Connecting with esports fans outside of digital
By Josh Walfish
There is good news for those hoping to target devoted esports fans, as these passionate consumers are among the most susceptible to out-of-home (OOH) advertising methods, according to a research study from YouGov.
In both the UK and the US, avid esports fans outperformed the average adult in noticing and engaging with OOH advertisements. YouGov asked the study participants about seeing advertisements on public transport – buses, trains and airports – and discovered that as many as twice as many esports fans noticed the advertisements compared to the average adult.
In the same study, YouGov learned that nearly 70% of avid esports fans in the US searched for a product after seeing it on a billboard or poster. More than 60% of American respondents also said they comment to friends and family about what they see on those OOH advertisements.
Analysing the data
What stands out about this data is that it holds for the younger age group and the generations more tied to technology. The avid esports fans between the ages of 18-34 are far more likely than their average counterparts to notice and engage with OOH advertisements. This is great news for products that might target younger gamers that might be worried about the diminishing returns from digital advertising.
In particular, for sportsbooks, there are many positives to take from this data among esports fans. Nearly 70% of esports fans between the ages of 18-34 search for a product on their phone after seeing a billboard, meaning that those OOH advertisements can translate almost immediately into betting interests. The trend holds with the esports fans as a whole, which opens the door for various marketing strategies to connect with this emerging market of bettors.
Lessons from the data
The most straightforward lesson from this data is that posters and billboards around events are a must-have for sportsbooks. As online sports gambling continues to become legal in more states across the US, sportsbooks must capitalise on the conversion rate among esports fans. As we’ve seen in the traditional sports vertical, being able to bet on the event you are attending enhances the experiences.
The sportsbooks should focus specifically on the public transportation in the city of the event, connecting with bettors and fans who might not have tickets to the event. If fans are exiting the subway stations and bus stops with constant reminders about the esports event and the betting options, it will only drive more traffic – and therefore more money – to the sportsbooks.
The other major lesson from this data is the importance of diversifying the marketing strategy for these sportsbooks. Driving traffic solely through digital advertising is an easy trap to fall into, given the reliance on technology in modern-day society. However, this data set proves that OOH marketing works and can help pique interest in a product via word of mouth, adding to the value of these more traditional advertising methods.
It’s not just about the 70% of esports fans who research the product after seeing a billboard or poster. Sportsbooks must also take advantage of the more than 60% of fans who then speak with family and friends about what they saw, helping spread the message further than any other marketing method. It is a tool that cannot be ignored and should be honed to help grow sports betting on esports.