Influencer marketing has become a game-changer for gaming and eSports brands looking to build trust, engage audiences, and drive excitement around their products. In an industry where immersive experiences and community engagement are key, the right influencer partnerships can make all the difference.
A prime example is "Blackpink: The Virtual," a groundbreaking collaboration between K-pop sensation Blackpink and PUBG Mobile. This virtual concert, held within the game, showcased the power of influencer marketing in the gaming world. By integrating a globally recognized music act into the PUBG universe, the campaign not only boosted in-game engagement but also attracted millions of viewers worldwide.
This strategy isn’t just about visibility; it’s about creating experiences that resonate with audiences. As gaming and eSports brands navigate the evolving digital landscape, influencer marketing proves to be a powerful tool for bridging the gap between entertainment and brand loyalty.
- 6 Cutting-Edge Influencer Marketing Strategies to Level Up Your Gaming and Esports Brand
- 1. Amplifying Product Launches with Influencer-Created In-Game Challenges
- 2. Utilizing Influencers to Promote Esports Apparel and Gear
- 3. Driving Product Awareness Through Unboxing and Review Videos
- 4. Expanding Reach Through Influencer-Led Competitive Events
- 5. Creating Anticipation with Influencer Teasers and Early Reveals
- 6. Leveraging Live Music and Celebrity Integration for Immersive Experiences
- Influence Unleashed: Shaping the Future of Gaming Marketing
- Frequently Asked Questions
6 Cutting-Edge Influencer Marketing Strategies to Level Up Your Gaming and Esports Brand
As gaming and eSports brands fight to stand out in an increasingly crowded digital landscape, influencer marketing is the secret weapon driving deeper engagement and stronger brand loyalty. By partnering with influencers who resonate with their communities, brands can create authentic, dynamic campaigns that cut through the noise. In this section, we’ll showcase six powerful strategies that leverage influencers to boost your brand’s visibility, drive excitement, and foster lasting connections with fans. Let’s dive into how you can harness the power of influencer partnerships to supercharge your gaming marketing efforts.
1. Amplifying Product Launches with Influencer-Created In-Game Challenges
Influencer-driven challenges have become a powerful tool in digital marketing, transforming product launches into engaging, participatory events. By leveraging well-known personalities and interactive content, brands can create experiences that feel organic, exclusive, and highly shareable—keeping audiences engaged beyond the initial announcement.
EA Sports’ FIFA 21 release demonstrates the power of influencer-created challenges in boosting product launches. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, EA pivoted from its traditional live World Premiere to digital content, creating "The Boot Room" as part of their launch strategy. This series featured football stars like Gary Lineker, Ashley Cole, and Phil Foden playing FIFA 21 in a relaxed, interactive format.
The challenge aspect came in the form of these footballers competing in the game and engaging in fun banter, but the true focus was on their personalities and interactions rather than strict competition. This allowed fans to see a side of the athletes they wouldn't typically experience, creating a deeper connection to the product.
By integrating these influencers into the launch, EA increased participation from their millions of followers, turning the FIFA 21 release into an event that felt both exclusive and relatable. The ongoing content series helped maintain momentum, keeping the game in public conversation long after its initial release.
This example underscores the effectiveness of influencer-driven challenges that not only promote a product but engage audiences and maintain excitement for a sustained period.
2. Utilizing Influencers to Promote Esports Apparel and Gear
Influencer-driven product integrations have become a powerhouse marketing strategy, transforming brand endorsements into authentic, everyday moments that audiences actually want to engage with. Instead of disruptive ads, brands are now weaving their products directly into content that feels organic—whether it’s a gaming setup reveal, a casual stream, or a behind-the-scenes vlog.
This approach has been particularly effective in eSports, where authenticity and community engagement are key. FaZe Clan’s bold investment in CTRL—a drinkable meal replacement—exemplifies how strategic influencer marketing can bolster brand loyalty in eSports. By expanding CTRL’s influencer network from a modest six to over 60, FaZe tapped into its media empire, which boasts over 52 million followers across social platforms. This partnership not only enhanced brand credibility but also forged an authentic connection between the product and its passionate audience.
Influencers, including top Call of Duty players, seamlessly integrated CTRL into their daily content, highlighting its benefits in real-world, in-game scenarios. This organic integration resonated with fans who value genuine endorsements from their favorite eSports figures, elevating the product from a mere supplement to an essential part of the esports lifestyle.
