Esports and gaming are at the center of companies' marketing strategies. This is what emerges from the research “Marketing and Esports: Investments in Italy” conducted byItalian Esports Observatory ed IIZ spa, which revealed the level of investments of Italian companies in the Esports and gaming sector.
Through interviews with representatives of brands (50%), sports federations (21%), agencies (17%), tournament organizers (7%) e publisher content (3%), it emerged that over 82% of Italian companies consider it strategic to invest in the gaming and Esports sector. Furthermore, most of 71% of the companies interviewed expressed a strong consideration towards this type of investment.
Beyond the 75% of companies declared themselves satisfied with investments in the Esports and gaming sector, with 3 out of 4 companies who added that they had seen excellent returns on their investment. Among the main benefits highlighted are a significant improvement in brand recognition, an expansion of the customer base and an increase in turnover.
The stimuli that have pushed companies to invest in this sector include the need to communicate with young audiences, such as generation Z. More than 64% of companies have invested in collaborations with influencers and content creators, while the 53% has dedicated resources to communication campaigns. Furthermore, almost the 40% of companies believed in new partnerships and 45% in expanding relationships with sponsors.
In terms of financial investments, approximately 44% of companies invests more than 50.000 euros, while beyond the 21% invest over 100.000 euros in the sector. It emerged that digital indicators such as impressions, views, sentiments, and those like the ROI and awareness they are the main ones that companies consider.
Looking ahead, the outlook for 2024 is positive, with 82% of companies will continue to allocate part of their marketing budget to investments in the Esports and gaming sector.
Only 7% of companies show a total disinterest in investing. Among the main obstacles to investments, the lack of diffusion of events and the difficulty of translating fans into economic returns were indicated.
"With this research we mark a fundamental stage in the awareness of Esports in Italy - comments Luigi Caputo, founder of the Italian Esports Observatory -. These data disprove the narrative that the sector is stagnant and unattractive. Companies believe in this new way of promoting themselves and are looking for suitable solutions to enhance their investments. We expect a horizon full of challenges and opportunities to grow the Italian Esports movement."
Below is the full research:
