Marketing and Sponsorship of Esports Without Getting Ganked

Abstract

Sports sponsorship is an area of marketing responsible for raising financial resources. This is a similar understanding within the realm of Esports as the fastest growing sport in decades. Recognizing the clear parallel between sports and Esports within the marketing realm, as ways through which to raise financial resources through sponsorship opportunities, there are also significant differences that apply, partially due to the digital comfortability of gamers as a novel and as yet unexperienced curiosity, as well as the native community competitive nature of the Esports realm that highlights parallels with many other sports. As such, sponsorship of Esports events has become a marketing communication tool as it is able to significantly impact the target audience, similar in nature to other sports while still introducing new marketing communications tools. The interaction between sponsor and sponsored has become a mutual benefit; it augments the brand awareness in the market while facilitating the communication with the target audience, and it supports sports events.

Exploring the Preference of Corporations for Sponsorship Motives and the Impact of Sponsorship Motives on Sponsoring Intention in Post-Epidemic Era: Using Two Different Approaches—FPR and SEM

“…Corporate image implies performing CSR to shape better image, changing the public's perception and identification, and enhancing the visibility and credibility, which highlights similar arguments reflected by a group of previous studies [9,13,[25][26][27][28][29][30]. On the other hand, marketing instrument focuses on enlarging market share, reaching the connection with target consumers, and maximizing sponsorship investment effectiveness, which also involves similar arguments indicated by other previous studies [31][32][33][34][35].…”

“…For example, Su and Kunkel [32] analyzed that the enterprises with lesser-known brands can enlarge market share of products or services through effective sponsoring events in a competitive environment. Rosário and Raimundo [33] argued that launching sponsorship can reach the connection with target consumers, which is also proved by Premananto and Zulkifli [34] in exploring the performance of sponsorship events. Zhang [35] indicated that sponsorship-linked marketing is correlated with return on investment, helping corporations maximize sponsorship investment effectiveness.…”

“…• Enlarging market share [13,32] • Reaching the connection with target consumers [31,33,34] • Maximizing sponsorship investment effectiveness [13,35]…”