The success of this campaign underscores a key insight for eSports brands: partnering with influencers who truly believe in your product creates powerful, community-driven content. Authentic collaborations like this one drive engagement, foster trust, and ultimately build long-lasting brand loyalty.
3. Driving Product Awareness Through Unboxing and Review Videos
Unboxing and review videos have become a go-to strategy for building hype, especially for tech and gaming brands. By letting influencers showcase products in real time, brands tap into authentic excitement and trusted opinions that resonate with audiences.
PlayStation has mastered this approach, with the PlayStation 5 launch being a standout example. Unbox Therapy’s widely viewed unboxing gave fans a first look at the console’s design, the innovative DualSense controller, and key features—turning anticipation into a full-blown social media event.
By showcasing the PlayStation 5 in a relatable, firsthand manner, the video generated significant engagement and set the stage for further discussions about the console's performance and value.
4. Expanding Reach Through Influencer-Led Competitive Events
Influencer-led tournaments have become a powerful tool for gaming brands, blending entertainment, exclusivity, and community engagement into a single high-impact event. These competitions tap into the natural rivalries and camaraderie of gaming culture, driving massive participation and viewership while reinforcing the game’s presence across social media.
One standout example is the Fortnite Invitational hosted by Ninja in 2021. In collaboration with Epic Games, Ninja organized a competitive event that featured top content creators like Ali-A, Tfue, and Myth. The tournament was designed around exclusive in-game challenges, giving participants a unique, high-stakes arena to showcase their skills while engaging their massive fanbases.
The competitive structure and limited-time nature of the challenges created an air of exclusivity and excitement. Fans flocked to Ninja’s live streams on Twitch and YouTube, actively participating in chat discussions and even joining side competitions. This real-time engagement not only amplified Fortnite’s visibility but also reinforced the influencer’s role as a trusted tastemaker within the gaming community.
By crafting an event that seamlessly merged competition with exclusive content, Ninja’s Fortnite Invitational drove significant social media buzz and broadened the game’s reach. It highlights how well-designed, influencer-led competitive events can foster a sense of community and urgency, ultimately boosting brand awareness and deepening audience loyalty.
5. Creating Anticipation with Influencer Teasers and Early Reveals
Hype-building is an art, and one of the most effective ways to generate sustained excitement is through influencer-led teasers and exclusive previews. By offering early access to highly anticipated content, brands can tap into an influencer’s reach and credibility, ensuring that fans feel like they’re getting an inside look at something special. This strategy not only builds suspense but also turns speculation and discussion into a viral marketing force.
Activision Blizzard has long mastered the art of building hype for Hearthstone expansions by strategically partnering with influential streamers. For the game expansion, “Into the Emerald Dream,” Blizzard rolled out a carefully orchestrated reveal schedule. Select streamers were granted early access to individual card reveals during live sessions, allowing them to tease new mechanics and unique artwork piece by piece. This staggered approach not only generated real-time discussion among dedicated fans but also maintained an air of mystery around each card’s abilities.
By empowering respected figures in the Hearthstone community—such as Thijs and other popular content creators—to showcase these teasers, Blizzard ensured that the reveals felt authentic and immersive. Fans, watching on Twitch and YouTube, eagerly dissected every detail, speculating on synergies and deck strategies long before the expansion’s official launch. This method of incremental exposure built sustained anticipation, as each card drop acted as a conversation starter that fueled community engagement.
Ultimately, this influencer-driven strategy transformed a standard promotional event into a dynamic, community-led experience, reinforcing Blizzard’s reputation for innovative marketing in the digital age.
6. Leveraging Live Music and Celebrity Integration for Immersive Experiences
Merging music with interactive entertainment is a powerful way to engage audiences across different interests, creating an experience that feels both exclusive and communal. By blending celebrity performances with in-game elements, brands can captivate fans in a way that extends far beyond a traditional concert or gaming event.
An innovative departure from conventional influencer campaigns is exemplified by “Blackpink: The Virtual.” In July 2022, PUBG Mobile reimagined the traditional concert by hosting a live, in-game performance featuring global K-pop sensation Blackpink. This creative collaboration transformed a standard gaming experience into a cross-platform spectacle, captivating both gamers and music fans alike.
@ashlili Want more of the #BLACKPINKxPUBGM collab hype? You're in luck since they have a comeback concert this July 29-31 at #PUBGM! #BLACKPINK #PUBGMOBILE ♬ original sound - Ashley Gosiengfiao
During the event, PUBG Mobile offered exclusive in-game concert tickets and limited-edition cosmetic items available for free, while debuting Blackpink’s new track, "Ready for Love." By integrating live musical performance within the digital battleground, the campaign blurred the boundaries between entertainment and gaming. This immersive approach not only provided an engaging experience but also sparked widespread discussion across social platforms.
