diversify marketing content, and provide unique in-game experiences:

• Expanded Reach: Collaborations allow video games to tap into the partner brand’s customer base, which might be a different demographic than the game’s traditional audience.
• Unique Content: Collaboration often involves unique, themed content that can intrigue both existing players and potential new ones. This can include in-game items, events, or gameplay modes related to the partner brand.
• Increased Visibility: The publicity and buzz around a collaboration can increase the game’s visibility, especially if the partner brand is outside of the gaming industry.

2. Case Study: PUBG and Its Collaboration with Mountain Dew

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), developed and published by PUBG Corporation, illustrates the potential of creative advertising and brand collaborations. In 2020, PUBG announced a global partnership with Mountain Dew, the carbonated soft drink brand.

The collaboration was a blend of in-game integration and real-world rewards:

• In-Game Integration: Limited-edition Mountain Dew fuel stations were added across the game’s maps, offering loot items. This integrated branding provided players with a unique in-game experience related to the Mountain Dew brand.
• Real-World Rewards: Players in certain regions could also earn rewards in the real world. By purchasing specially-marked Mountain Dew products, they could redeem exclusive in-game rewards like weapon skins and more.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Marketing

1. benefits of ar and vr in video game marketing.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are game-changers in the video game industry, and their roles extend into marketing as well. These technologies offer unique and immersive ways to engage audiences and have several key benefits in video game marketing:

• Immersive Experiences: Both AR and VR can create immersive experiences that traditional 2D platforms can’t match. They provide players with the feeling of ‘being in the game’, heightening their emotional connection to the game and making the marketing message more impactful.
• Interactive Demos: AR and VR can be used to create interactive game demos that potential players can try before buying the game. This not only gives a taste of the gameplay but also leaves a strong impression that’s likely to stick in consumers’ minds.
• Memorable Campaigns: AR and VR campaigns are unique and memorable, making them effective at grabbing attention in a crowded market.
• Innovative Brand Image: The use of cutting-edge technology like AR and VR can position a game as innovative and forward-thinking, enhancing its brand image.

2. Case Study: Pokémon GO and Its Use of AR

Pokémon GO, developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo, is a sterling example of the power of AR in video game marketing. The game took the world by storm upon its release in 2016, in large part due to its innovative use of AR technology.

Pokémon GO uses AR to overlay digital creatures (Pokémon) onto the real world, as viewed through a player’s smartphone camera. This AR integration not only created a unique and immersive gaming experience but also played a significant role in the game’s marketing:

• Word-of-Mouth: The novelty of Pokémon appearing in real-world environments led to significant word-of-mouth marketing. Excited players shared screenshots and stories, organically promoting the game to their networks.
• Media Coverage: The innovative use of AR technology generated substantial media coverage, boosting the game’s visibility and attracting new players.
• Public Events: Pokémon GO hosted public events at real-world locations, where players could gather to catch rare Pokémon. These events created a sense of community, boosted player engagement, and provided additional opportunities for marketing and publicity.

Game-Specific Marketing Strategies

Mobile games, 1. importance of aso and mobile ads.

With mobile gaming accounting for a significant portion of the global gaming industry, effective marketing strategies for mobile games are vital. Two key aspects of mobile game marketing are App Store Optimization (ASO) and mobile ads:

• App Store Optimization (ASO): Similar to SEO for websites, ASO involves optimizing a mobile game’s app store listing to increase its visibility in search results. This includes optimizing the game’s title, description, keywords, screenshots, and reviews to improve its ranking in app store search results, making it easier for potential players to discover the game.
• Mobile Ads: Mobile advertising plays a crucial role in getting a game in front of potential players. This can include in-app ads, social media ads, banner ads on websites, video ads, and more. The key is to create engaging, eye-catching ads that effectively communicate the game’s appeal.

2. Case Study: Clash of Clans and Its Humorous Ad Campaigns

Supercell’s mobile game, Clash of Clans, offers a prime example of effective mobile game marketing. One of the strategies that contributed to the game’s massive success was its humorous and engaging ad campaigns.

Supercell created a series of ads featuring animated characters from the game in various funny and relatable situations. The ads were designed to entertain first and sell second, making viewers more likely to share them and spread the word about the game.

The campaigns, which included partnerships with high-profile celebrities like Liam Neeson and Christoph Waltz, were launched across multiple channels, including TV, online platforms, and social media. These ads did more than just showcase the game’s features; they told stories, made viewers laugh, and built a strong brand identity for Clash of Clans.

The success of Clash of Clans’ marketing approach demonstrates the power of creative and engaging mobile ads, as well as the importance of leveraging ASO and advertising channels to maximize a mobile game’s visibility.

PC/Console Games

1. role of game reviews and gaming expos.

In the PC and console gaming market, two elements play a critical role in the marketing of a game: game reviews and gaming expos.

• Game Reviews: Reviews from both professional critics and players can make or break a game’s success. High review scores can tremendously boost a game’s reputation and sales, while poor reviews can harm them. Therefore, creating a high-quality game that can withstand scrutiny is paramount. Developers also need to manage their relationships with reviewers and influencers, ensuring they have access to the game in a timely manner to review it.
• Gaming Expos: Expos and conventions like E3, PAX, and Gamescom offer significant opportunities for game developers to showcase their upcoming titles to a global audience. These events can generate substantial buzz and anticipation for a game. They are a chance to reveal game trailers, offer playable demos, and provide the audience with exclusive insights into the game’s development. The presence of the press and influencers at these events can amplify this impact, spreading news and impressions of the game to their followers.

2. Case Study: Call of Duty and Its Marketing Over The Years

Activision’s Call of Duty franchise is an interesting example of effective marketing strategies for PC/console games. The game has evolved significantly over the years, and so have its marketing strategies.

Initially, Call of Duty relied heavily on traditional advertising methods, like TV ads and billboard campaigns, to promote new game releases. As the franchise grew and the gaming industry evolved, Call of Duty began incorporating digital marketing strategies, such as social media campaigns and influencer partnerships, to engage a broader audience.

One particularly effective strategy has been the game’s use of live events. For example, Call of Duty has hosted several live multiplayer events where fans can watch influencers and professional gamers battle it out. These events generate significant buzz and engagement, boosting anticipation for the game’s release.

Furthermore, Call of Duty has also been strategic in its collaborations and partnerships. The franchise has worked with celebrities like Keanu Reeves and Marshmello to promote its games, leveraging their popularity to reach a wider audience.

Over the years, Call of Duty’s marketing strategies have demonstrated the importance of adapting and evolving with the market, leveraging a mix of traditional and digital marketing strategies, and the power of live events and strategic collaborations in promoting PC/console games.

eSports Marketing

1. understanding the esports market.

eSports has evolved from being a niche market into a booming industry that attracts millions of viewers worldwide. Its audience, primarily young, tech-savvy, and passionate about gaming, differs significantly from that of traditional sports.

eSports marketing is about leveraging the competitive, interactive, and immersive nature of video games. Unlike in traditional sports marketing, where fans are spectators, eSports fans are often players of the games themselves. This gives marketers unique engagement opportunities, as fans can relate personally to the skills, strategies, and excitement showcased in eSports tournaments.

eSports marketing is heavily reliant on digital platforms, with live streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming being the primary venues for eSports events. Additionally, social media platforms play a crucial role in fostering community interactions, sharing game updates, and promoting upcoming tournaments.

Sponsorship and partnerships also play a significant role in eSports marketing, providing brands a way to reach the passionate and engaged eSports audience.

2. Case Study: League of Legends and Its Partnership with Spotify

Riot Games, the developer of the popular eSports game League of Legends, has embraced innovative marketing strategies to engage its global fanbase. A standout example is its partnership with Spotify.

In this collaboration, Riot Games and Spotify developed an exclusive hub for League of Legends content on the music streaming platform. This included a range of materials, from official game soundtracks and podcasts to curated playlists and behind-the-scenes interviews with the composers and musicians.

This partnership benefited both parties. Spotify attracted the large and engaged League of Legends fanbase, while Riot Games received a dedicated platform to share its high-quality, immersive game-related content.

The collaboration also exemplified the power of content marketing in eSports, with the exclusive League of Legends hub offering a variety of engaging content that appealed to both current fans and potential new ones.

Moreover, it highlighted the value of accessibility. Fans could consume League of Legends content wherever they were, making it easier for them to stay connected with the game they love. This, in turn, deepened their relationship with the game and reinforced their loyalty to the brand.

This case study underlines the importance of understanding the unique characteristics of the eSports audience and creating partnerships and content that appeal to them and fit their lifestyle.

Monitoring and Adapting Marketing Strategies

Importance of monitoring marketing campaigns.

Monitoring marketing campaigns is an essential step in any marketing strategy, including in video game marketing. It provides insights into what works and what doesn’t, helping you to continuously improve and refine your strategy. You can use a platform like TwitchMetrics , which the image above is a screenshot from to report back on your campaigns easily.

Keeping track of the performance of marketing campaigns allows you to measure ROI and identify which tactics yield the best results. You can understand your audience better, learn what type of content they engage with most, and determine the most effective platforms and channels for reaching them.

Monitoring also helps you spot trends and changes in player behavior and market conditions. This can inform your future strategies and help you stay ahead of your competitors.

Tools and Techniques to Track Marketing Success

There are numerous tools and techniques you can use to track the success of your video game marketing campaigns. Here are a few examples:

• Analytics tools : These provide insights into player behavior, engagement rates, conversion rates, and more. TwitchMetrics , Google Analytics, for instance, can track website traffic and user behavior, while social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have their built-in analytics.
• KPIs : Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are metrics that reflect the success of a campaign in meeting its objectives. These could include downloads, active users, session duration, in-game purchases, and social media engagement, among others.
• Surveys and player feedback : Direct feedback from your players can provide invaluable insights. This can be gathered through surveys, reviews, social media comments, and community forums.
• A/B testing : This technique involves comparing two versions of a campaign element (like a landing page or an ad) to see which performs better.

How to Adapt Strategies Based on Feedback and Results

Once you’ve gathered data and feedback from your campaigns, it’s crucial to interpret these insights and apply them to your future strategies.

If a campaign is performing well, analyze what’s driving its success. Is it the platform you’re using? The type of content? The timing? Take these successful elements and incorporate them into your other campaigns.

Conversely, if a campaign isn’t meeting its goals, try to understand why. Is it not resonating with your audience? Are there technical issues affecting user experience? Once you’ve identified the problems, you can take steps to address them.

Remember that the gaming market is dynamic and constantly evolving. Player tastes can change, new trends can emerge, and new platforms and technologies can transform the landscape. Being flexible and adaptable is key to staying relevant and maintaining a successful video game marketing strategy.

Understanding your audience, using influencers, creating compelling content, and leveraging technology are cornerstones of effective video game marketing. We’ve explored a variety of strategies and examples to illustrate these points. Looking forward, it’s essential to stay updated with evolving trends and continue innovating. Your focus should be on connecting with gamers, providing immersive experiences that delight. Learn, adapt, and grow with the dynamic landscape of this industry.

Wyatt founded TwitchMetrics in 2016 and shares his knowledge about the business elements of the livestreaming and gaming world. With more than 10 years’ experience collaborating with gaming studios, developers, and agencies, he’s adept at increasing their game revenues through strategic partnerships with creators and PR and marketing strategies.

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May 22, 2020

The Secrets to Marketing in the Gaming Industry

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Written by Chris Haughey

Once upon a time, gamers were seen as schoolyard outcasts, work-shy dreamers, and lone rangers who struggled to fit into the real world. But now the old stereotypes are dead - from older women to athletes, kids to accountants, everyone is enjoying gaming now.

Our world is rapidly becoming a gamer’s paradise, what with artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and mobile marketing growth . Tech Jury estimates that the gaming industry will be worth $257 billion in 2025. For years, the gaming industry has been an enigmatic challenge that many marketers have failed to crack. In a niche space where revenue was intrinsically linked to the launch dates of major games, marketing in the gaming industry has traditionally been an unpredictable, frustrating venture.

Until now, when we are seeing 2.5 billion around the world playing games, across all demographics . 

The big question for marketers is: how can you tap into that and maximize your own brand’s visibility in the uber-competitive gaming industry?

As you’ll soon see, the answer lies with gaming influencers.

Gaming Influencers Aren’t Just Playing Around

Influencer marketing is no secret, as major brands from all industries are piggybacking on the reputation of social media celebrities on a variety of platforms to reach wider audiences. All it takes is the right partnership with a relevant player, and your product can go stratospheric.

Social influencers can make thousands of dollars with a single post, and those with large audiences are capable of raking in $250,000 or more – and this is especially true with gaming influencers on YouTube and  Twitch .

Many of the biggest influencers in the gaming industry started out like any average teen gamer, going square-eyed into the small hours of the morning despite protesting parents.

Some may say that gamers are lazy and should get a real job, so it was quite fitting when the energy drink, Red Bull, teamed up with probably the most popular gaming influencer in the world, Tyler “ Ninja ” Blevins, to release limited edition Red Bull Ninja cans. Presumably, they give him the energy to continue making a fortune playing video games. 

Along with YouTube, the biggest stage for influencers in the gaming industry is the hugely popular streaming platform, Twitch, where members can hook up their console, computer or smartphone to stream live videos of themselves while playing a game.

While there are some ever-present influencers, like Ninja, Shroud and PewDiePie, there is also fierce competition. With global audiences and a constant battle for supremacy, gaming influencers present an abundance of marketing opportunities.

So, how can you crack it?

5 Ways to Leverage Modern Marketing in the Gaming Industry

According to a 2021 survey, 227 million Americans were playing video games, an increase in no small part due to the effects of the pandemic.

Even though it’s gone mainstream, many marketers still find it tough to connect with people. But it’s not as complex as you think. Instead of looking for new-fangled ways of engaging people, you just need to leverage what we already know about modern marketing and about marketing after Covid-19 .

By looking at five key reasons for the growth of the gaming industry, we can see parallels with the growth of digital marketing as a whole. Once you understand this correlation, it’s much easier to tap into the potential of the gaming industry.

1. The World is Mobile-Mad

Just consider these stats:

• Mobile games contribute 51% of the entire global revenue from the gaming industry. ( Go Globe )
• Mobile gaming industry revenue is higher than the GDP of Costa Rica. ( MediaKix )
• US gamers aged 18-35 play mobile games for 48 minutes every day. ( Variety )

This is a massive, readily-engaged market for companies to target. By pairing up with a gaming influencer that is relevant to your brand and products, you can quickly build brand awareness and boost leads.

The perfect example is the game, Brawl Stars. The creators, Supercell, teamed up with 10 influencers to promote the game pre-launch, helping them acquire 5 million registrations after announcing the release date. Since then, the game has been covered by many other influencers and is now the most played mobile game on YouTube.

2. Women Are On the Rise

Where once the typical gamer might have been an acne-ridden boy in a basement, it’s now just as likely to be an older woman.

Today, 45% of gamers are women and girls. In fact, the most avid mobile gamers are middle-aged women. How’s that for a paradigm shift?

For brands who want to start marketing in the gaming industry, this is great news. The massive numbers of Gen Xers and Millennials online offer companies partnerships with people who actually have disposable income.

The YouTube duo, Rose and Rosie have a following of over 1 million on their page Rose Ellen Dix , which touches on lifestyle topics like relationship advice and LGBT issues. They have managed to leverage this following to promote their other page, Let’s Play Games , where Rose and Rosie do game walkthroughs and explore games on a live stream for their loyal audience.

While many male gamers gravitate towards battle games and car racing, companies who align themselves with women’s interests may find partnerships that come with a more diverse audience.

3. Video Content is King

The rise of video marketing goes hand-in-hand with the growth of the gaming industry. Video content gets more engagement and influences more consumers. Studies from Smart Insights assert that video content will account for 82% of all the data traffic in the world by 2022.

Gamers happily while away hours watching gaming videos, with most gamers on YouTube, Twitch and other platforms spending more time watching others play.

But they aren’t just watching anybody - they want to watch gaming influencers in action. Gamers can follow top influencers to learn tips, discover new games, and fall deeper in love with their greatest obsession.

The undisputed kingpin is a Swedish gamer, Felix Kjellberg, who goes by the moniker, PewDiePie . Despite some unfortunate racial slurs that cost him a partnership with Disney, his 110-million-strong following continue to tune in for his videos.

4. For Cloud Computing, the Sky's the Limit

When Amazon swooped in and acquired Twitch for a cool $970 million in 2014, many wondered how the gaming platform would fit into Jeff Bezos’ plans for world domination. As the cloud computing market has since blossomed, the answer became obvious.

After buying Twitch, Bezos launched Amazon Web Services in a clear statement of intent, but Amazon is certainly not in an echo chamber.  Rival digital giants  have joined the fray, causing massive disruption to the traditional gaming console space once monopolized by Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox. 

