They say esports is the wild, wild west, and there are a lot of brands looking to jump into this newfound opportunity. However, it’s not as easy as just throwing in a lot of money and having a new group of raving fans. This is an industry where companies must proceed with caution when stepping in, but when done correctly can win over life-long customers.

CJ Cooper, COO of Hive Gaming, joins Rebecca Longawa in this week’s episode of The Future of Marketing in Esports to talk about brands that are getting into the esports space, and what’s working really well in terms of partnerships. They also go into great detail about new ideas for industries, and ways companies can win in the world of gaming in esports, even if it’s not a direct fit. For example, they’re not talking about energy drinks, but life insurance!

Links Mentioned in this site:

https://www.HiveGaming.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-cooper/

To connect with Rebecca, visit: https://www.happywarrior.us/

And follow her on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/RLongawa

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:05 – Welcoming CJ and understanding how Hive Gaming meets with potential brands, and what’s important for them to understand before entering into a partnership.

3:36 – What’s driving the connections with Hive: lead gen or partnerships?

4:30 – CJ tells how he got involved in the world of gaming through NASCAR and the PGA Tour.

6:10 – What are the changes of building an esports brand? CJ gives the good and the bad.

8:20 – Jumping into case studies, and a great example of how Crocs used the esports space and did it well.

11:47 – The future of Crocs in esports, and how they exceeded their first expectations and what’s next.

15:15 – What are the trends for industries wanting to get involved in the gaming space.

17:34 – Why brands have lots of opportunities for layers in the esports brand (basically, don’t stay out because a competitor is already in the space).

22:20 – Continuing down the health and wellness tracks, what brands should be considering esports?

24:40 – More ideas on brand partnerships and opportunities (CMO’s listen up!)

29:23 – How the financial space can work, looking at companies like Acorn or Robinhood.

31:09 – What are the trends in companies coming on board with companies like Hive?

32:01 – Should your company’s message change to fit within the gaming community? Why this can be a very dangerous mistake for any brand.

34:21 – Getting the inside scoop of Hive’s marketing plan.

38:09 – Defining success in marketing in the world of esports and gaming.