Esports advertisers need to be fans first, marketers second

Just because New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady is good at football doesn’t mean he’s good at Madden. And just because you’re good at marketing doesn’t mean you’re good at esports marketing. While esports may not yet have the same name recognition as soccer, football, or baseball, the prospect of it soon joining their ranks is not too far-fetched.

As the owner of 10 major esports brands, we at Gamurs Group have seen and reported on the esports industry rapidly gaining steam and grabbing the attention of fans across the world. According to a recent report by IHS Market, in fact, the amount of time spent watching competitive video games totaled more than six billion hours in 2016, up 19 percent from 2015. Moreover, the Olympic Council of Asia recently announced its decision to make esports a medal event in the 2022 Asia Games in Hangzhou, China — hinting at a potential future of esports gaining Olympic status by 2024.