Microsoft has been working on their cloud gaming service, Project xCloud , as has Meta with Facebook Gaming .

Cloud gaming has steadily become a juggernaut, with the global sensation Fortnite being instrumental in the explosion of the online gaming industry, followed by other cross-platform games like Animal Crossing, Battle Royale, and Roblox . 

For a gaming influencer, streaming live content is an important part of the job. As such, the continuing growth of cloud services will pave the way for many lucrative partnerships and promotions in the years ahead. 

5. Brand Integrity is Inspirational

When Social Point Games wanted to promote their game Monster Legends, they opted to partner with Mark Fischbach, aka American YouTuber Markiplier. Fischbach had a charted history of using his influence for good, with several livestream campaigns raising thousands for needy causes including Save the Children . With over 30 million subscribers he certainly qualifies as an influencer.

This proved to be a smart move by Social Point Games, as the company and the influencer were a perfect match. The company was well aware of the value of social consciousness in the modern era, understanding that almost 90% of consumers will switch brands based on a connection with charitable causes or efforts. When Fischbach announced he would donate $10,000 to the Miracle Foundation charity, many people were keen to check out his review of Monster Legends.

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Every company wants more brand awareness. If you can create awareness for a good cause during your marketing campaign, your brand will quickly gain a sterling reputation that people gravitate towards. It’s the cheat sheet you need to establish trust with potential new customers.

The Secret is Inclusivity

Fortnite is a global phenom because it broke the mold. Not only is it available on all platforms, but it took the age-old formula of the traditional fighting game and ripped it to shreds, choosing to create diverse, relatable characters instead of a stereotypical bunch of testosterone-filled action heroes. 

Women are in love with games now because of moves like this, and they have plenty of strong female gaming influencers to be inspired by, such as SSSniperWolf, who has 9 million followers, and iHasCupquake, who has accrued over 2 billion video views.

Social Point Games won more fans with Monster Legends because they put social good at the forefront of their marketing campaign.

There’s a common thread here:

It’s inclusivity.

Marketers are trained to go niche, but marketing in the gaming industry involves everyone. By crafting a more inclusive, welcoming brand identity, you will attract more attention, and foster greater trust with people.

And who better to help you do that than gaming influencers? The traditional champions of the misfits.

If you can partner with the right influencer, you can move your brand up a few levels, and unlock a ton of bonuses along the way. To learn more about branding and marketing in all areas of digital marketing, have a look at the DMI Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing .

(First published May 2020 updated December 2021)

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Chris Haughey is a creative copywriter and journalism graduate with a desire to educate more people about all things digital. Over the past decade, he has specialized in creating engaging online content for innovative brands in eCommerce, AI, MarTech, and PPC advertising. You can find him on  LinkedIn . 

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The keys to esports marketing: Don’t get ‘ganked’

Esports, or competitive video gaming,  has been around for more than 20 years, and sponsors such as Intel and Red Bull began hosting events over a decade ago. But the last year has been an inflection point; non-endemic brands such as Arby’s, Coca-Cola, and Mercedes moved esports from the experimental marketing budget to the core sponsorship lineup, helping to fuel an estimated 34 percent growth industry-wide in 2019. 1 Esports sponsorship is projected to reach $457 million, according to Global Esports Market Report , Newzoo, 2019, newzoo.com.

The last year has also been a watershed for esports investing. Inspired by multibillion-dollar valuations for traditional sports clubs, investors looking to get in on the ground floor have valued at least three esports organizations 2 For example, based on Cloud9’s $50 million series B raise in 2018, Forbes estimates the company is worth $310 million on $22 million in revenue. Esports organizations, such as Cloud9, Team Liquid, or TSM, field multiple teams, typically one team per esports title (for example, DOTA 2 , League of Legends , or Overwatch ). The teams share a common brand across the esports organization. This structure is similar to European clubs, such as FC Barcelona, which is most famous for its football club but also fields teams in basketball, volleyball, team handball, ice hockey, and rugby. at over $100 million.

The fundamental driver of interest in esports is its reach and engagement with young men:

Brands tend to underestimate the fragmentation of esports fans. As a result, they risk spending their money unwisely and ending up, like so many unseasoned gamers, getting ganked.

• There are 21 million esports fans in the United States, of whom 83 percent are male and 84 percent under the age of 35. 3 Justifying brand investments in esports , MRI-Simmons, December 18, 2018, simmonsresearch.com. Esports is now the third-most-popular spectator sport for young men; 38 percent of US men under 25 years old are esports fans. They watch almost an hour a day of streaming esports. 4 “Nielsen releases unprecedented insights on esports fan attitudes and behaviors leveraging Twitch data,” a joint study from Nielsen and Twitch, December 13, 2018, nielsen.com. In our proprietary research, we found that 10 percent of esports fans report watching over 20 hours per week. 5 McKinsey US Esports Fan Survey, December 2018.
• Contrary to popular belief, millennials are still fans of traditional sports (38 percent for millennials versus 45 percent for Generation X) and have access to pay TV (78 percent for millennials versus 84 percent for Gen X). However, millennials watch much less TV, viewing 28 percent fewer hours per week of TV in 2016 than in 2010. 6 Daniel Singer, “We are wrong about millennials; they ARE sports fans,” Sports Business Journal , September 18, 2017, sportsbusinessdaily.com. Nielsen finds that esports fans are even harder to reach on TV, with fewer than 40 percent claiming to tune in on a weekly basis. 7 Esports playbook for brands , Nielsen, April 24, 2019, nielsen.com.
• Esports has the potential to be an even more powerful branding medium than traditional sports because of the interactivity of streaming. Ad frequency during esports on Twitch, one of the leading streaming platforms, is currently very low, typically with just a couple of ad interruptions per hour. Streamers are willing to wear, consume, and endorse sponsors’ products while broadcasting. And with live chat, contests, and subscriber-only content, esports fans can reach a level of intimacy with their favorite players and teams that traditional sports can’t realistically match.

Winning with esports sponsorship

Still, sports marketers seeking to target young men through esports face a real challenge in achieving efficient reach. Brands tend to underestimate the fragmentation of esports fans among many games, leagues, teams, and players. As a result, they risk spending their money unwisely and ending up, like so many unseasoned gamers, getting “ganked.” 8 “In a video game, to use underhanded means to defeat or kill a less experienced opponent,” Oxford English Dictionary , s.v. “Gank,” lexico.com. Keeping the following considerations top of mind is key to avoiding such a fate.

1. Playing is not watching

With 211 million gamers 9 “Over half of the 211.2 million video gamers in the U.S. play games across multiple platforms, according to NPD,” NPD Group, September 11, 2018, npd.com. in the United States, playing video games is hugely popular. From our research, 83 percent of US males aged 13 to 49 play video games, and 66 percent play at least once per week. However, only 37 percent of those who play competitive video games at least once a week also watch esports weekly.

2. Too many game titles

There are currently esports leagues and competitions for over 30 different game titles. There is also significant churn: Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are two of the top five esports in terms of Twitch hours watched in 2018, neither of which even existed until March 2017. In February 2019, Apex Legends acquired 50 million registered players and reached a high of 7.6 million concurrent viewers in its first four weeks . 10 Allegra Frank, “Apex Legends tops 50M players in first month,” Polygon, March 4, 2019, polygon.com.

Esports organizations field teams for many different titles, but none covers all of them. Players rarely compete in more than one title, and therefore a sponsored athlete reaches only a segment of fans.

3. The most popular streamers are not esports pros

The most popular esports events are still the major team competitions, such as the League of Legends World Championship, which had 20 million average viewers for the final match between China’s Invictus and Europe’s Fnatic in 2018. 11 Aaron Mickunas, “Riot says this year’s League Worlds had the ‘largest viewership number’ of any esports event in history,” Dot Esports, December 11, 2018, dotesports.com.

However, pro competitions constitute just 11 percent of esports viewing, according to Newzoo. Based on 2018 Twitch data, 12 Esports Observer, January 8, 2018–January 8, 2019, esportsobserver.com. all of the top ten channels for the year were dedicated to esports, of which seven were the personal channels of video-game streamers, led by Ninja (Tyler Blevins) with 230 million hours viewed. Of these top esports streamers, only two are currently members of pro teams (Dakotaz of TSM and Tfue of FaZe Clan). The other five (Lirik, Ninja, Shroud, Sodapoppin, and summit1g) are independent streamers (exhibit).

Independent streamers are all accomplished gamers, but they function more as entertainers and coaches than as competitors. Some streamers operate as “content creators” for pro teams, which means that they affiliate with the team on Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms, giving the team more views and the streamer the opportunity to reach the team’s fans and benefit from its commercial arrangements. However, it’s not yet clear how sustainable the bonds between streamers and teams will remain, particularly for the most popular streamers who have the scale to replicate the benefits of team affiliation on their own.

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4. fan loyalty is split among teams, pro players, and independent streamers.

From our survey, 84 percent of US esports fans who can recognize three or more leading teams are also avid watchers (that is, at least an hour a week).

However, only 37 percent of avid US esports fans recognized three or more leading esports teams in our survey. About 45 percent of avid US esports fans say they have a favorite player or streamer, which implies that more avid fans follow favorite players in their favorite games, with less concern for which pro team (if any) they belong to.

5. No esports organization is globally dominant, but most have out-of-market fans

European and North American sponsors will find that at least 30 percent of esports viewers are from outside the team’s home country, particularly in China, Japan, and South Korea, which leads to wasted impressions. Several esports leagues, such as Overwatch League and NBA 2K League, have created city-based franchises to tap into fans’ hometown passion (and local sponsorship budgets). Nonetheless, these franchises report that so far around 80 percent of viewers are outside the home metro area.

6. Measurement is (still) imprecise

Marketers want metrics that are comparable to traditional sports, and esports has made significant progress toward that goal. For example, Twitch and YouTube now report the unique viewers and average-minute audience size for each esports stream and clip, which gives third-party validation for the size and engagement of fan bases.

However, we still can’t segment esports viewers: How many are in the United States? Male? Thirteen to 18 versus 18 to 35 years old? How many watch less than an hour per week versus ten-plus hours? As with other forms of digital advertising, brands also have concerns about ad viewability, viewing by bots and fake accounts, and targetability.

7. Most esports fans are also fans of traditional sports

There is a perception among many sports marketers that esports fans are separate and distinct from traditional sports fans. “It’s like high school; the jocks are in one cluster and the geeks in another,” one team president told us. Going to a major esports event can tend to reinforce that impression; fan behavior can be more like a comic-book convention than a football game.

Of the 21 million US esports fans, 20 million are also fans of traditional sports.

This perception is largely incorrect. Only 13 percent of US esports fans in our survey said that “esports is the only sport I watch.” Even among those who said that esports is their favorite sport to watch, fewer than one in three said it was their only spectator sport. Research firm MRI-Simmons has estimated that 20 million of the 21 million US esports fans are also fans of traditional sports.

8. Sports video games are secondary esports

US major leagues have embraced esports; for example, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League have created competitions for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), NBA2K, and Madden, respectively. Many team owners (for example, those of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia 76ers) have invested in esports organizations, drawn by the potential to activate sponsors and fans across both real-world and virtual teams.

We are wrong about millennial sports fans

However, esports is dominated by shooting games (first-person shooters, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ; battle royale, such as Fortnite ; and multiplayer online battle-arena games, such as League of Legends ), rather than sports-based games.

• None of the top ten video games in 2018 were sports based, either in terms of players or viewing hours.
• Of the US men ages 13 to 49 we surveyed, 22 percent play shooting games at least once a week versus only 11 percent who play sport-based video games. (Another 16 percent play both.)
• Those who play only sports-based video games are less likely (27 percent versus 35 percent) to watch esports weekly than those who play shooting games. They are also less likely to follow pro esports teams (18 percent versus 33 percent).

For marketers seeking to connect with esports fans, some degree of association with combat-oriented games is unavoidable.

9. Platform advertising offers broad reach—but less engagement

One potential solution for managing the complexity of esports properties and fan bases is simply to advertise on Twitch and YouTube across all genres of video game streaming. Those platforms allow marketers to target esports fans by demographics and location.

While platform advertising could help solve the efficient-reach problem, the quality of engagement with fans can’t match player, team, or event sponsorships. As with traditional sports, authentic endorsement by the fan’s favorite player or team commands attention and builds brand affinity. Esports players are even more willing than other athletes to promote sponsors on camera, even while playing, tapping into the fan’s emotional connection to the player.

10. China is an attractive but vertically integrated market

China is a particularly compelling market: 50 percent of all esports fans live in Asia, with China by far the largest market, and Chinese fans are more likely to play and watch esports, follow a favorite player, and follow an esports team than their US peers. However, marketers will find that Tencent is in a strong position in the Chinese esports ecosystem, due to its ownership (full or partial) of games (for instance, Fortnite and League of Legends ), leagues (such as Honor of Kings), independent leagues (like VSPN), and distribution channels (for example, Douyy, Huya, QQLive, and WeChat). Tencent is also one of the largest digital agencies in China. In the near term, this degree of vertical integration could help enable better sponsorship and advertising opportunities but at a potentially higher cost structure.

Leveling the playing field

Esports will be thwarted by fragmentation and opacity, unless the industry takes concerted action:

There is natural synergy between streamers and the leading organizations—they can cross-promote, make joint appearances, and deliver more consistent execution and efficient reach than any other entity.

• Activate consistently. Publishers, leagues, and popular streamers are generally limited to one or two game titles each and therefore can only reach a segment of fans. Leading esports organizations can solve the efficient-reach problem for sponsors, but only if they create compelling branded content, manage data, and measure consistently across their teams and players, which requires more marketing, IT, and analytics staff than most have today.
• Lock in the streamers. Independent streamers can command large audiences, but they are not equipped to sell or service sponsors on their own. To do so, they can either turn to talent agencies or join esports organizations. There is natural synergy between streamers and the leading organizations—they can cross-promote, make joint appearances, and deliver more consistent execution and efficient reach than any other entity. But teams will need to strengthen their sales and marketing capabilities and prove their value to the top streamers to compete with agencies for their allegiance.
• Get face to face. Live esports events have proved to be immensely popular, and sponsors value in-person engagement in front of a passionate arena crowd much more than via PC or mobile.
• Improve audience measurement. The major streaming platforms should enable marketers to cap ad frequency and measure unduplicated reach, including sponsorships sold by teams and leagues.
• Target. Esports are now at an efficient scale for ad targeting, and the industry should enable sponsors to target microsegments of esports fans.

The power of esports to reach millennials as well as members of Generation Z, particularly males 12- to 35-years old, is now undeniable. Current valuations for esports teams and leagues reflect burgeoning investor confidence that marketing budgets for esports will grow accordingly. If the esports industry can deliver efficient reach—through better sales and marketing capabilities, standard audience metrics, and aggregation of titles and streamers—that confidence should be rewarded.

An abridged version of this article originally appeared in Sports Business Journal on April 22, 2019.

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Dan Singer is a partner in McKinsey’s New York office and the leader of McKinsey’s global sports and gaming work. He is also an investor in TSM, an esports organization. Jayson Chi is a senior adviser to McKinsey, based in the Hong Kong office. He is also an early-stage investor in interactive entertainment, with investments in Popdog, an esports and streaming agency, and in TSM.

The authors wish to thank Uta Allenstein, Oliver Gediehn, Alex Kimmet, and Daniel Sun for their contributions to this article.

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Marketing To Gamers: What To Know About The Ever-Expanding Market

The $165 billion global video game market has been steadily climbing since 2009, but the global pandemic reinvigorated consumer drive to be player one, leading to predictions that the global video game market will hit an industry high valuation of $180 billion by 2021.  

Social distancing and stay at home orders helped video game brands experience revenue surges in Q1 2020. Even before the coronavirus helped catapult the video game market to heighten popularity, video game ad spend was forecasted to exceed $5 billion by the end of 2020.

Choose Your Player: Gaming Audiences

The gaming community is better described as a population. Since 2014, the number of gamers worldwide has steadily risen an average of 5.9% each year. In 2019, there were more than 2.47 billion gamers globally. Even before coronavirus, experts estimated the number of gamers could grow to 2.7 billion by 2021. China and the U.S. are at the top of the gaming market leaders board, with $36.5 and $35.1 respectively in annual game revenues.

Gamers represent an incredibly diverse group of individuals, both in geographic and demographic differentiators. 

Consumers From Nearly All Age Segments Play Video Games

Representing 40% of the market, Millennial audiences make up the largest segment of gamers, with Gen Z and Baby Boomers representing 21% market shares each. In general, Baby Boomers prefer to play computer games, while their younger counterparts enjoy playing via mobile devices or gaming consoles. Although most Millennials consider themselves casual or novice players, among players ages 18-35, 12.2% are considering careers as professional gamers. According to Statista data, 60% of gamer parents also play video games with their children at least once per week. 

Men Are Not The Only People Playing Video Games

There is a misconception that the vast majority of gamers are male. However, the gender divide among gamers is almost evenly split with 54% male players and 46% female players. The Japanese gaming market represented the largest segment of female players, with two out of three gamers identifying as female. Note, however, that men spend more time per week playing video games compared to women, with an average of 7.9 hours compared to 6.3 hours. 

Gamers Come From Diverse Backgrounds

According to the Nielsen 360 Gaming Report, in 2019, 67% of U.S. gamers were caucasion/white, 13% were Hispanic and 12% were black. Although Hispanic players do not represent the majority of all gamers, they represent an audience with higher than average weekly play time (12 hours compared to 9 hours for other groups), according to the “Big Picture” report by HispanicGamers.com. Hispanics are also more likely to play video games with others (with 35% teaming up compared to non-Hispanics at 21%) and most likely to purchase and wear video game related apparel. Video game use is greater among younger black players compared to white players of the same age, with 83% of black gamers ages 13-17 playing at least once per week.

All Levels Of Education & Income Are Represented In The Gamer Population

Gaming is not restricted to any income level. 25% of gamers earn $50K per year or less, 38% earn $51K to $75K per year, and 37% earn more than $76K per year. According to the “Gaming Profiles” reported by Finances Online, 52% of gamers have at least a bachelor’s degree or higher. 

COVID-19 Helped The Gaming Industry Level Up

As consumers around the world sought desperate escape and entertainment, video games experienced impressive jumps in demand. COVID-19 supported a spike in media consumption, including 36% of consumers worldwide increasing the amount of time they spent playing video games online and via mobile devices. As a result of societal shifts resulting from COVID-19, the gaming industry boasted increased sales in three key revenue areas in March: digital games, physical games and game consoles. Sales of game consoles saw the most dramatic increase at 155% . 

Gaming quickly grew as an in-home entertainment option that allowed consumers to enjoy creative and captivating distraction from real world woes while feeling connected to others without physical contact. In April, 37% of adult respondents ages 18 to 29 in the U.S. confirmed they expected to increase their video game spending as a result of the global pandemic. Video game spending in April broke records, exceeding $10.5 billion globally. Following an impressive March performance, April earnings for mobile, PC and consoles were up 14%, 12% and 42% respectively from the year prior. Based on April earnings, Peacekeeper Elite was the top mobile game, League of Legends was the top PC game and Nintendo’s Animal Crossing was the top console game.  

Video Game Advertising Presents An Opportunity For Brands

Marketers have an opportunity to approach video game advertising as an innovative strategy to connect with their target consumers. Many brands have embraced video game related advertising because of its general low cost of entry in addition to its massive and diverse audience population. Compared to traditional broadcast advertising, video games provide access to large audiences with less competition for brands. In-game video brand advertising on console games give brands opportunities to increase their exposure to new audiences and establish deeper connections with target markets by aligning with the entertainment that speaks to the audience’s interests. 

Similarly, brands who advertise within mobile games can communicate with users as players engage in game play and ads alike. Most in-game advertising is designed to fit the gaming experience similar to native ads. Therefore, in-game advertising via mobile games allows consumers to choose to engage with brands and empowers brands to present the most relevant campaigns to their target audiences. As the video game industry continues to expand with sales in PC, console and mobile games, marketers have opportunities to increase their brand affinity and engagement. As the video game market grows, it is likely more targeted and sophisticated monetization options will grow with it. 

Seeking New Ways To Maximize Your Customer Acquisition Efforts?

Digital Media Solutions (DMS) is a technology-enabled, data-driven performance advertising solutions provider connecting consumers and advertisers. Contact DMS today to learn how our first-party data asset, proprietary technology and expansive digital media reach can help you scale your customer acquisition results.

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Infinity Heroes Case Study

Infinity Heroes

  the mission.

Infinity Heroes is a simultaneous real-time strategy game that aims to breathe new life into the traditional digital card game experience through the alteration of existing decks via in-game actions.

Lightmare Studios was looking for a game-focused marketing agency who could rapidly prepare a campaign to boost awareness of the Infinity Heroes KickStarter and help achieve the funding goals required .  

  The Process

The Game Marketing Genie team developed the perfect pitch video for the game to attract a variety of players who have shown an interest in online card games and similar real-time strategy apps and designed a suite of creative concepts to be used in a comprehensive digital advertising campaign.

The marketing campaign included adsets across Facebook, Google, Youtube, and email to help boost awareness and drive traffic to the KickStarter and Indiegogo pages as quickly as possible.

On-site optimisation was implemented to more clearly communicate the unique value propositions of the Infinity Heroes game whilst also helping drive a higher number of conversions before the KickStater campaign came to an end.    

  The Results

The Infinity Heroes campaign was rapidly designed and implemented days before the product launch, overcoming earlier concerns due to miscommunication in the early days of previous campaigns, helping improve the brand's reputation, producing 111% of the target funding goal, and driving a 245% ROI.

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CASE STUDIES

Unlock the secrets with PIF Nation’s in-depth case studies on gaming success.  From innovative marketing campaigns to groundbreaking collaborations, our case studies serve as a testament to our commitment to excellence in game publishing in Southeast Asia.

Discover how we took games to new heights with our unique player engagement techniques and marketing strategies. Learn  how we achieved high user acquisition and retention rates by leveraging the power of social media and key opinion leaders.

PIF Nation x D.G.Pals Game Marketing Case Study

Join PIF Nation on a journey that unlocked new potentials and horizons for D.G.Pals. Check our campaign’s strategic foresight, engaging content, and flourishing gaming community.

PIF Nation x Legends of Arcadia Game Marketing Case Study

Learn how PIF Nation’s comprehensive marketing approach significantly enhanced player engagement for Legend of Arcadia.

PIF Nation x Gods Unchained Game Marketing Case Study

Discover how PIF Nation powered up Gods Unchained’s latest campaign in our game marketing case study.

PIF Nation x Baby Shark BubbleFong Friends Game Marketing Case Study

In collaboration with Baby Shark BubbleFong Friends, PIF Nation launched a marketing campaign that spanned multiple social media platforms.

Based on the case studies, our tailored strategies have propelled games to the forefront. Curious about what our game marketing agency can do? Contact us today to explore how our proven strategies and innovative solutions can transform your game.

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Esport Marketing: 11 Powerful Strategies in for Rapid Growth in 2024 (+Examples)

Esport marketing is a booming industry! You need innovative and powerful strategies to stay ahead of your competition and develop a successful Esport marketing campaign. 

North America has the second-largest Esports gaming market, with nearly 70% of Americans being gamers . By 2021 already, the Esports market reached over $300 million. 

So with all this interest in Esports marketing, the question begs: How do you engage users and provide a unique experience tailored to your audience?

We’ve researched the top 11 Esports marketing strategies that world-recognized Esports brands and companies have tried and tested.

We also have an Esports marketing case study to show you how to apply out-of-the-box solutions for typical challenges in this space. 

Ready to learn about the best Esport marketing strategy to engage your consumers, skyrocket your brand and multiply your revenue? Let’s get started! 

Skip to What You Need

Esport Market in 2024 Overview

Before you decide to choose an Esport marketing strategy for your business, you need to understand this market. Here are some key statistics for you to consider:

• The global Esport audience is forecasted to experience a year-on-year growth above 8.7%. ( Newzoo )
• By 2027, the global Esports market is estimated to be worth over $3,574.9 million. ( GlobeNewswire )
• Between 2020 and 2021, the Esports market increased by 50%. ( Statista )
• China has the largest Esports and gaming community. ( LEVVVEL )
• Most consumers in the Esport market are aged 16 and 24 years. ( FinancesOnline )
• The top Esports game is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has generated over $15 million. ( Esports Earnings )
• 80% of sponsorships in Esport marketing comes from gaming hardware and the peripherals industry. ( LEVVVEL )
• As of 2021, 55% of Esport users were male, and 45% were female. Females in the Esport space increased by 45% over the following year. ( Statista )
• The gaming market is currently the largest sector in entertainment, valued at more than $145 billion. ( INTHEBLACK )
• League of Legends is the most streamed Esport game with over 348 million hours. ( PlayToday.co )

Source: Tommy Clark

11 Powerful Esport Marketing Strategies & Examples

1. understand, target and segment the right buyer personas.

You need to understand and target the right customers for Esport marketing. As we’ve shown you, this market is overflowing with opportunity. It’s vital to know your target buyer to tailor your marketing efforts accordingly. There are tons of various Esport games in the market, and not all consumers like the same games.

To give you an idea, these are the category of games Esport consumers like:

• FPS: First Person Shooter
• Player vs. Player (PvP)
• Real-Time Strategy (RTS)
• Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA)
• Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG)

Determine which category of games your target audience prefers and cater to them. Doing this will also help you network with Esport teams your audience is interested in. You’ll have an improved and well-rounded idea to captivate your audience. But there’s more to defining your target buyers for Esport marketing. Here’s a breakdown of the steps you need to take to define who your ideal gamers are:

• Understand what their gaming motivations are.  Gaming motivations are broken down into six categories. This includes Social (competing against or working with other team players), Achievement (completing milestones and progressing), Action (pretty self-explanatory), Mastery (completing challenges and using strategy), Creativity (designing and discovering) and Immersion (fantasy and story-oriented gameplay). The best games fuse two or three motivations for an enthralling experience and to engage gamers who prefer different motivations.
• The kind of  gaming experience your players like . When talking about gaming experience, consider aspects like do you want players to feel challenged, excited, nervous scared or will they have to make tricky choices based on how they interact with the world. You need to tie your gaming person in with your motivations. For example, if you choose Action, Social and Mastery as your motivations, your gaming experience could be a group of players surviving in a world full of monsters and creatures, forcing them to work together to progress to the next level.
• Finally create your buyer personas.  After the two stages above, you’ll have what you need to start putting your buyer personas on paper. Include their desired gaming motivations and experience and demographics, like age, location and active social channels. It’s ideal to have between two and three gaming personas.

“In 2022, the global esports audience will grow +8.7% year on year to reach 532 million”

2. Source the Perfect Esport Marketing Influencers

Esport marketing influencers are crucial if you want to gain brand awareness and traction. Consumers in the Esport marketing environment, like other marketing spaces, trust influencers. These influencers also have large followings of targeted users you can penetrate. 

When looking for the perfect Esport marketing influencers consider these questions:

• Are the influencers active on the same channels as my consumers?
• Should I use micro or macro-influencers?
• Do the influencers following consist of my ideal buyers?
• Does the influencer have a lot of social credibilities?
• Are these the people I can trust to be the face of my brand?

It’s crucial to figure out those questions. As much as influencer marketing can help a business, it can also break one. Remember, if your influencer makes an insensitive or unethical statement while promoting your brand, this could stain your reputation. C onsider the best gaming influencers and the top Twitch influencers for your brand. 

But finding the best influencers for Esport marketing can be quite a hassle. Use the best influencer marketing research tools to help you, or use these top Esport marketing influencers as inspiration:

Peter Dager (A.K.A PPD)

Peter Dager is a popular Esport marketing influencer for Dota 2. He would be considered a micro influencer with over 160,000 Twitter followers and over 36,000 Instagram followers. However, these are impressive figures for an Esport influencer and understanding how Peter interacts with his audience will give you a clear idea of what to look for in an influencer.

Matthew Piper (A.K.A FormaL) 

Back in 2017, this Esport marketing influencer won the Call of Duty Championship and cashed out with over $220,000. On Instagram he has more than 76,000 followers and these gamers love Matthew because of he’s a master at strategy and action games.

Salehi Takhasomi (A.K.A KuroKy)

Pretty much everyone knows this Esport marketing influencer in the gaming community as he has over 250,000 Twitter followers. Plus, Salehi has generated more than $5.2 million in Esport gaming earnings. Like Peter Dagger, this influencer is a Dota 2 pro.

3. Find and Optimize The Best Social Channels

Although you may want to execute your Esport marketing strategy on various social channels, using only a few is better. Focusing on too many channels will prevent you from mastering your engagement and reach on the ones that matter. 

To pick the best social channels for your Esport marketing efforts consider:

• Which platforms your competitors aren’t active on.
• Which platforms your consumers are active on.
• Which platforms better support the type of Esport games your consumers enjoy.

The best social channels for Esport marketing are:

• YouTube Gaming
• Gosu Gamers

Once you’ve chosen the social channels you want to build a following on, you need to consider optimization strategies. While you must personalize these strategies to your social channels and audience, here are a few general tips to follow:

• Be consistent with your engagement efforts.
• Interact with your audience and mention users that constantly share your brand and engage with you.
• Run A/B or multivariate tests to determine which content works better for each platform.
• Determine the best times to post and create a social media calendar to streamline and automate your strategy.
• Stay ahead of trends on each platform to post relevant and timely content.
• Interact with other accounts so you can build a professional network and possible partnership opportunities. 

4. Start an Esports Team

An Esports team is a group of gamers who share the same values, play the same games, and engage similar users. Esports teams typically stream when they play games together, and this helps all of them as they can access one another’s followings.

You don’t need to be a huge brand to start an Esports team. And if you want to make it easier for yourself, you can approach an already established team. There are tons of Esports teams on Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and a few other channels. 

Once you find or create an Esports team, they’ll advertise your brand through paid sponsorships. If you want to source team members for your team, use social channels like Twitch Facebook and Reddit . 

If you want to start an Esports team, these tips will help you.

• Choose one game and master it.
• Decide on the geographical location you want your team to represent. It’s best to start out with small towns as huge cities come with more completion.
• Choose a unique team branding that helps you stand out.
• Source and vet the best Esport team players for your team.
• Create a team infrastructure that complements the strengths, weaknesses and abilities of your team members.

Starting an Esports team does take work, but with the right approach, team members and branding, you can have a successful Esport team in no time.

5. Consider Partnerships

Esport partnerships are pivotal for new businesses. Partnerships allow you to reach a wider audience and gain credibility for your brand (if you choose the right partners). You can create partnerships with various entities in the Esports marketing space, including:

• Esports influencers
• Esports marketing agencies
• Esports investors
• Esport event organizers
• Esport teams
• Other professionals interested in the Esport marketing space

There are two main types of Esport partnerships and these are:

• Endemic Partnerships:  These partnerships with brands that sell products or services that are related too and complement Esport marketing.
• Non-endemic Partnerships:  Being the exact opposite of endemic partnerships, non-endemic partnerships are when brands who aren’t remotely related to Esport marketing partner up with Esport marketing teams.

Partnerships have played a significant role in how the Esport market blew up. Currently, Esport marketing sponsorships have brought in over $634 million for this sector. Mercedes Benz, Coca-Cola and T-Mobile are the biggest Esport marketing sponsorships in the world.

6. Plan and Execute Team Events

Digital events work to excite your audience. There are many Esport team events you can host like:

• Podcasts : Podcasts are a great way to show a personal side of your Esports team to your audience. You can speak about trending topics, common challenges players have for specific games, or any fun topics you know your audience will enjoy.
• Mini Tournaments: Everybody enjoys watching healthy competition, and that’s why mini-tournaments are common for Esports teams. To host a mini-tournament, choose a game that your audience loves watching your Esport team play, divide your team and have them compete against each other. To add more spice to the mix, brainstorm a super exciting reward for the winning team or member.
• Team Meetings: Similar to podcasts, streaming your Esport teams’ meetings shows human elements to your brand. Your audience can get an inside scoop on your plans, what your members contribute and how they interact with each other when they’re not streaming games. 

For any team events you choose, never forget to promote them on your social channels. How you promote your events relies on which event you want to launch. For example, you may announce your team meetings more often than create excitement around a mini-tournament or vice versa.

If you want plan an Esport event for your team, these tips can help you:

• Create and immersive and interactive experience:  You’re not planning traditional, in-person events, you’re planning an Esport marketing event! Use innovative, bold and immersive elements to bring your audience into your event. You want them to feel like they’ve stepped into a new world, a world tailored to them by your brand.
• Leverage influencer marketing:  We’ve gone over the power of influencers, so I’m sure you can understand how influencers will help promote your event. Having large companies, and favored influencers spread the word of your event will help you engage much more people.
• Promote Community Engagement:  Whether your event is to pit teams against each other or have them work together, make everyone feel a apart of something bigger. Who doesn’t love comradery!
• Maximize the Role of Technology:  If you want to make all of the above possible, don’t shy away from technology. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality are what you should be using to make your Esport marketing event unique.

7. Leverage Podcast Marketing

We briefly explained this above, but podcast marketing can be valuable for Esports marketing, so it deserves more detail. Users in the Esport space aren’t only engaged by an influencer or Esport team’s streams, but they get attached to the people too. 

Let’s take a gaming influencer like PewdiePie, for example. This influencer has maximized his following through sharing personal and professional growth with his audience. Users have seen PewdiePie rise up the ranks, creating an emotional connection between the influencer and his followers.

Now consider this same concept for your brand and your consumers. If you keep your consumers informed about what you’re doing and want to do, they become invested in your brand. 

8. Host Social Contests and Giveaways

As we mentioned, everybody loves healthy competition, and who doesn’t like freebies? Social media contests are proven to create buzz and interest for your brands. Don’t overlook this for your Esport marketing efforts. 

Create a fun social contest for your audience, and promote it well before the contest launch date. Ensure you choose a prize that’s easily accessible, convenient, and tailored to what your target audience will like.

If you want to give away freebies, you can do this through your social content or separately. When brands do this separately, they often give freebies to influencers. If the influencer likes your product, they’ll mention it on their live stream or social channels. 

When you host social contents or giveaways you need to:

• Understand the rules of the social channel you use. Different social channels have different regulations for freebies and social contests. It’s vital to understand these rules to prevent breaking policies that could put your social account at risk.
• Determine a fair method to choose the winner.  It’s best to avoid picking your winners yourself unless your social contest calls for that. However, this is very rare. Get software to help you choose a winner based on your social contests’ guidelines and entry rules.
• Always announce your winners. Imagine participating in a social contest only to not find out who won. That sounds like a scam doesn’t it! Be sure to have a huge announcement for your content winner to avoid seeming fraudulent.
• Have a big rollout. In the days or weeks leading up to your social content, promote it everywhere. Have influencers talk about and use your social accounts to get people talking.
• Mark the end of contest.  Besides announcing the winner, you need to mark the end of your content. Doing this ensures people know they can’t enter and will grab the attention of those who didn’t know about it (they may look out for the next one!). Also, thank all the contributors and content entrants.

9. Invest Video Marketing

Video marketing will help your Esports marketing efforts as users in this space often enjoy immersive and interactive content. Think about it, your target audience is gamers, so they need content that engages them the same way their games do. Be experimental with your video marketing strategy and play around with virtual reality and augmented reality elements.

10. Use Data and Analytics

Data-driven approaches are the best approaches in any marketing strategy. Always ensure you track and measure the right data on your social channels. Making this effort will give you the following key information:

• Are your users engaged in your posts?
• What content is engaging your users the most?
• When are your users most active?
• When have you experienced the least amount of activity?
• What are your conversion rates?
• How many followers do you gain vs. lose over a specific time?

Before looking at your data and analytics, set goals for yourself. You should check your data and analytics two weeks later to determine whether your goals were realistic or not. If not, modify what you want to achieve, so it’s SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound. 

“The Global Esports Market size is expected to reach $3,574.9 million by 2027.”

GlobeNewswire

11. Boost Your Content Marketing Efforts

Successful, accurate, consistent, and tailored content marketing is the mothership of all marketing strategies. Your content is pretty much the medium between your business and its followers. To refine your content marketing efforts use these tips:

• Use quality over quantity. Your content should be relevant, impactful, and valuable to your audience.
• Avoid inconsistency. Don’t post one day, and then one week later, and then two days later. Determine a schedule, measure it, modify it and stick to it.
• Listen to what your audience has to say about your content. How your audience interacts and engages with your content will determine whether you’re on the right track or not. Always use the feedback you get from users because of this.
• Share user-generated content. Creating content is one of the most challenging components of content marketing. Make this easier for yourself and share positive content created by your users.

If you don’t know much about content marketing, you should 100% look for someone or people that do. Content marketing isn’t something you want to cheap out on because this determines how well you engage and understand your audience. 

Summary: 11 Powerful Esport Marketing Strategies

• Understand, Target and Segment the Right Buyer Personas
• Source the Perfect Esport Marketing Influencers
• Find and Optimize The Best Social Channels
• Start an Esports Team
• Consider Partnerships
• Plan and Execute Team Events
• Leverage Podcast Marketing
• Host Social Contests and Giveaways
• Invest Video Marketing
• Use Data and Analytics
• Boost Your Content Marketing Efforts.

The Top Esport Marketing Case Study to Learn From

Riot games .

Riot Games is one of the top Esport marketing companies. This case study will reveal how this brand used an innovative approach to solve a common problem in this market. 

The Challenge

Riot Games hosted a global championship for League of Legends but lacked the correct Esports marketing strategy and infrastructure to keep up with the demand. Tons of fan sites started popping up and taking the limelight off Riot Games by delivering news and live streams that Riot couldn’t. Ultimately, this Esports marketing company had to turn the tables around and act as a hub for both news and live streaming for this championship. 

The Solution 

Riot Games decided to seek help from AMP Agency, a renowned Esport marketing agency . This agency created an Esports marketing strategy that went beyond driving engagement for championship tournaments. Instead, this strategy aimed to keep Esport marketing fans invested in Riot Games every day of the year. So, AMP agency developed a platform to support news, live streams, player and team information, and video-on-demand content. 

The Results

Thanks to AMP agency, Riot Games was able to keep League of Legends as one of the top multiplayer online games globally. These are the four key performances Riot Game benefited from:

• Over 32 million viewers supported the League of Legends Championship
• Between 2013 and 2015, League of Legends monthly users grew by 80%
• Between 2014 and 2015, League of Legends monthly active users increased by 18 million

Esport marketing is growing rapidly, and your brand needs to use the best strategies and approaches to stand out from competing Esport marketing companies.

While both men and women represent consumers in the Esport marketing agency, and there are thousands of influencers to help your brand, you need to understand your target audience first. By using the best Esport marketing strategies we’ve outlined for you, you can gain traction and engagement for your brand in no time. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you promote esports.

The best strategies for Esport marketing include understanding and targeting the right audience, finding and optimizing the best social channels, and starting an Esports team. For more of the best strategies Esport marketing companies should use, and the top Esport marketing case study, read this article.

Are Esports growing?

Yes, the Esport market is growing. The year-over-year growth for Esport marketing is predicted to be over 8.7% and over one year, between 2020 and 2021, Esports increased by 50%. Read this article for more key statistics on how the Esport marketing is growing and the best strategies to make a mark in this space.

What is the target market for Esports?

Most gamers in the Esports market is between 16 and 24 years. Males make up 55% of the Esport market while women make up 45%. However, the presence of women is growing in the Esport marketing as female gamers increased by 45% in 2022. This article reveals how to leverage the top strategies for successful Esports marketing.

Global Sport Matters: In Esports, the U.S. Still Lags the Rest of the World. Why?

Newzoo: Newzoo’s Global Esports & Live Streaming Market Report 2022 | Free Version

GlobeNewswire: Global Esports Market to 2027 – Rising Number of Esports Events With Huge Prize Pools is Driving Growth

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Twitch marketing cases: how brands get settled in Gamer Wonderland

• Brand monitoring

Article summary

Some marketers feel that Twitch is about esports and gaming only. On the other hand, this streaming platform attracts millions of people daily. It makes Twitch suitable for successful marketing campaigns. In this article, we consider the perks of Twitch for brand promotion with examples of real case studies.

Why promotion on Twitch is a super creative marketing task

Marketing case studies, #cashapppayday: a pr event for brand awareness, bmw: brand promotion through esports events.

• Old Spice: an interactive game with tons of product placement
• Speed Gaming Marathon: an esports team promotion through a charity event

When you get Twitch for the first time, you probably feel like Alice in Wonderland. It is a New World where users spend 95 minutes on average watching how streamers play Fortnite, draw anime characters, or perform their alternative music.  

“It is not for my company!” you can say, heading to the exit. However, such solid brands as BMW and Old Spice stay here and run their campaigns. Why? 

Michael Aragon, Chief Content Officer of Twitch, describes it as a multi-player entertainment platform where people with similar interests gather to chat and enjoy the experience with their squad. These real-time dialogues are like virtual parties that can last more than ten hours! Not surprisingly, Twitch streams are much more engaging than videos on other social platforms.

High engagement level and a strong bond with the audience are the main reasons why you should think about marketing campaigns on Twitch.

Take a look at this article to learn the basics of Twitch. Or, if you already know what the platform is, let’s go on a journey!

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Twitch is different. In a nutshell, it is a unique audience, new content format, and strategy. In this short video, you can find out more about the history and the peculiarities of the platform. 

Audience 

In 2020, the average daily audience of the platform was 30 million users, 7 million streamers went live monthly, and 1 trillion minutes of video was watched, as Twitch statistics show . Nearly 50% of all visitors are between the ages of 18-34. 

To get more insights into Twitch's audience, I used Awario as a social listening tool . I created an alert to find mentions about the platform on the web and social media. 

Awario gave the following results:

• Twitch was mentioned most by people from the UK and the US; 

• the platform is generally discussed by men (69.9%);

• the majority of people who mentioned the platform speak English (57%), French (3.7%), and Spanish (2.6%);

• people 25-34 years old mostly talk about the platform (54.1% of mentions), the group of 35-44 is in the second place (37%);

• users mention Twitch more than brands: 64.4% of mentions were done via personal accounts and 35.6% via companies’ pages.

The platform unites extraordinary people who love watching what other users do or share their routine or leisure with others. There are large communities around games, music, food recipes, ASMR, pets, and the like. “Just chatting” is maybe the number two category after “Games” by user popularity because users primarily go to Twitch to find like-minded people and talk to them. 

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Content strategy

Twitch requires live video only . However, there are a lot of saved streams on the channels. But you can’t repurpose content, for instance, from YouTube, there. You have to create new one.

Besides, to retain and grow your audience, you need to stream regularly. “Being live every single day, I was able to build connections with people on a much more personal level and at a faster pace than I did with other platforms,” SypherPK, who has 4.7 million followers on Twitch, said  about his Twitch marketing strategy.

Making videos for your own Twitch channel is a massive and time-consuming task. For example, the shortest streams in the Art category last at least two hours!

The new level of engagement with the audience  

Twitch is a reality show without editing . The number of viewers is one of the significant indicators of your stream's popularity. You constantly need to nurture and entertain them. For example, you can mention every new subscriber by name, run giveaways, share discounts. It allows you to build a strong emotional bond with your audience. 

Any stream on Twitch has a live chat that is available to followers and subscribers only. The latter get more options as emojis posting or recorded streams viewing.

The more users watch a stream, the more messages they will post in a chat. Usually, people comment on what a streamer is doing, ask questions, and post tons of emojis. Of course, you need to moderate their quick reactions. 

Engaging with followers, you need to be very friendly and sincere. Otherwise, they quickly leave your channel and switch to another stream. 

Content topics 

Streaming games is the most popular content format on Twitch. Gamers just share their desktops, start their favorite game, and comment on what and why they do. However, some companies turn their streams into TV show alternatives with a studio, guests, music pauses, and so on. 

Making a plot for your first stream, do not forget that a stream is about the process . Whether you are a gamer, artist, or tailor, you need to shoot how you are doing something. There are talking heads shows on Twitch, too, for instance, in the Politics category. However, this is not mainstream content on the platform.

Subscription specs 

The last peculiarity relates to a subscription to your channel. There is a difference between a follower and a subscriber on Twitch. 

Any person can follow you free to watch your stream and write to your chat. However, there are paid subscriptions that include benefits for users.

Subscribers can view the channel almost without ads, chat during Subscriber-Only mode, watch Subscriber streams, and so on. 

In other words, followers help your content get popular on the platform, while subscribers potentially can become your sponsors. Streams with a big number of viewers have a chance to appear in recommendations for other Twitch users. So, as a marketer, you should pay more attention to growing your following.

Now you already know that Twitch is not only about gaming . First of all, it is about online entertaining in real-time. Many companies got the point and launched their streams or reached out to Twitch influencers. You can find a lot of ad banners in the profile of every popular streamer.

For instance, this is how the About page of Fnatic, an esports team and a big Twitch influencer, looks like.

However, some brands go beyond advertising on channels and sponsoring esports tournaments. 

Let's look at four marketing cases.

Cash App, a mobile payment service, used Twitch as a platform for a big promotional show . The company created a channel where it launched an event lasting almost eight hours! 

Considering the Twitch audience preferences, the show organizers invited 21 top content creators as guests and co-hosts of #CashAppPayDay. For instance, at the beginning of the event, 24KBrownMagic, a Twitch influencer with 48K followers, performed his welcoming song. Also, members of 100Thieves, a popular esports team, accompanied the presenters throughout the show. 

#CashAppPayDay was full of entertainment. Participants staged a rap battle, played a quiz game, and run a UNO championship with $100K in bitcoins as a prize. Of course, there was a lot of interactions with viewers during the event. They cluttered a chat with tons of comments and emojis.  

Between fun activities, viewers were shown Cash App commercials that emphasized the benefits of the service and urged people to sign up for it.

As a result, the stream earned 1.3 million views. Almost 484K users followed the Cash App channel. Surprisingly, there are no other videos beyond #CashAppPayDay on the channel. What a start on the new platform!  

Marketing takeaway

Twitch is a good choice for PR events presenting B2C brands . Launching any activities there, reach out to influencers to grab more attention to your content and understand how to prepare it. You can invite them as co-hosts, buy an ad on their channels, or agree on a mutual promotion.  

Also, do not forget to highlight your event on other social media where you have a big following. For example, Cash App announced the show on its Twitter (with 1.2 million followers).   

Many solid automobile brands as Mercedes, Ferrari, or Hyundai often sponsor esports events . BMW is one of them, too. Besides, the brand team is an active participant in motorsport — not only in real races but also in virtual ones. 

On Twitch, BMW has an official channel dedicated to motorsport simulation games — iRacing and rFactor that are quite trendy on the platform (more than 500K users follow these categories). Although it was created recently, there are many saved streams and 3.5K followers on the channel.  

The company runs live streams of esports tournaments commenting on them. Also, BMW actively uses Twitch as an additional social media platform for brand promotion. You can find links to its official website and accounts on other social platforms on the About page.

Of course, gigantic companies as BMW have a huge advantage over the middle- and small-sized business. However, do not hesitate to try Twitch as a regular social media or an ad platform if your brand can be connected to esports events. For example, many manufacturers of computer products, beverages, energy drinks, and even mobile apps collaborate with streamers to promote their goods. Who knows, maybe you will find your target audience there!

Old Spice: an interactive game with tons of product placement 

Are you confused? Yes, a famous brand of male grooming products streamed on Twitch, too. Maybe, this is the most striking marketing case of all, considering its scope. 

Old Spice held a 2-day interactive game show , Foam Zone. Twenty-four contestants faced plenty of foam, obstacles, and comical tests. During the contest, the viewers could decide what happened next — a new difficulty will arise, or help will come — by commenting in the chat.  

Of course, the action was saturated with Old Space signs:) . Decorations, game accessories, items on the commentators' table were branded.

Although the show sometimes looked like a 6-hours promo with product placement, viewers were very active in comments. To keep in touch with the audience, organizers showed funny replies in the ticker on the screen and ran surveys.  

Over two days, more than 1.3K viewers watched The Foam Zone. However, for the brand that is far from the game industry, hundreds of comments on Twitch were maybe even greater success. It is a fine example of an experimental promotional campaign.  

If marketing budget allows you, feel free to experiment with the content format. Twitch can be an effective social platform for product placement when your product or service is properly served. Streaming entertaining shows is a great opportunity to showcase your brand in front of an audience you have not targeted before. There are high chances you will find new customers here.

Speed Gaming Marathon: an esports team promotion through a charity event 

Naturally, esports teams , not businesses, more often use Twitch for their promotion . For many of them, starting streams is regular work. To succeed and earn money, they need to attract sponsors, advertisers, and paid subscribers.  

The SpeedGaming channel hosts a variety of speedrun events and esports tournaments. Recently they have held a 5-day charity marathon with speed games like Tetris to support No Kid Hungry motion.

To grab more attention, the team posted an ad around the event on the Homepage carousel. The streams were broadcasted in the public eye attracting new viewers who had recently visited the platform. 

As a result, the streams dedicated to the marathon gained 140K views on average. That's 26 times more than regular viewings on the channel! I think the reason is not only a successful ad. It is a good idea behind the event as well. 

Probably you use ad abilities on Instagram, YouTube, and other social platforms and get a good result. Twitch is not an exception. Besides, it is a bit specific for newbies. If you want to get more views and followers to your channel, run an ad there. 

Participating in charity campaigns is a good way to highlight your brand as well. As you can see, Twitch is great for that.

Enjoying the post? There's more. Sign up for our newsletter to get our best content by email.

Wrapping up

For marketers, Twitch looks like a new reality portal. Keep calm and come in, there are no cyborgs there! The platform attracts millions of users with diverse interests. People come there for one reason — they want to have fun. So, just entertain them! 

Marketing copywriter at Awario

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Video Game Influencer Marketing Case Study with Schell Games

About Schell Games

Schell Games is a game design and development company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that creates video games and interactive experiences for education and entertainment.

