Gaming and esports should now be a part of any brand’s marketing plan if you want to appeal to a younger audience. The days of it being the new experimental field are over, and it has been proven as the best place to engage young people. Quite simply, if you don’t already have a plan for the space, you should get one sooner rather than later.
But, just like any field, the way gamers are engaging with brands continues to evolve. What worked five years ago is becoming tired and old news, and the best way to find success, and good return on investment (ROI), is to try something new or adapt to what players are looking for.
2025 will likely see a lot of those ideas shaken up once again, as pioneering brands take risks to find something that works for them and likely unlock a few more strategies that others will want to mimic. Fortunately, some of those trends are already starting to appear, which might help you build some truly revolutionary ideas for the esports space in the coming 12 months.
2025 is (almost) all about content
The biggest esports events in the world, such as the Esports World Cup that combines the biggest games across a multi-week competition, bring in millions of viewers and incredible watch hours, but you can’t just apply your logo to the event and get a result.
Instead, it’s all about creating your own content in support of the event that gamers will want to engage with. No one looks at a logo for more than a second, but get them to watch a minute-long TikTok of their favourite players interacting with your brand in a fun way or a 10-minute YouTube documentary about them with some product placement, and they’ll suddenly start to appreciate your brand.
Doing gaming and esports the right way
This isn’t a revolutionary idea, more of a warning. Gamers will call out brands that don’t know anything about the space they are entering and will mock you mercilessly for it.
If you’re entering the gaming world, bring in experts and listen to them, otherwise your campaign could be routinely mocked for being inauthentic and destroy any chance you have of activating in the space.
Activate in-person at major events
Despite gaming being a very virtual space, in-person activations still bring enormous value, especially when at a major esports event. There’s nothing quite like getting gamers hands-on with your brand. There are so many ways to do it in a way they appreciate, and even have them tie into content you want to make.
At the Esports World Cup 2024, Pepsi created a burger stall to not only give fans another catering option on site but also get its drinks into their hands. Aramco hosted a sim racing arena, a natural tie-in for a brands that powers Formula 1. Both were authentic ways for the brands to get involved in esports that benefited the fans attending the event.
Grassroots is a growing space
A shift has happened in recent years in the world of esports, where grassroots and regional competitions have exploded in popularity. Whereas in years gone by these events would only bring in a fraction of the eyeballs an international event would, they are now selling out arenas.
STC Play, the gaming division of the major telecom brand, hosted both grassroots and regional competitions in its own gaming hall alongside the Esports World Cup and brought in some major viewership numbers as well as more than 200,000 in-person visitors. It’s especially viable for localised campaigns in regions with local events and circuits.
Gaming and esports influencers will not disappear
A lot of the biggest influencers in the world are gamers, and they continue to be incredible partners when it comes to marketing. In 2025, co-streams for esports events will likely continue to grow, with influencers adding their own takes and style to the broadcast, almost as an alternative commentary team.
These streams sometimes perform comparatively with official broadcasts, so are just an effective place for brand activations.
Push boundaries
Gamers are always looking for the next cool thing. If your campaign ends up being that, then you will be etched in the annals of esports history forever.
By Mohammad Al Nimer, Senior Sales Director, Esports World Cup Foundation
