The Esports Olympics: Has there ever been a better opportunity for brands to enter the gaming space?

On Friday the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made the groundbreaking announcement of an inaugural Olympic Esports Games next year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The duration of the partnership covers the next 12 years.

This is a crucial development for a sport furtively looking to attract brands into the space. The Esports Olympics represents a significant opportunity to convince brands of the value of gaming and esports as an avenue through which to connect with new and existing audiences.

A number of brands have made the jump into gaming as a marketing and engagement channel and have started to reap the benefits. For others, it is still proving difficult to understand where to enter, how to show up and how to quantify the ROI. The Esports Olympics provides the perfect platform for brands to take the plunge into gaming.

The Olympic association and its famously inspiring values centred on inclusivity, universality and hope represent an opportunity for brands to enter gaming in a profoundly positive way. Brands can drive associations with these values as well as an initiative which will take gaming to the next level – gaining the appreciation of the community.

Tactically, the Esports Olympics will offer brands the opportunity to connect with consumers across the global gaming community, with tailored communications to appeal to the nuances of each tribe and of each participating country, leveraging cultural truths and tapping into national pride. Indeed, this tournament has potential to draw in a much larger audience than traditional esports tournaments, with more casual gamers and traditional sports fans intrigued by the worldwide coverage and the opportunity to support their country in a major event.

Key to success will be assessing the range of opportunities to show up in the ecosystem from esports team sponsorship to streaming activations around the event to social campaigns and media partnerships, and identifying the right strategic choice for your brand and audience.

So, for brands still to enter the space has there ever been a bigger opportunity to get involved with gaming? From an audience engagement and risk perspective, we think not.

Please reach out to Benjamin Thrasher to see how your brand could be thinking about esports and gaming as a channel to build deeper, more valuable relationships with younger audiences.