Download the full Case Study

Objectives & goals, schell games wanted to build hype and drive sales for their latest game release..

Schell Games wanted to build hype and drive sales for their latest game release, I Expect You to Die 2. With a $50,000 budget to work with, Schell Games established the following KPIs for its campaign: CPE less than $1.00, over 1 million impressions, over 1 million creator video views, and at least 30 creator partners.

Schell Games planned its campaign in three phases: Pre-launch (June to August), launch (August), and post-launch (August to December). The two biggest challenges were finding experienced creators in the VR niche and tracking influencer conversions without being able to use affiliate links.

Schell Games allowed its influencers to create its ads. The marketing team gave them creative freedom to produce content using their own voice and messaging on each post to promote authenticity.

GRIN tools used:

• Creator search.  Easily  recruited high-performing creators  within the AR/VR gaming niche
• Influencer analysis.  Checked  creator metrics  to ensure all prospects met authenticity standards
• Outreach.  Email  integration  enabled tailored email and follow-up sequences to prospects 
• Reporting dashboard.  GRIN made it simple to evaluate the entire influencer program and  identify ROI .

The Results

As our video game influencer marketing case study shows, Schell Games’ innovative approach enabled its creators to produce the type of content their audience loves and incentivized the creators to reach out to the brand for future partnerships.  In six months, Schell Games generated:

• 48 creator partnerships
• 1 million video views
• 1.4 million impressions 
• CPE of $0.51 
• 50,000+ engagements

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Indie Game Studio Generates Video Game Sales Through Digital Marketing

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• watch_later November 24th, 2022

The client is an American video game company founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, California. To promote their new video game, they needed to both appeal to new players and maintain interest from existing ones. Due to subpar reporting from previous agencies, the client did not have access to data from their game’s launch campaign, resulting in a lack of valuable first party data and general marketing insights.

In conjunction with those challenges, the gaming industry also suffers from limitations in connecting marketing efforts to actualized revenue. The majority of game sales occur on third party platforms like PlayStation and Xbox, which do not allow for pixel implementation and lack the ability to pivot strategies in real time. This creates a scenario where studios can neither track their conversions nor amend their approach.

Ntooitive Digital devised a two-pronged, four-month digital marketing plan: garner new interest and awareness for the game prior to the downloadable content (“DLC”) launch, and then re-engage these users during its release. To generate first party data and user insights, Ntooitive focused on social channels and behaviorally targeted display and pre-roll video for the first three months of the campaign. During the DLC launch, the focus switched to conversion through display, social, paid search and console direct buys to push DLC and standard game sales. Throughout the campaign a real-time, custom dashboard was created to accurately track performance and estimated game sales.

Through the combined efforts of Ntooitive’s two-pronged marketing plan, the client was able to:

• Drive sales for both the DLC and standard editions of the game.
• Maintain interest from former players while also bringing new players to the game.
• Provide comprehensive tracking and reporting through a real-time, custom dashboard.
• Keep cost per action low through quick and effective optimizations.

The strategy was successful in helping the studio garner awareness for their new game, push conversions, and track marketing effectiveness. The behaviorally targeted display and pre-roll video helped create new interest and awareness in the first phase. The social, paid search, and console direct buys help conversions and sales during the second phase. Throughout this process, a custom tracking dashboard allowed Ntooitive to make quick and effective optimizations to keep CPA down.

About the Client:

• The client is an American video game company founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, California.
• They specialize in third person shooter survival experiences.
• After releasing the first installment of the game in late 2021, they planned to release the first downloadable content one year after the initial launch.

Project Highlights

• The campaign yielded 2,500,000 social engagements and 37,189,208 impressions served.
• Interest grew, with a click through rate of 1.82%.
• New daily users to the game’s discord increased by 200%.
• Costs remained within the margin of $15 cost per conversion, and $.0.50 cost per click.
• The campaign amassed 690,000 clicks.

The interest and awareness led to 22,500 potential game sales.

Yielding progressive results with agile methodology

• Audit Analysis and Discovery 1 - 2 weeks
• Proposal of Strategy 1 - 2 weeks
• Onboarding and Implementation 4 weeks onwards
• Testing and Proof of Concept 1-3 weeks
• Launch Pre-Go Live Test 2 weeks
• Analyze and Optimize Ongoing

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Xbox Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study

In this article, we will delve into the marketing strategy of Xbox and explore the tactics that have contributed to its success as a leading video gaming brand. We will examine the company’s history, target audience, and digital presence to gain insights into its marketing approach.

Key Takeaways

• Xbox has implemented effective marketing tactics to establish itself as a leading video gaming brand.
• Xbox’s advertising strategy and promotional strategies have contributed to its success in the market.
• The brand’s digital marketing efforts have helped in building a strong presence and engaging with its target audience.
• Xbox’s market research and competitive analysis have aided in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities.
• The brand’s focus on brand positioning and customer engagement has fostered strong relationships with its customers.

Company Overview and History

Xbox is a renowned gaming brand that has captivated the hearts of gamers worldwide. The origins of Xbox can be traced back to the creative minds at Microsoft’s DirectX team . With a vision to revolutionize the gaming industry, this team embarked on a journey to develop a gaming console that would push the boundaries of technology and deliver unparalleled gaming experiences.

The development of Xbox was driven by the idea of creating a console that shared hardware components with personal computers, running on versions of Windows and DirectX. By leveraging the expertise of the DirectX team, Xbox was able to harness the power of cutting-edge technology and deliver immersive gaming experiences.

One of the crucial aspects of Xbox’s history is the creation of its name. The team conducted a survey to select a name that resonated with gamers and encompassed the brand’s identity. And thus, Xbox emerged as the final choice. This distinctive name captured the essence of the gaming console and became synonymous with unparalleled gaming experiences.

Since its inception, Xbox has evolved from a mere concept to a global gaming brand, attracting millions of gamers from around the world. Xbox’s dedication to innovation, high-quality gaming experiences, and commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology have cemented its position as a leading player in the gaming industry.

Target Audience

Xbox caters to a tech-savvy target audience, primarily consisting of individuals aged 18-34 who are passionate about gaming. These gamers form a diverse group with various motivations, interests, and pain points. Understanding their buyer persona is crucial for creating impactful marketing strategies.

The Xbox buyer persona is characterized by their enthusiasm for immersive gameplay experiences, cutting-edge technology, and social connectivity. They seek high-performance gaming consoles that deliver breathtaking graphics, seamless gameplay, and a wide range of entertainment options.

Demographically, the Xbox gamer demographics consist of both male and female players, with a strong presence among millennials and Gen Z. They are typically early adopters of technology and avid followers of gaming trends and developments. Their dedication to gaming drives them to seek out the best hardware, exclusive game titles, and online multiplayer experiences.

To capture the attention and loyalty of this target audience, Xbox focuses on delivering innovative features, powerful gaming hardware, and a vast library of games across various genres. They understand the need to engage gamers on multiple levels, keeping their interests piqued and ensuring a memorable gaming experience.

Key Characteristics of Xbox’s Target Audience:

• Tech-savvy individuals aged 18-34
• Passionate gamers seeking immersive experiences
• Early adopters of technology
• Diverse gender representation
• Avid followers of gaming trends and developments
• Enthusiastic about high-performance gaming hardware

By understanding the buyer persona and demographics of the Xbox target audience , marketers can tailor their strategies to effectively connect with these gamers and build lasting relationships. Xbox’s ability to cater to the unique needs and preferences of its target audience has contributed to its success as a leading video gaming brand.

Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning

As part of its marketing strategy , Xbox employs a comprehensive approach to segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) in order to effectively reach its diverse customer base. By understanding the distinct needs and preferences of different consumer segments, Xbox is able to tailor its products and messaging to effectively target specific markets and position itself as a leader in the gaming industry.

Segmentation

Xbox utilizes various segmentation criteria to divide its target audience into distinct groups. These criteria include demographic factors such as age, gender, and household income, as well as psychographic factors such as interests, lifestyles, and gaming preferences. By segmenting its audience, Xbox can develop targeted marketing campaigns and product offerings that resonate with the unique characteristics and preferences of each segment.

Once Xbox has identified its different segments, it can then prioritize certain segments as its primary target markets . Through market research and analysis, Xbox identifies the segments that offer the greatest potential for growth and profitability. By focusing its marketing efforts on these target markets, Xbox can allocate its resources effectively and tailor its messaging to resonate with the specific needs and desires of each target audience.

Positioning

Xbox strategically positions itself in the gaming industry by highlighting its unique strengths, features, and value propositions. By positioning itself as a provider of high-performance gaming consoles, immersive gaming experiences, and a rich library of exclusive games, Xbox differentiates itself from competitors and creates a strong brand image. Through targeted messaging and branding efforts, Xbox aims to establish itself as the go-to choice for gamers seeking cutting-edge technology, innovation, and entertainment.

By leveraging segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategies, Xbox is able to effectively reach its target market, communicate its value proposition, and maintain a competitive advantage in the gaming industry.

Marketing Campaigns

Xbox has been at the forefront of gaming advertising, with a history of impactful marketing campaigns that have resonated with gamers worldwide. One notable campaign that made waves in the industry was the Halo 3 marketing campaign .

The Halo 3 campaign, released in 2007, capitalized on the immense popularity of the Halo franchise and created a buzz among gamers. The campaign featured stunning trailers and immersive virtual reality games that transported players into the Halo universe. This innovative approach not only generated excitement but also showcased the technological advancements of the Xbox console.

To further amplify the reach of the campaign, Xbox collaborated with well-known brands such as PepsiCo and Burger King. These strategic partnerships led to cross-promotional initiatives that brought the Halo 3 experience to a wider audience. Through these collaborations, Xbox was able to tap into the fanbase of these brands and engage with consumers who may not have been initially familiar with the Halo franchise.

Another significant event in the world of Xbox marketing was the participation in the PAX Australia gaming convention . PAX Australia is a premier gaming event that attracts gaming enthusiasts and industry professionals from around the globe. Xbox’s presence at this convention allowed them to connect directly with their target audience, showcase their latest gaming offerings, and gather valuable feedback from the gaming community.

Throughout the years, Xbox’s marketing campaigns have consistently aimed to captivate and engage gamers through captivating visuals, innovative experiences, and strategic partnerships. These efforts have not only boosted sales but have also helped solidify Xbox as a leading brand in the gaming industry.

Below is a table showcasing some of Xbox’s notable marketing campaigns:

Digital Marketing Strategy

As a leading video gaming brand, Xbox understands the importance of a strong digital marketing strategy in reaching and engaging its target audience. Through a combination of social media marketing , SEO strategies, and influencer collaborations, Xbox has successfully enhanced its brand presence and expanded its reach.

Social Media Marketing

Xbox utilizes social media platforms to connect with its audience on a more personal level and create a sense of community. By sharing engaging content, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and updates on upcoming releases, Xbox maintains a strong presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Through strategic social media campaigns, Xbox effectively communicates its brand message and fosters customer engagement.

SEO Strategies

Xbox implements SEO strategies to ensure its online presence and visibility. By optimizing its website and digital content with relevant keywords, meta tags, and quality backlinks, Xbox improves its search engine rankings. This not only increases organic traffic to its website but also enhances brand awareness and drives conversions. Xbox regularly conducts keyword research and monitors SEO performance to stay ahead of the competition.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer collaborations play a significant role in Xbox’s digital marketing strategy. By partnering with popular gamers, streamers, and content creators, Xbox leverages their influential reach and credibility among the gaming community. These collaborations involve sponsored content, gameplay reviews, and live streaming events, creating buzz and generating interest around Xbox products. Influencer marketing allows Xbox to tap into new audiences and build stronger connections with existing fans.

Competitive Analysis

To gain a comprehensive understanding of Xbox’s position in the gaming industry, it is essential to conduct a competitive analysis. In this section, we will compare Xbox against its main competitor, PlayStation, and assess Xbox’s market share and strengths in relation to its rivals.

Xbox vs PlayStation

Xbox and PlayStation have long been two of the leading gaming console brands, each with its own loyal fanbase. A comparison of these two giants will shed light on the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.

When it comes to market share, both Xbox and PlayStation have a significant presence. According to recent market research, Xbox holds a solid position, capturing a market share of approximately 20%. Although PlayStation boasts a larger market share, with around 40%, Xbox continues to compete fiercely and carve out a substantial portion of the gaming console market.

What sets Xbox apart from PlayStation is its unique strengths. Xbox’s strength lies in its integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. With the backing of Microsoft, Xbox has access to a vast library of cross-platform games, seamless integration with Windows PCs, and various entertainment applications, making it an attractive choice for gamers who value connectivity and versatility.

Furthermore, Xbox has established a strong presence in the online gaming community. Through its Xbox Live service, players can connect and compete with others worldwide, fostering a vibrant and engaging gaming experience. This strong community engagement contributes to Xbox’s competitive advantage and further solidifies its position in the gaming industry.

To visualize the competitive analysis between Xbox and PlayStation, refer to the table below:

Based on the analysis above, it is evident that while Xbox faces tough competition from PlayStation, it has successfully established its position in the gaming console market. With its unique strengths and dedicated fanbase, Xbox continues to thrive and innovate, setting itself apart in the gaming industry.

Product Portfolio

At the forefront of the gaming industry, Xbox boasts an impressive product portfolio that caters to the diverse needs and preferences of gamers worldwide. With a focus on delivering cutting-edge gaming experiences, Xbox offers a range of gaming consoles and accessories.

Xbox Gaming Consoles

The cornerstone of Xbox’s product lineup is its exceptional gaming console range. The latest additions to the Xbox family include the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, offering unparalleled power and performance. Built with advanced technology and innovative features, these consoles provide gamers with immersive gameplay, stunning visuals, and lightning-fast loading times.

Additionally, Xbox offers a variety of previous-generation consoles, such as the Xbox One X and Xbox One S, ensuring that gamers can enjoy their favorite titles regardless of their hardware needs.

Xbox Accessories

Complementing its gaming consoles, Xbox provides a wide range of accessories that enhance the overall gaming experience. From wireless controllers with improved ergonomics and customizable options to high-performance headsets for immersive audio, Xbox accessories are designed to unlock the full potential of gaming.

Moreover, Xbox offers accessories such as rechargeable battery packs, charging docks, and storage expansion cards, ensuring gamers have everything they need to stay in the game. With a focus on quality and precision, Xbox accessories provide seamless integration and exceptional performance.

With a strong commitment to hardware excellence, Xbox continues to push the boundaries of gaming technology, ensuring that players have access to state-of-the-art consoles and accessories that deliver exceptional performance and endless entertainment.

Global Accessibility and Partner Network

As a leading video gaming brand, Xbox is committed to making its products globally accessible to gamers around the world. To achieve this, Xbox has established a strong partner network and a wide distribution network, ensuring that their products are readily available to customers everywhere.

Through strategic partnerships with retailers and distributors, Xbox has been able to expand its reach and make its gaming consoles and accessories easily accessible to gamers worldwide. These partnerships enable Xbox to leverage the expertise and resources of their partners, creating a seamless distribution process and ensuring a steady supply of products.

With a global network of partners, Xbox can effectively cater to the demands of different markets and regions. Whether it’s the bustling gaming communities in North America, the emerging markets in Asia, or the passionate gamers in Europe, Xbox’s partner network enables them to reach gamers across the globe.

Moreover, Xbox’s partner network plays a crucial role in providing localized support and services to customers. By partnering with retailers and distributors in various countries, Xbox can offer localized product information, customer service, and after-sales support, enhancing the overall gaming experience for their customers.

Ensuring the availability of Xbox products worldwide is a key priority for the brand. Xbox understands the importance of meeting the demands of gamers and strives to make their products easily accessible, regardless of geographic location.

Customer Relationship Management and Community Building

Xbox understands the importance of fostering strong customer relationships and building a vibrant gaming community. With its CRM strategy at the core, Xbox aims to deliver exceptional customer experiences, enhance brand loyalty, and create a sense of belonging within its community.

One of the key elements of Xbox’s CRM strategy is personalized communication. By leveraging customer data and insights, Xbox tailors its messages and offerings to meet the unique needs and preferences of individual gamers. Whether it’s sending targeted promotional emails or recommending games based on past purchases, Xbox strives to make each interaction feel personal and meaningful.

Moreover, Xbox actively engages with its community through various channels, including social media platforms, forums, and gaming events. The company understands that creating opportunities for gamers to connect, share experiences, and collaborate strengthens the sense of community and fosters brand advocacy.

A central aspect of Xbox’s community building efforts is the Xbox Live platform. Xbox Live enables gamers to connect and play with friends across the globe, offering a seamless multiplayer experience. This interconnectedness helps build a strong community of passionate gamers who can share their achievements, participate in tournaments, and engage in friendly competition.