Ultimately, “Blackpink: The Virtual” demonstrated that when a gaming brand leverages the star power of influential musicians, it can forge strong emotional connections, foster community participation, and elevate overall brand perception—achieving an impact far beyond that of traditional marketing campaigns.
Influence Unleashed: Shaping the Future of Gaming Marketing
From EA Sports’ dynamic “Boot Room” challenges to FaZe Clan’s authentic CTRL integration, innovative influencer collaborations are revolutionizing gaming marketing. These fresh approaches—spanning immersive unboxings, competitive events, and live in-game concerts—are redefining how brands capture and sustain audience attention.
By blending real-world personality with digital engagement, gaming brands are forging deeper emotional connections with fans, driving buzz and organic growth. Ultimately, these inventive strategies raise the bar in marketing, proving that creative influencer partnerships are key to keeping gaming and esports brands ahead of the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best influencer marketing strategies for gaming and esports brands?
The best influencer marketing strategies for gaming and esports brands focus on authenticity, community engagement, and interactive content. Effective tactics include:
- Influencer-created challenges – EA Sports’ FIFA 21 "Boot Room" series engaged players and influencers in fun, competitive gameplay.
- Exclusive reveals and teasers – Activision Blizzard used streamers to unveil Hearthstone’s expansion cards, keeping fans engaged.
- Live in-game events – PUBG Mobile’s “Blackpink: The Virtual” concert integrated music with gaming, creating a unique experience.
These strategies enhance brand credibility and deepen audience engagement.
How can gaming brands identify the right influencers to work with?
Gaming brands should evaluate influencers based on audience relevance, engagement rates, and authenticity. The best partnerships come from influencers who naturally align with a brand’s niche, like FaZe Clan’s collaboration with top Call of Duty players for CTRL. A strong fit ensures credibility and better audience reception.
What are some effective ways to collaborate with esports influencers?
Esports influencers can drive engagement through tournaments, product integrations, and exclusive content. For example, Ninja’s Fortnite Invitational created a high-stakes competitive event that attracted millions of viewers while showcasing Fortnite’s brand identity.
How does influencer marketing help with building brand awareness in gaming?
Influencers help brands gain visibility by leveraging their trust and large audiences. This approach drives organic reach, as seen with Unbox Therapy’s PlayStation 5 unboxing video, which generated excitement and boosted awareness through millions of views.
Which social media platforms are most effective for esports marketing?
The most effective platforms in esports marketing include:
- Twitch (live streaming)
- YouTube (video content and reviews)
- Instagram and TikTok (short-form, viral content)
These channels are where gaming communities actively engage and share content.
What are some examples of successful influencer marketing campaigns in esports?
Some standout campaigns include Ninja’s Fortnite Invitational, which created a community-driven tournament, and FaZe Clan’s CTRL partnership, which integrated the brand into everyday esports content. These campaigns proved that authentic, influencer-led promotions can enhance brand loyalty.
What are the benefits of partnering with gaming influencers for a product launch?
Working with gaming influencers builds credibility, increases reach, and sustains engagement. EA Sports’ FIFA 21 launch, for instance, used influencer-led challenges to keep audiences excited long after the game’s release.
What types of influencers should esports brands collaborate with?
Esports brands benefit from working with pro players for credibility, content creators for casual appeal, and crossover influencers for expanding reach. PUBG Mobile’s collaboration with K-pop group Blackpink demonstrated how blending entertainment with gaming can attract wider audiences.
What challenges do brands face when using influencers for esports marketing?
Common challenges include maintaining authenticity, measuring ROI, and choosing the right influencers. Forced sponsorships often feel inauthentic, so brands should focus on genuine collaborations like FaZe Clan’s seamless integration with CTRL.
How do gaming influencers drive engagement beyond just sponsorships?
Influencers create engagement through interactive content, community-driven events, and behind-the-scenes access. Ninja’s Fortnite Invitational demonstrated how real-time interaction and competitive gameplay can deepen audience connections.
How can gaming brands build long-term relationships with influencers?
Successful long-term relationships require creative freedom, consistent collaboration, and mutual benefits. EA Sports’ ongoing FIFA campaigns show how continuous partnerships keep influencers engaged while maintaining brand relevance.
