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Cake were invited to an Ad Week talk on "What brands need to know about Esports" to hear from a panel of industry-leading figures on what it takes for brands to enter the exciting and huge world of competitive gaming.

The esports industry is huge and for a brand new to the space it can feel overwhelming with the number of possibilities, but this is also a positive. With so many opportunities you can tailor an idea to your brand, make it as authentic as possible and have the option to do something entirely new.

Brands first need to identify what audience they are trying to reach, and which games will lead them to it. There are big differences between the audiences that watch FIFA compared to Counter-Strike for example. That audience won't just live on the usual platforms either, you need to expand out to the places where esports is thriving like Reddit and Discord.

Five things to know about esports:

  • Each game is uniquely different
  • Fans aren't where you expect to find them
  • Traditional sports are moving into esports
  • The opportunities for brands is wide open
  • The rules of storytelling still apply

What is your esports story, the story you want your customers and esports fans to remember? Just like you would with any campaign there needs to be a story you are trying to tell. With traditional sports teams and broadcasters getting involved with esports it's only opening up bigger opportunities and more eyeballs for your brand to reach, so make sure to reach them with the most engaging message.

The opportunities are endless, which also means the list of brands who could get involved in the rising phenomenon is too.

Would you rather be the brand that gets involved and builds their presence in esports first or be the one watching and wishing you got involved sooner?


This interview was conducted and published by our partner Cake.

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