Furthermore, Xbox hosts community events and initiatives to bring gamers together physically and virtually. For example, Xbox’s participation in prominent gaming conventions like PAX Australia allows enthusiasts to experience the latest games, engage with developers, and connect with fellow gamers.

To encourage ongoing community engagement, Xbox rewards its loyal customers through programs like Xbox Rewards. Through this program, gamers can earn points for activities such as purchasing games, participating in surveys, or referring friends to the Xbox ecosystem. These points can then be redeemed for various rewards, further incentivizing community participation and brand loyalty.

In summary, Xbox’s CRM strategy and emphasis on community building create a strong bond between the brand and its customers. By delivering personalized experiences, facilitating connections among gamers, and nurturing a sense of belonging, Xbox fosters brand loyalty and creates a thriving gaming community.

Innovation and Constant Evolution

Xbox is committed to innovation and constant product development in order to remain competitive in the dynamic gaming industry. It understands the importance of staying ahead of the curve and continuously evolving its offerings to meet the changing needs and preferences of gamers.

With a dedicated team of engineers and designers, Xbox invests heavily in research and development to introduce new features and technologies that enhance the gaming experience. By leveraging the latest advancements in hardware and software, Xbox ensures that its consoles deliver cutting-edge graphics, performance, and functionality.

Regular updates play a crucial role in keeping Xbox products up-to-date and relevant. These updates not only address any bugs or technical issues but also introduce exciting new features that enhance gameplay and user interaction. Whether it’s a new game mode, improved graphics capabilities, or enhanced online multiplayer features, Xbox constantly works towards enhancing the overall gaming experience for its users.

One of the key factors driving Xbox’s success is its ability to listen to its community of gamers. Xbox actively seeks feedback and suggestions from its users, incorporating their ideas into future updates and releases. This collaborative approach ensures that Xbox remains in tune with its audience, providing them with the features and improvements they desire.

Furthermore, Xbox’s innovation doesn’t stop at hardware and software development. It extends to partnerships and collaborations with game developers, content creators, and technology companies. By forging these strategic alliances, Xbox brings new and exciting experiences to its users, expanding its gaming library and offering unique opportunities for entertainment and engagement.

In summary, Xbox’s commitment to innovation and constant evolution has positioned it as a frontrunner in the gaming industry. Through continuous product development, regular updates, and a collaborative approach with its community, Xbox ensures that it remains at the forefront of gaming technology, delivering exceptional gaming experiences to its loyal user base.

In conclusion, Xbox’s marketing strategy has been instrumental in its rise as one of the top video gaming brands. Through a combination of targeted advertising, innovative campaigns, and digital marketing prowess, Xbox has successfully carved its niche in the competitive gaming industry.

One of the key success factors for Xbox has been its ability to appeal to a diverse audience. By understanding the interests and motivations of gamers across different demographics, Xbox has effectively positioned itself as a brand that caters to a wide range of preferences and gaming needs.

Moreover, Xbox’s commitment to innovation and constant evolution has played a pivotal role in its continued success. With regular updates, new features, and emphasis on hardware excellence, Xbox ensures that it stays ahead of the curve and delivers a cutting-edge gaming experience to its loyal customer base.

Through strategic partnerships, community building, and strong customer relationships, Xbox has also fostered a sense of belonging and loyalty among its users. By actively engaging with its customers and nurturing a vibrant gaming community, Xbox has built a strong brand presence and earned the trust and support of gamers worldwide.

What is the history of Xbox?

Xbox was developed by Microsoft’s DirectX team as a gaming console that shared hardware components with PCs and ran on versions of Windows and DirectX. The name “Xbox” was chosen through a survey and became the final choice.

Who is Xbox’s target audience?

Xbox primarily targets tech-savvy individuals aged 18-34 who are passionate about gaming.

How does Xbox segment its audience and position itself in the market?

Xbox segments its audience based on various factors and targets specific markets where it positions itself as a leader in the gaming industry.

What are some notable marketing campaigns by Xbox?

Xbox has run successful marketing campaigns, including the Halo 3 campaign, which featured trailers, virtual reality games, and collaborations with PepsiCo and Burger King.

How does Xbox utilize digital marketing strategies?

Xbox leverages social media marketing, SEO, and influencer collaborations to engage with its audience and enhance its brand presence.

Who are Xbox’s major competitors?

Xbox faces competition from other gaming consoles, particularly PlayStation. A competitive analysis reveals Xbox’s market share and strengths compared to its competitors.

What products does Xbox offer?

Xbox offers a diverse product portfolio, including gaming consoles like Xbox Series X/S and various accessories.

How does Xbox ensure its products are globally accessible?

Xbox ensures global accessibility through partnerships and a wide distribution network, working with retailers and distributors worldwide.

How does Xbox prioritize customer relationship management and community building?

Xbox engages with its customers and builds a strong gaming community through effective customer relationship management strategies.

How does Xbox focus on innovation and product evolution?

Xbox stays relevant in the gaming industry by continuously innovating and evolving its products through regular updates and new features.

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Leveraging the Power of Influencer Marketing in Gaming Brands: A Guide

• February 15, 2024
• Influencer Marketing

Table of contents:

Introduction Understanding Influencer Marketing in Gaming Benefits of Influencer Marketing for Gaming Brands Case Studies Kofuence x Zupee Tips for Effective Collaborations with Influencers Overcoming Challenges in Influencer Marketing Conclusion

Introduction

This last decade has been the golden age of the gaming industry. We witnessed that the sector became a mammoth of entertainment that beats all media channels regarding revenue and audience size. This expansion will increase competition between brands, all in the quest to have the attention of numerous players from different parts of the world. 

Gaming influencer marketing thus arises as the winning strategy for brands that aim to be differentiated in this fiercely competitive sphere. Collaboration with influencers who have a loyal fan base and are well-respected within the gaming community can enable brands to access their targeted and active audience directly. This blog will discuss how gaming brands can use influencer marketing to gain massive exposure, engagement, and revenue by revolutionising the digital space.

Understanding Influencer Marketing in Gaming

Boosting User Engagement for Gaming Brands with Influencer Marketing is the solution for gaming brands to reach the constantly growing audience. It involves companies partnering with gaming influencers considered the most influential people in the gaming community to promote their products, services or content. This approach is particularly relevant in gaming as it enables the company to establish a personal connection with its loyal, devoted users through various platforms.

The gaming community is populated with influencers: casters who stream their gameplay while playing, professional esports players who compete at the highest level, and game content creators who make reviews, tutorials, and entertaining videos linked to gaming. Each influencer category is represented by the power of persuasion used by them to make their followers buy new games or gaming equipment or integrate any other brand promotion relevant to gaming and gamers. 

Influencer marketing for gaming brands is so effective because it is firmly based on psychology. Users who frequently play the games see influencers as credible, trustworthy, and reliable sources of information and recommendations. The audience trusts them because they are authentic and display their passion for gaming. When influencers talk about their experiences with a game or gaming product, their followers become more engaged with the brand as they feel part of a community. Thus, the engagement for gaming brands is considerably enhanced.

Benefits of Influencer Marketing for Gaming Brands

Wondering Why Influencer Marketing Matters for Gaming Companies? It is a testament to the transformative power of leveraging famous figures within the gaming community. The advantages of influencer marketing are manifold, as it brings in a vast new audience for gaming brands. Influencers who have these enthusiasts are like bridges, linking gaming companies to their target audience.

This approach has brought more attention to the brand and contributed to its credibility and trust within the gaming industry. Gaming influencers, typically mobile game influencers , are generally accepted as credible and genuine voices in gaming content. The influencers’ endorsement merely indicates their credibility, which helps their audience trust the games they review. Such perceived authenticity is fundamental to forming a hardcore fan community, which results in a higher engagement rate and, eventually, brings brand loyalty.

A staggering number of case studies of video game influencer marketing campaigns demonstrate the effectiveness of this marketing strategy. These real-world cases show that gaming companies have done a great job attracting new players and can even boost the number of game downloads or increase social media engagement. The strategic employment of influencer marketing boosts a brand’s reputation and solidifies its place in the gaming industry. Thus showing the power of partnerships in the gaming industry in an undeniable way. 

Case Studies

Kofuence x zupee.

Kofluence partnered with gaming brand – ZUPEE for #IndiaKaApnaGame campaign with the main objective to drive maximum reach in the different regions of India using comedy and entertainment creators across IG and YouTube.

• 9 million views 
• Engagement percentage of 14.8% (Industry average 3%  to 5%)

Tips for Effective Collaborations with Influencers

The art of gaming influencer marketing is in the careful choice and partnership with influencers whose values and audiences are similar to the brand’s. This alignment ensures that the promotional efforts are well-tuned as they strike the chords, which forms an authentic connection between gamers and the brand. The most critical stage of the process is to determine the appropriate influencers. This is possible only with a thorough understanding of the brand’s fundamental values and the attributes of its target audience. This alignment of strategic goals will ensure that marketing activities are meaningful and effective.

Another critical instrument of successful influencer marketing trends in gaming is creative collaboration. Besides social media, brands can also develop unique, engaging content with influencers, which captivates the audience and, at the same time, enhances the gaming experience. This could be exclusive previews, interactive Q&A shows, or creative challenges highlighting the influencer’s creativity and the game features. 

The multi-platform approach helps a broad audience to be targeted by utilising platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram that engage with different gaming groups. This approach will go a long way to expose the brand to a broader audience by creating a robust presence across the multifaceted video gaming landscape.

Lastly, measuring the influencer collaboration’s effectiveness is hugely important. Establishing visible KPIs like engagement and conversion rates enables brands to monitor campaign effectiveness. In this case, the data-driven approach will help to tune the strategies constantly, and as a result, the brands will be able to produce the highest possible impact of their influencer marketing programs.

Overcoming Challenges in Gaming Influencer Marketing

In the case of gaming influencer marketing , the intricacies of platform algorithms are a must for successfully reaching your content’s target audience. This can be done only if one has a skillful grasp of the specific mechanics of each platform and usually can be flexible when it comes to strategies to keep high visibility. There is no doubt that the authenticity factor is one of the critical points in the world of gaming influencer campaigns. 

Developing and maintaining solid relationships between the influencers and the brands with strings attached to authenticity ensures that the running promotions are genuine. Besides, the two should also be committed to maintaining legal standards through transparency and adherence to advertising rules. The disclosure of sponsored content needs to be made clear. This is mainly necessary because it is the basis of trust between the audience and the influencer, as well as the integrity of the brand and the influencer.

In the enormously competitive gaming industry, mobile game influencer marketing makes a perfect fit for brands targeting gamers’ attention, creating trust and loyalty. The influencers’ capability to communicate and interact with their audience directly is the key factor that gives gaming companies an edge in the market, being able to spread the message and increase their visibility. We discovered that influencer marketing strategies, such as more visibility and deeper community engagement, could bring enormous profits.

Influencer marketing has an enormous opportunity to change the gaming brand’s relationship with its consumers since it is not only a short-term gain but also a long-term impact. As for the gaming brand that intends to survive in today’s digital environment, influencer marketing is an option and a must.  

If you found this blog to be helpful browse through our website for other blogs on similar topics or get in touch with us for your next influencer marketing campaign! Download the Kofluence app and find relevant campaigns catering to your target audience! To opt-in, download the Kofluence app here: iOS users , and Android users .

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Let’s play! Gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience

• Open access
• Published: 17 January 2022
• Volume 23 , pages 2135–2152, ( 2023 )

Cite this article

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• Matilde Milanesi 1 ,
• Simone Guercini   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7542-6984 1 &
• Andrea Runfola 2  

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This paper aims to investigate the features of gamification as a digital marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience. The paper employs the qualitative methodology of case study and presents a case of a multi-brand luxury company adopting gamification through the development of a game app. Four features of the gaming luxury experience are discussed: individual and collective gaming experiences, exclusiveness through rarity in luxury gaming, social networking and virtual influencing marketing mechanisms, and cross-fertilization between gaming and e-commerce. The paper expands the knowledge on gamification by highlighting its main features as a digital marketing tool for luxury companies and the benefits it can bring in terms of consumer experience, engagement, and sales. It also contributes to studies on luxury companies by discussing gamification as a means to create digital luxury experiences, particularly suitable for the new generations of consumers, such as Generation Z.

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1 Introduction

The COVID-19 crisis has heavily affected the luxury goods industry in 2020. The findings from the 19th edition of the Bain & Company Luxury Study, released in collaboration with Fondazione Altagamma, the Italian luxury goods manufacturers' industry foundation, show that the personal luxury goods market experienced a large drop in 2020, with a loss in sales of 23% compared to the previous year. The overall luxury market contracted at a similar pace, and it is expected to recover by 2022–2023 [ 1 ]. The turmoil of COVID-19 has been the trigger for change for the luxury industry, both for companies and consumers. For luxury companies, the COVID-19 crisis accelerated the online sales that nearly doubled from 12% in 2019 to 23% in 2020, and the online is expected to become the leading channel for luxury purchases by 2025, especially for younger generations (Millennials and Generation Z) [ 1 ]. Thus, a suggestion is to put digital, besides internationalization [ 2 ], at the center of a company's business model. In the case of luxury, since luxury consumers are used to high standards in-store services, a personalized and engaging digital experience should be created [ 3 ].

These last months have led to identifying new ways to engage consumers for many luxury fashion brands. In a year, 2020, made up of digital catwalks, live shows on social networks, and new e-commerce mechanisms, such as Shop Streaming, a phenomenon that has undergone a significant acceleration in luxury fashion is gamification that consists of turning customers' everyday interactions into games for business purposes [ 4 ]. Gamification makes it possible to provide an immersive experience by developing innovative and customized customer journeys and high levels of engagement [ 5 , 6 ]. However, most research investigates the general effects of gamification on branding e.g. [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ] but there is a lack of studies that consider gamification as a strategic digital marketing tool and investigate the features to deliver digital experiences. Additionally, while conceptual papers have been recently developed e.g., [ 12 , 13 ], this issue requires additional empirical evidence to better understand the implications of the adoption of gamification for companies.

In the luxury fashion domain, numerous Maisons have chosen gamification as a tool to express their values interactively, especially with younger generations. According to the data published by Fashionnetwork, Footnote 1 people between the ages of 18 and 34 will represent 50% of the luxury market in 2025, up from 32% today. Therefore, it is a target on which fashion luxury companies should invest through new and original tools to deliver a luxury digital experience. During the Paris Fashion Week in 2020, Christian Louboutin created a virtual presentation with Zepeto, an app designed in South Korea with which people can interact on a social network, but with a three-dimensional avatar created from a selfie. In March 2020, Valentino created, together with Nintendo and photographer Kara Chung, an idyllic reality populated by deserted islands on which to build houses and shops, engage in gardening or go virtual shopping. Hermes created the Saut Hermès game, a virtual version of the annual show jumping competition at the Grand Palais in Paris. Burberry has entered the world of video games by including the 'B-Bounce' game on the website's homepage, where it is possible to accumulate points and even win items from the collection. Gucci has launched, within its app, the 'Gucci Arcade' platform. It is a section dedicated to video games in the style of the 70 s and 80 s. Game apps were also created, such as Drest and Covet Fashion. They have entered into agreements with the leading global luxury brands and online luxury fashion multi-brand retailers, such as Farfetch.

Thus, despite the numerous examples of the integration of gamification into luxury companies' marketing strategies, the academic research on gamification and luxury is limited and mainly focused on branding e.g., [ 7 ], but there is a dearth of empirical evidence supporting the features and implications of gamification for luxury companies, especially in terms of delivering a digital luxury experience. Additionally, while there are many studies on online shopping, how online experiences are created and managed by companies, especially those in the luxury industry, is an under-investigated issue Homqvist et al. [ 14 ]. To fill the abovementioned gaps, this paper aims to investigate gamification by adopting the perspective of a luxury company integrating gamification tools in its marketing strategy. Thus, the paper answers the following research question: what are the features of gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience?

To this aim, the paper employs the qualitative methodology of case study and presents a case of a multi-brand luxury retailer based in Italy. The company has recently launched a game app for international customers, representing a unique case in the current luxury panorama. The paper provides a twofold contribution. First, it expands the knowledge on gamification by highlighting the features that gamification, as a marketing tool, should have in the context of luxury. In doing this, the paper answers the request of providing empirical investigation on gamification aimed at understanding the tangible benefits it can bring to companies in terms of consumer experience, engagement, and, to a later extent, conversions into sales, which are particularly relevant for luxury companies with an e-commerce website. Second, it contributes to studies on digital luxury experiences particularly suitable for the online world and the new generations of consumers, such as Generation Z. The next section of the paper analyzes the marketing content emerging from the literature on gamification to understand what is known so far about the adoption of game design elements in a non-game context such as the marketing one. Section  3 concerns the methodology of the case study. Section  4 presents the case analysis. Finally, the paper discusses findings and concludes with theoretical, managerial implications, and future research directions.

