Dive Brief:
- Bud Light has opened up voting for its 2017 Bud Light All-Star nominees in esports covering four video games including Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone and Street Fighter V, per a company news release.
- For its second year running the promotion, Bud Light is putting a greater focus on engaging esports fans digitally. The all-star roster will be announced in late June, and from June 29 through the end of the year, a Bud Light esports all-star will stream from the brand's Twitch channel.
- Bud Light will also create a documentary-style film on each of the all-stars exploring their journey.
Dive Insight:
Professional gaming is fast becoming a big business and major brands are looking to stake out their territory as the space explodes. Esports revenues are expected to hit $696 million this year and reach $1.5 billion by 2020 because of brand investment, according to a report from Newzoo.
Part of the issue in marketing toward gamers is figuring where best to engage them, but Bud Light is smart to tap Twitch as its platform of choice, as the Amazon-owned streaming service is largely built around a dedicated gaming audience and appears to be eager to open up more digital advertising options.
The press release noted that Bud Light All-Stars will mostly be a digital experience, but the brand will also engage esports fans with in-person activations via a trial program at bars and restaurants, as well as an expanded relationship with DreamHack that features a Bud Light Lounge at its Austin and Atlanta events.
Bud Light has been making marketing changes after sales were down last year.
