By Jacquie Garrett, Founder and CEO, GGWP Academy
Gaming and esports have exploded in popularity, but is your brand tapping into their full potential?
With an estimated 3.24 billion gamers worldwide, gaming is not just a niche hobby but a mainstream cultural phenomenon. Many brands don’t realise that this audience is bigger than global cinema and music audiences combined.
Gaming transcends geographic borders. A single gaming campaign or esports event can reach millions globally, something that traditional advertising platforms might struggle to replicate. Brands thinking locally or regionally may miss out on this global connection.
This is the era of Gaming Content Creators. These creators—who can be gamers, streamers, or influencers—have become key figures in the gaming ecosystem, shaping trends and influencing their audiences. The opportunities are immense.
Get it right, and you could achieve category ownership with a highly lucrative and loyal audience.
Get it wrong, and you might just lose your gaming pass forever.
The gaming audience might be different to your expectations:
- 18 – 38 years old
- Higher-than-average earners
- 55% male, 45% female
- Exceptionally loyal once onboard
Now you might think that gaming is for tech and gaming brands only but I assure you that gamers are people too. 😅
Brands from snacks and beverages to fintech and fashion are thriving with gaming audiences. The biggest hurdle for brands is committing to building long-term connections, not just engaging in tactical one-offs
For brands wanting to be accepted and embraced, spending time, showing support and authentically connecting with the gaming audience will go a long way to gaining their trust. But like any relationship, it also takes time.
We see so many brands making the same mistakes in gaming.
- Wrong messaging
- Poor choice of Influencer
- Inauthentic creative
- And incorrect testing with short-sighted methods
We often see brands appoint a 20-something internal ‘gaming expert’ without truly investing in understanding the space by working with the community to co-create ideas.
So what does it look like when you win this game?
Gillette is a great example of gaming (and esports) marketing done well.
They nailed it by staying the course, supporting the gaming industry, choosing authentic partners, and creating something more than just an ad campaign
Sephora and Maybelline have also done a wonderful job of activating their brands, by supporting women in gaming. However, we suggest you don’t simply duck in on the back of a cause, then slide back out again. Staying power has merit in this industry.
Now, I won’t name any local brands but there are definitely a few who have gotten it wrong in gaming and this audience can be brutal. They will cancel your creative quicker than you can say Fortnite.
I’ve seen Inauthentic and poor-quality creative used to sell gamers tech products and out-of-date controllers used to sell chips. The creative doesn’t usually last more than two days on their social account because of the backlash. Unfortunately, the brand then “calls it” on gaming because the test or campaign “didn’t work”.
We don’t want this to be your experience. So here are our top tips for a successful gaming activation:
- Engage a gaming expert on all creative, small or large!
- Support and participate in the community authentically.
- Be relevant and up-to-date with props, imagery, talent, game.
Don’t let your brand’s gaming effort be a misfire. Reach out to GGWP, and let us guide you through winning in this space.
Here’s a link to one of our most fun activations – Cheezels 50th Anniversary.
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About Jacquie Garrett
Jacquie started Good Game Well Played out of a desire to support her son, Orange Ocelot, the youngest esports pro in Australia in his gaming career. In the span of a year, she helped to boost his career into a $15,000 brand. Jacquie started the Academy to share this knowledge with the rest of the community.