2 Theoretical background

2.1 the application of gamification to marketing contexts.

Gamification uses game design elements in non-game contexts to make an application, product, or service funnier, motivating and engaging [ 15 ]. Zichermann and Linder [ 4 ] defined it as the art and science of turning your customer's everyday interactions into games that serve your business purposes [ 4 ], p. 20). Some scholars describe gamification as several design principles, processes, and systems that can be used to influence, engage and motivate individuals, groups, and communities, drive their behaviors, or generate the desired effect [ 16 , 17 ]. The dynamics, gaming techniques, and game-style rewards have been transferred from the gaming software origins to business contexts [ 6 ], with the initial aim of increasing customer engagement [ 11 ]. Thus, gamification implies the development of applications with games features and has become a fast-emerging trend in non-gaming contexts, especially marketing [ 18 ].

Most marketing studies on gamification have focused on branding and outlined other benefits of applying gaming mechanisms. Gamification seems to be positively associated not only with brand engagement [ 19 ] but also with brand attitude [ 11 ], brand awareness [ 18 ], brand co-creation experiences [ 9 ], and brand love [ 7 ]. It has also been shown that the application of game dynamics in marketing contexts allows to achieve greater customer loyalty [ 20 ] and to increase sales [ 21 , 22 ]. Thus, gamification tools can be used on e-commerce websites to create content, generate conversion, and promote loyalty [ 23 ].

In addition to the benefits of gamification related to branding, a relevant issue related to gamification concerns game mechanics and game design-related gaming motivations: immersion-related, achievement-related, and social interaction-related dimensions [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. The immersion-related features concern the player's immersion in self-directed, inquisitive activity through game mechanics such as roleplay, avatars, narrative structures, etc. The achievement-related features enhance the players' sense of accomplishment through game mechanics such as challenges, missions, goals, badges, progression metrics, etc. Finally, the social interaction-related features attempt to enable the players' social interaction through game mechanisms such as teams, communities, groups, and competition [ 25 , 28 ]. In the marketing context, Xi and Hamari [ 10 ] show that achievement and social interaction-related gamification features are positively associated with emotional, cognitive, and social brand engagement, with a positive effect also on brand equity. Thus, the authors conclude that gamification appears to be an effective technique for brand management.

Research on gamification suggests that motivational and emotional involvement during playing can reach very high levels [ 29 ]. Concerning motivation, a distinction is between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation [ 30 ]. Intrinsic motivation concerns internal achievement related to positive feelings and enjoyment, while extrinsic motivation is more related to external rewards like money or other tangibles (Denny 2014). Yang et al. [ 11 ] observe that as gamification marketing process is normally committed to instill products or brands information to users, it is a drive for participants to learn the information and further join or continue an action—in our case, engaging with gamification—because of the effects it has. Therefore, when people are intrinsically motivated, they have a genuine desire for the activity itself and enjoy it tremendously [ 11 ], p. 460). The role of intrinsic motivation is connected to loyalty. In particular, it has been observed that many marketing attempts to engage consumers, including loyalty programs, membership systems, and point-based management, which are based on monetary and tangible awards, are less efficient in generating loyalty in the long term compared to marketing strategies based on intrinsic motivation, such as gamification [ 31 , 32 ].

2.2 Gamification and digital experiences

With consumers surrounded by new and fast-evolving technologies, more and more selective, and ponder how to spend their time and money, companies are put under pressure to adopt marketing tools capable of attracting consumers' attention and engaging them [ 11 ]. As outlined in the previous section, consumers are willing to adopt gamified systems in search of fun, rewards, competition, social interaction, and a sense of membership in a community. Nobre and Ferreira [ 9 ] also suggest that gamification can be used as an innovative branding tool to promote consumer participation and interaction in brand experiences.

The creation of experiences is a compelling issue and a relevant factor of success for all companies, especially when such experiences must be translated into a digital context with a proper shopping atmosphere [ 33 , 34 ]. This aspect is particularly true for luxury companies, for which digitalization and online sales are still a challenge for exclusivity and identity [ 35 ]. Batat [ 36 ] agrees that gamification is one of the possible digital marketing tools for luxury companies to deliver luxury experiences. Desmichel and Kocher [ 37 ] suggest that multi-brand luxury stores should take more significant effort to promote offline and online hedonic shopping experiences to make consumers less price-sensitive and improve profitability. Insley and Nunan [ 38 ] observed in their study on online retailers that the transfer of customer experience from an offline to an online context creates challenges, as many of the factors that create a successful physical shopping experience are lost when moved to the online world. However, gamification can make up for this issue by creating gameful experiences [ 13 ], as retailers—Amazon and ASOS are two examples—are increasingly applying game techniques in their online store to create reward mechanisms and turn online shopping into an entertainment experience [ 38 ]. Mobile technologies can enhance such an experience [ 12 ]. Online retailers often apply basic game mechanisms, such as reward mechanisms for completing specific tasks [ 39 ]. It appears that the application of gamification in an online retail context is not about gaming, but it concerns the addition of game elements, such as reward mechanisms, to enrich the existing shopping process. A step forward could be the development of brand-related game apps to deliver brand-related online experiences that make use of mobile technologies and apply more complex game mechanisms [ 40 ].

3 Methodology

To investigate the features of gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience, case study methodology was selected. Since there is a dearth of empirical studies on this topic, especially in the luxury domain, the case study was deemed the appropriate methodology to gather in-depth data to reveal the features of gamification developed by luxury companies. Hence, the nature of the research question and the novelty of the subject called for the choice of an explorative methodology [ 41 ]. The choice of the case study method also relies on the interest in reconstructing the dynamics of a process (the origins of the idea, the design, and of a game app in the case under study), which is an objective for which the case study method appears particularly suitable [ 42 ]. The paper proposes a single case study to reconstruct the features of a game app developed by an Italian company—MZQ from here on for confidentiality reasons—to deliver a digital luxury experience to its customers.

The MZQ case was purposely selected for two reasons. First, the company is one of the most relevant Italian multi-brand luxury retailers with a strong international profile; it represents an emblematic case for the development of its game app, called VER5 (a fictitious name), which develops a gaming universe centered on luxury products and closely connected with the company's e-commerce website. Thus, the case has been selected for its revelatory potential.

Data collection started in 2013, in the context of a broader research process initiated before the introduction of the game app, aimed at monitoring a company—MZQ—the presented characteristics of particular interest for the success and rapid growth achieved in the luxury fashion e-commerce, starting from a traditional luxury clothing retail business. The first in-depth semi-structured interviews were initiated by one of the authors in November 2013. They continued over the years, with the involvement of the other authors, according to the scheme indicated in Table 1 . The initial interviews concerned the international development of the company, its business model, and its marketing strategies. For this study, such content has been employed to depict the company profile described at the beginning of the next section.

Starting from 2017, when the company began to think about the development of a game app, the interviews focused on gamification. Interviews involved different informants (entrepreneur, general director, marketing manager, web designer) to ensure multiple perspectives. All interviews, conducted face-to-face, by telephone or videoconference, were recorded and transcribed and supplemented with the exchange of emails. However, a hallmark of rigorous case study research is the use of multiple data sources that enhance data credibility and allow triangulation [ 43 , 44 , 45 ], with each data source as one piece of the puzzle that contributes to the researcher's understanding of the whole phenomenon (Yin 1994). Thus, in addition to the interviews, data collection included: annual reports, internal documents provided by the company, participation in MZQ events, company website, and other online documents such as articles in the specialized press and published interviews. The participation to the company's events represented a social activity that allowed interactions with the entrepreneur and other managers in a less formal way that, in the following steps of the research, simplified the establishment of channels of communication and the researcher–manager interface [ 46 , 47 ].

Furthermore, to better understand the functioning mechanisms of the game app, we downloaded it and played it for nine months. This active participation made it possible to fully understand the functioning mechanisms (creation of the avatar, challenges, levels, awards, community interaction). It would not have been possible to grasp such details from the interviews and secondary material only.

Data from the abovementioned sources were the object of systematization by developing a complete chronology of events involving the company, its growth as a luxury multi-brand retailer, and the development of the game app. This analysis has been translated into the company profile and the origins of the idea of VER5. We then proceeded with an in-depth analysis of the process of design and development of the game app. In this phase, data were analyzed through a coding procedure into common themes and pattern matching [ 48 ]. We analyzed the material individually to bring out some themes corresponding to the main features of the game app, then discussed them to converge on common themes with full agreement. The structure of the next section is based on the following themes: individual and collective gaming experiences, exclusiveness through rarity in luxury gaming, social networking and virtual influencing marketing mechanisms, cross-fertilization between gaming and e-commerce. Thus, in this paper, the case study emerged from a research process and interaction path with the company, based on two levels: the first level concerns the company within which the process of generation and dissemination of the game app is developed,the second level relates to the game app project, with attention to its features and outcomes. The study of the company represents the context in which the gamification process develops.

4 The case of MZQ and VER5

4.1 mzq and the launch of ver5.

MZQ is a luxury multi-brand retailer with one boutique in an Italian city and an e-commerce website. The company's origin dates to the 1920s with the opening of the boutique. In 1999, the company made the pioneering decision to invest in the digital channel through the development of an e-commerce website to sell luxury items, which today generates about 90% of the company's overall turnover. Over time, MZQ has become one of the leading players in international luxury fashion retailing. The e-commerce website is developed in 9 languages and sells in 130 countries. In 2020, it recorded over 100 million hits from all over the world. The total turnover of MZQ stood at around 145 million euros in 2019, with a preponderant weight of sales on foreign markets and a lower incidence of the domestic market. The company's decision to invest in gamification dates to four years ago, when in 2017 MZQ decided to develop a mobile fashion game application through an agreement with a specialized gaming company. MZQ launched VER5 at the end of 2020 after a testing period. The app initially included womenswear in the game, menswear was added a few months later. It is currently available in two languages (Italian and English). As underlined by the company, it was the first app based on an innovative ecosystem that offers users the opportunity to combine the gaming, social and shopping experiences (source: company's internal report). As one of the informants points out, the game app represents an element of absolute novelty in fashion and luxury . Through their avatar, the app users take part in the challenges, collect, socialize and buy favorite items by creating virtual wardrobes , continues the interviewee, who emphasizes that the intention was not to create a fashion game app exclusively for branding purposes, but a new channel to generate sales in the e-commerce website .

4.2 Some results of VER5: engagement, retention, and revenues

VER5 has reached some relevant results. They can be considered both in terms of users' engagement in the game app and contribution to turnover. Concerning user engagement, the objectives were to create a community of players and offer a new digital experience to consumers. The company succeeded in creating a community of players. After a few months from the launch, the app reached a community of approximately 50,000 players. While managers estimated to reach 200,000 players at the end of the year, in October 2021 the app already reached 350,000 users. Currently, the primary users of the app are in the age group 18–24 years (40% of the total), followed by users in the age group 25–34 (30% of the total), users in the age group 35–44 (17% of the total), users in the age group 45–54 (10%), and over 55 (3%). Before the extension to the menswear collections, which happened during 2021, one informant pointed out, although the gaming platform currently includes only the female world of the company retail assortment, about 20% of users are men, which confirms the extreme interest in luxury and gaming also among this target . After an initial launch phase in the national market, data shows an increasing share of international users (30% of current app users). The key performance indicators (KPIs) show a significant positioning of the app. There is a noteworthy engagement performance with percentage rates of daily active users above 20% and weekly stickiness of more than 50%, which is a high engagement compared to the average rate of free-to-play games (source: company’s internal report).

The one-day retention rate (the retention of players after the first day of gaming) is nearly 32%, which is above the average of free-to-play games (source: company’s internal report). In addition, the average time spent on the app by users is ten times compared to that spent per session on the e-commerce website. The company classifies users into three prevailing segments: those who use the app as a source of inspiration for their fashion style; those who use the app to become popular through the game; those interested in both fashion and gaming that later purchase through the app.

The app represents a means to generate additional sales for the e-commerce website. It also represents a new channel for generating direct revenues. Regarding additional sales in the online store, conversions from the app to the e-commerce website have already generated a turnover exceeding one million euros. It is also interesting to note that, on average, those who are already MZQ customers tend to double their orders since they start playing with the app. Hence, additional sales refer to both new sales from new app users and upselling from existing customers. Furthermore, the app generates direct revenues, as users can have in-app purchases. For example, they can buy virtual currencies to play the game. Users can spend virtual currencies to buy fashion items (even from other players) and regenerate (for reusing) digital items already collected, as the number of uses within the app of any item is limited. The company also aims to create new revenue sources through the app, such as those generated by collaboration with potential partners (fashion brands) or advertising in the game. Four main features enable the company to pursue these results, as discussed in the following sections.

4.3 Individual and collective gaming experiences

The game design developed by the company includes different levels of players' involvement and, consequently, different luxury gaming experiences. Users can jointly go through individual and collective gaming experiences. At the individual level, the app allows players to create customized virtual avatars and outfits. Players can create outfits by collecting virtual replicas of real products from more than 600 designers and fashion brands sold on MZQ e-commerce. As noted by one of the interviewees, this lets the consumers experience an individual sense of luxury, by personalizing the avatar and expressing personal fashion styles through the selection of the luxury fashion items proposed in the app . This essential app feature represents the first dimension of emotional engagement. The game then can be experienced individually, with users that can play customizing both the avatar and the outfits. At the collective level, the app proposes missions and periodic challenges where users can compete. During challenges, for example, users can participate and interact, creating ad-hoc outfits. Participating in the challenges contributes to the users' ranking in the app. Some challenges are free-to-play and concern various topics (such as competitions about favorite total-look for a gala dinner). Challenges end with winners selected by users that positively or negatively evaluate the outfits of other players. In this way, the game, from an individual level (personal avatar), becomes collective (avatars that interact and compete in challenges). The gaming experience, therefore, mixes individual and collective experiences.

4.4 Exclusiveness through rarity in luxury gaming

The concept of exclusivity is crucial as a mechanism capable of generating a luxury gaming experience. Exclusivity is achieved in the game through the rarity of the collectible items. This aspect of fundamental importance differentiates the app from other gaming experiences since it allows the company to maintain a luster even in the mobile platform. In other words, exclusivity permeates the gaming experience and feeds the interaction mechanism between users and the app usage. As an interviewee notes, we implemented different rarity levels of the products in the game . The game is free-to-play, but the use of virtual currencies makes it possible to buy fashion boxes with rare items. Rare items can let players differentiate their outfits and give bonuses to win challenges. Hence, the way in which exclusivity permeates the game is twofold. First, users can pursue hedonic goals by collecting more rare items as possible to create exclusive outfits. At the same time, exclusivity feeds players' competitive goals by using rare items during challenges. Furthermore, players can use virtual currency to buy (and sell) items through a market-based mechanism. In this sense, the rarity concept evolves through the interactions among players, as they can buy items from other users.

Exclusivity is then a key driver of app usage. The app measures the exclusiveness of players' virtual wardrobe by assigning a rarity score that shows the percentage of rare items collected by the player compared to all those available in the game app . In addition, the company releases new fashion items in the game app every week, constantly feeding the players' search for rare products. One of the main strengths is the exclusive fine selections of fashion items of luxury brands that the company proposes in the game app. One interviewee observes that the fact that MZQ is a multi-brand retailer allows fueling the rarity by entering a broad set of alternatives into the game .

4.5 Social networking and virtual influencing marketing mechanisms

Social networking and virtual influencing enrich the luxury experience offered by the game app. The interviewees stress the intention to exploit social networking mechanisms to strengthen players' engagement. Beyond the individual gaming experience, MZQ conceived VER5 as a social network. Consequently, it has implemented mechanisms to stimulate the creation of a community of users who interact with each other and discuss fashion issues.

The app includes a social network section. The company feeds this section several times a week with posts about information and updates on the world of fashion or game news. In this way, it stimulates comments and reactions from users. Additionally, in this section of the app users can post their avatar with different outfits to share them with the community. Therefore, in addition to company-generated content, the social section of the app is enriched by user-generated content, thus representing a hybrid social network that combines company posts and user posts.

Hence, there is the possibility of leveraging the community to become fashion influencers through avatars. The outfits created can be judged by other users. In this sense, each user can potentially increase popularity within the community by showing outfits and moodboards of the items collected, meaning that each virtual avatar can have a base of followers and receive reactions and comments from other users. Interestingly, there is a mix between virtuality and reality, namely between a virtual entity (the avatar) and the real person (the user). In essence, as an informant points out, the user can combine gaming with social networking and virtual influencing by using the virtual avatar. It is a peculiar aspect that takes its cue from very recent fashion trends, as one informant explains, think for example that Lil Miquela, a virtual influencer created via computer graphics, reached 3 million followers in three years .

4.6 Cross-fertilization between gaming and e-commerce

The gaming experience allows players to visit the e-commerce website to make purchases. Hence, the gaming experience integrates luxury shopping experiences. The app offers a close connection with the e-commerce website in all the sections of the game. Users can buy real versions of virtual items collected in their virtual wardrobe. Simply by clicking on the item, they can buy it on the MZQ e-commerce website. Hence, the luxury shopping experience is a fundamental component of the app. As an informant points out, users spend on average 30 minutes a day to play on VER5, which is about ten times more than the average time spent per session on the MZQ e-commerce website. The longer the user spends time on the app, the more are the conversions to the e-commerce . Hence, while the company conceived the app as a channel capable of generating autonomous revenues, at the same time it represents a new channel to promote the e-commerce website and generate sales. For example, users can collect points that are part of the loyalty programs of the e-commerce website. However, the connection between the e-commerce and the app is two-way, as the app benefits from the e-commerce website too in terms of promotion and new items for the game.

5 Discussion

5.1 digital luxury experience through gamification: three co-existing levels.

The MZQ case with the development of the VER5 game app allows us to advance some reflections on the relationship between gamification and the digital luxury experience. Our study shows three levels of players' involvement that bring to a satisfying experience. These levels co-exist as the users can move from one to another while playing. At each level, gamification feeds the digital luxury experience with a different mechanism. Figure  1 shows the three levels and how gamification shapes the digital luxury experience.

The levels of luxury gaming experience

At the first level, players can create their virtual avatar to start their immersion in the game. The avatar represents a virtual transposition of oneself and, therefore, allows a greater immersion and involvement in the game from the beginning. Creating a customized avatar is consistent with a playing mechanism that allows pursuing aesthetic and hedonic goals. Players can experience their interpretation of luxury styles by creating virtual outfits and enhance this experience by continuously using new items. Hence, the luxury digital experience is connected to virtual interpretations of oneself and personal gratification.

The second level of involvement refers to the possibility of competing in fashion challenges. Players can test their styles, challenging other players. Thus, gaming is not only an individual experience, but it also implies participation with others while playing. Therefore, this second level contributes to players' engagement through competition, providing interaction and rewards for future challenges. The mechanism that guides competition is the items' rarity. Thus, exclusivity—a typical feature of luxury positioning—represents a pillar of the competition between players. The luxury digital experience is then competing and interacting with others by taking the lever of exclusiveness.

Finally, there is a third level of involvement. Players can aspire to be virtual influencers. They can become fashion trendsetters of a community of players. Playing the game with others lets players' popularity increase through the proposed outfits and styles. As for any social network, users can post their virtual avatars and generate followers in the community. The engagement and the collective dimension in this level reach the top and the luxury digital experience is expressed as the player's ambition to lead a community of followers.

The three levels described are consistent with the literature on gamification that distinguishes three categories of game mechanics and game design-related gaming motivations: immersion-related, achievement-related, and social interaction-related dimensions [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. In the case study, we found all these three dimensions. First, VER5 users can pursue immersion-related motivations by customizing avatars and outfits. Second, they can pursue achievement-related motivation by participating in challenges. Finally, they can reach social interaction-related goals by posting, commenting, and becoming popular influencers in the community of players. In the case of VER5, these three experiential dimensions co-exist, as players can contemporaneously achieve all three dimensions. They are not mutually exclusive, but players can jointly achieve them in the game.

5.2 Designing gamification for a digital luxury experience

The case allows putting forward some considerations about the research question of this study: what are the features of gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience?

From the theoretical point of view, we propose four features that characterize gamification for a satisfying digital luxury experience. We argue that the interplay among these features allows understanding how to design gamification for luxury companies.

First, gamification provides different levels of digital experience . Luxury requires innovative experiences [ 49 ] and gamification represents a source to deliver new and playful customer experiences. While previous literature [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ] has pointed out the importance of immersion-related, social interaction-related, and achievement-related features, our study emphasizes the need to treat them not as alternatives but as co-existing dimensions of the game. An innovative digital luxury experience implies the offering of a set of interconnected experiences. In other words, the co-existence of different dimensions drives the luxury gaming experience. Furthermore, considering the case of online multi-brand retailers that operate globally, this gamification feature represents a further dimension of the overall luxury retail strategy [ 33 ].

Second, gamification in the luxury context needs exclusivity as a gaming thread . The academic debate posits that one of the crucial aspects of luxury is the need to maintain the character of exclusivity, especially for retailers that target global markets and new luxury consumers as Generation Z and Millennials. Therefore, delivering exclusivity online is a real challenge for luxury companies [ 35 , 36 ]. The case study shows that the app has exclusiveness as its fundamental feature and the central dynamic of the game. The game design implements mechanisms and tools (such as the exchange of rare items among players) that allow consumers to explore and exploit the rarity of virtual items. For players, while exploring exclusivity calls for finding new items and outfits within the international retailer's assortment, exploiting exclusivity implies benefiting from it within the game. Therefore, like in any other offline and online activities of luxury companies, the gaming experience finds expression in the searching for exclusivity.

Third, gamification involves social networking and virtual influencing . Previous literature has emphasized the importance of intrinsic motivations related to gamification [ 11 ]. We argue that gamification in luxury goes a step forward along the motivation continuum. The academic debate widely accepts the strategic role of social networks and influencer marketing [ 50 , 51 ]. We argue that luxury gaming can exploit social networking and influencer marketing as additional motivations for consumer engagement and this is essential to target younger consumers. Considering that younger generations show great interest in social networks, social influencing, and mobile games, we argue that the interplay between gamification, social networking, and virtual influencing represents the keystone to reaching these consumer targets globally. Thus, gamification can ensure a connection with consumers who will drive luxury consumption in the future.

Fourth, gamification benefits from cross-fertilization between gaming and e-commerce . We argue that gamification represents a new channel to meet sales objectives. While previous literature has showed the role of gamification as a marketing tool for branding purposes [ 9 ], this study also considers gamification as a channel to renew and reinforce e-commerce strategies. Therefore, gamification can jointly achieve branding and online sales aims and it constitutes a driver for luxury companies' business model development, especially for online multi-brand retailers, as it allows expanding online sales on a global scale [ 23 ]. Gamification is an opportunity for the e-commerce website to benefit from a playful online shopping experience. At the same time, the e-commerce website may feed the game with new exclusive items and new content to support innovativeness and exclusivity. Thus, gaming and shopping experiences co-exist and co-evolve together in the interaction between game apps and e-commerce websites.

6 Conclusion, limits, and avenues for future research

The paper allows drawing some managerial implications. Gamification can be an appropriate digital marketing tool for all those companies that intend to involve their consumers and increase their level of engagement. Specifically, gamification can take on different characteristics and levels of complexity, from adding game elements in order to enrich the existing shopping process to developing ad-hoc brand-related game apps aimed at delivering brand-related online experiences through mobile technologies and more complex game mechanisms. Marketing managers must consider the need to develop specific skills in the field of mobile technologies and game design, the latter being so specific that they require partnerships with specialized companies such as game developers. Moreover, gamification as a digital marketing tool should be considered by online multi-brand retailers, especially in the luxury and fashion sectors as, in recent years and after the pandemic crisis, they have to face an increasingly harsh online competition at a global scale. The competition is not only between online multi-brand retailers but also between them and the global luxury brands that increasingly invest in e-commerce websites and marketing tools capable of engaging the consumer more and more. In this competitive scenario, gamification represents a digital marketing tool that strongly differentiates a company and creates value for its customers. To further differentiate and create a unique experience, luxury companies may consider developing and integrating a game app with the e-commerce website, to the point that the e-commerce website could evolve into a luxury gaming experience. This experience would take into account the current preferences of the new generation of luxury consumers, specifically Millennials and Generation Z. The evolution of the e-commerce website towards an engaging luxury gaming experience may include not only playful and personalization elements but new values that new generations are seeking in luxuries, such as inclusion and the enhancement of diversity. This latter issue, concerning the inclusion of in-game mechanisms of relevant values for the new generations, represents a possible avenue for future research.

Finally, this paper shows some limitations that can be the basis for further studies. An evident limitation of our study is that it builds on a single case study of an online multi-brand retailer in the luxury context. That means the external validity of our findings in other contexts, such as the non-luxury or non-retailing ones, needs to be verified. Furthermore, the development and adoption of gamification techniques and the features may be different beyond the boundaries of luxury and retailing. Additionally, the paper considered only one emblematic case of an innovative player in multi-brand retailing that succeeded in launching a game app. A multiple-case study approach might be helpful to build a comparison and allow generalization. Moreover, future research could study the role of gamification for analytics purposes. For example, it could be interesting to understand the player’s behavior in the game in terms of products selection and different combinations. Hence, how gamification can enhance the understanding of consumers’ digital behavior represents a valuable avenue for future research. Finally, this paper addressed the topic of gamification from an online multi-brand luxury retailer's perspective by highlighting the benefits and, more in general, the positive side of gamification as an effective digital marketing tool. However, future research should reverse this perspective by investigating gamification's 'dark side' regarding risks and difficulties for business purposes.

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Milanesi, M., Guercini, S. & Runfola, A. Let’s play! Gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience. Electron Commer Res 23 , 2135–2152 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-021-09529-1

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-021-09529-1

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Influencer Marketing Case Studies (2024)

Artem Dogtiev | April 11, 2024

Influencer marketing is a branch of digital marketing, its campaigns are essentially endorsements by social media influencers of certain products or services and their introductions to various audiences. In this day and age, the demand for this kind of marketing exists in so many branches of the economy. It gives a level of trust that other kinds of marketing can not match.

In this article, we want to review a number of case studies to demonstrate what marketing objectives can be achieved with influencer marketing, and its potential for app marketers.

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Influencer marketing is deeply personal, it’s about a human touch, a connection between an influencer and people who trust her or his opinion. Influencers need to be creative, artistic, and authentic for an influencer marketing campaign to succeed.

Case Study #1 EA Sports

EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Being one of the oldest and the most well-known on the planet, the Electonic Arts video game company was launched in May 1982. Over the years, the company launched a number of labels such as EA Worldwide Studios, EA All Play, EA Sports, and others. In this case study we’re focusing on how influencer marketing was applied to the promotion of its EA Sports label.

Brent Rivera promo video for the Apex Legends game from EA Sports label

Source: Brent Rivera TikTok video

Influencer Marketing campaign objective

EA Sports marketing team was looking for new channels to reach gamers and boost their new title Apex Legends popularity.

At that moment, the prime channels to reach gamers were Twitch and YouTube but, after considering TikTok as a new channel to try, the decision was made to run an influencer marketing campaign with influencers who are popular with gamers’ culture on TikTok. Such games-related TikTok hashtags view number as 29.5 billion for the #fortnite hashtag spoke clearly – there was a potential to tap a young, tech-savvy audience that will enjoy a new title from the world-famous EA Sports.

The influencer marketing campaign was run with several influencers, including Brent Rivera (see the TikTok video screenshot above), his hilarious video generated 900k likes.

Switching from the world of mobile games to educational apps to learn English, next up is the Cake app.

Case Study #2 Cake app

With the free Cake app, non-English or non-Korean speakers have great English or Korean learning experiences worldwide. The app offers to learn a new language via daily free content to introduce new expressions, wrapped in daily situations to show them in context.

Cake app influencer marketing campaign on YouTube

Source: Carina Fragozo video

By the moment the Cake app team approached an influencer marketing agency, they had been using YouTube as a platform to introduce the app via a series of short videos explaining the app features. The team was looking for help to reach out to people in South America who were looking for apps to learn English.

An influencer marketing agency that was hired by the Cake app team got in touch with five influencers in Latin America to run a 2-week ad campaign to raise awareness of the app and demonstrate the app’s both educational and fun elements. The influencers promoted the app on their YouTube channels, being creative in demonstrating the app’s features and benefits.

The key element of this campaign’s success was that all influencers introduced the app from an educational angle, showing people how they will be able to use the app to learn English efficiently. The total reach for the app was 1.2 million viewers.

Moving on, jumping from learning languages to short-form video apps launched on the wave of TikTok’s popularity.

Case Study #3 Huddles app

Huddles app, formerly known as Clash app, is a short-form video app that was launched in 2020 on the rise of the short-form format popularity sparked by TikTok. The app was developed by a team of Don Hofmann, the author of the famous Vine app that for a brief period of time got its moment of a glory after being acquired by Twitter in 2012, but later shut down in 2017 because it never managed to click with a big audience of users. Essentially the Clash app it’s Don’s second attempt to create a short-form video hosting service.

Rapper Elijah Daniel’s endorsement of the Clash app

Source: Getty Images

In this case, an influencer marketing campaign aim was to support the app’s launch in 2020. It was the moment when the TikTok app was facing a ban in the US and many TikTok users were considering switching to another app and so the core idea of the ad campaign was to leverage that uncertainty as much as possible.

An influencer marketing agency team that was hired for this task reached 50+ influencers to run an influencer marketing campaign on Twitter and Instagram.

The campaign resulted in more than 20 million impressions on Twitter and Instagram combined, 250k downloads of the app, app’s ranking of #17 on the App Store.

From video-sharing to creating unique visual stories to post on social media apps.

Case Study #4 Instories app

Instories is a mobile app to create reels and visual stories right on a smartphone, using an extensive library of templates, and publish them later on Instagram or TikTok. The app is available on both Android and iOS platforms and supports all TikTok and Instagram video formats.

Influencer promo video for the Instories app

Source: Bold Creators Club

The Instories team hired an influencer marketing agency to run a promotion to increase the app market share in Brazil and introduce the latest update for the app.

The influencer marketing agency that took the task hired 15 influencers who launched ad campaigns on Instagram with reels.

The campaign achieved a high level of engagement, reaching 9.1% on average, which allowed the app to skyrocket to the top positions on the App Store, and secured the app’s high visibility in the target market. Plus to the significant jump in the app’s downloads in Brazil, the influencer marketing agency managed to create awareness among beauty, fashion, and lifestyle bloggers.

Switching the gears, from video-sharing apps to a casual gaming social platform from Prague, Czech Republic.

Case Study #5 Gamee app

The Gamee app is a casual gaming social platform, with lots of game titles, that connects gamers with brands and Web3 projects through play. The platform was launched in 2020 and was later acquired by Animoca Brands.

Gamee casual gaming social platform influencer marketing campaign on Instagram

Source: Starngage

The goal of the influencer marketing campaign was to raise awareness of the game, and significantly increase its user base, casual gamers of age 18-30,  across multiple geographies within a short period of time.

The Gamee marketing team reached out to YouTube and Instagram influencers, and a big part of the campaign’s success was the platform’s ability for gamers to challenge the influencers in the games and hence engage with them directly.

As a result, at the beginning of 2017, the game acquired 500k to 1 million additional installs.

Switching from a casual gaming platform to a multi-player strategy game from the world-famous IGG.

Case Study #6 Lords Mobile: War Kingdom game app

Lords Mobile: War Kingdom is an award-winning multiplayer strategy mobile game that was published by IGG Studio in 2016. The game was praised right from the get-go, it was nominated by the Google Play store’s editors for “Best Competitive Game” and in 2017 it was nominated for the “Best Multiplayer Game” award.

Lords Mobile: War Kingdom App Store listing screenshot

Source: App Store

The objective of this campaign was to reach out to 18-35-year-old UK-based males on both iOS and Android.

The influencer marketing agency’s team reached out to 5 Instagram and YouTube influencers to generate and promote a series of Instagram Stories and YouTube videos and entice people to install the game.

As a result, the game was exposed to 1.5 million viewers, it generated 86k engagements, and brought 12k game installs with an average CPI of 4.08 pounds / install.

Moving from the world of mobile games to saving money on mobile roaming abroad.

Case Study #7 Airalo app

The Airalo app helps smartphone users to avoid high roaming bills, using its world’s first eSIM store.  Using the app, users can purchase temporary mobile data plans to use in a particular country during the trip, the app covers 190+ countries and regions.

The Airalo: eSIM Phone Internet listing screenshot

The campaign objective was to reach out travel community on TikTok and raise awareness about the app. The other, more specific one, was to drive high-quality app installs from 18-35 US-based users.

One of the major trends on TikTok is sharing travel tips and hacks to save money during trips, the team of micro-influencers educated audiences on the app’s benefits, sharing with them relatable international traveling scenarios. It led to a surge of app installs from the right audiences at the right moment.

The campaign resulted in 2.1 million video views, a 12,3% engagement rate, and $.0,23 / install rates.

Final Thoughts

Today influencer marketing is one of the most kinetic digital marketing tools for app marketers to use and achieve a high level of engagement with audiences around the globe. In these 7 case studies, we demonstrated the high potential of this channel across several app categories. All case studies should be considered within the time frames indicated for each and keeping in mind that still – to this day –  influencer marketing performance tracking in many cases isn’t precise and begs for more accuracy.

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