A Brand Dilemma: Esports' Bad Rap but Big Opportunity

If you missed the recent 3 million prize awarded to 16yearold Kyle Giersdorf who won the Fortnite World Cup then consider that a wakeup call Esports is very much primetime and brands are on board and poised to become even more prominent players CocaCola Nike and State Farm to name a few have a significant presence within esports they are all attracted to the swaths of hyperengaged young peopleBut there is a dark underbelly to this success story and it39s one that brands need to pay attention to The industry as a whole has been roiled with charges of racism sexism and labor issues Brands getting involved with esports should take the lead on these potential hazards rather than adopt a waitandsee attitudeAlthough gaming has been around for a long time esports is a newcomer relative to traditional sporting leagues such as the NBA NFL and MLB That infancy as a structured league with established pipelines of distribution has allowed for its worse instincts to go unchecked Brands were not a large part of the early story so there was no reason that bad institutional behavior would be on their radar However when sponsorship dollars are expected to top 450 million it becomes quite a different storyThe same accountability expected of the traditional sports league must be integrated within esports or brands risk blowback Purpose and social engagement are becoming essential and brands can39t afford to play both sides of the fence Brands have to lead with more than sponsorship dollars they must play a role in assuring that the maturation of esports aligns with their core valuesLet39s take a closer look at the biggest issues that brands interested in sponsoring esports should consider race sexism and laborRacial incidents have long dogged the gaming community Online racist comments by both players and fans have been part of the darker fringe of the overall gaming world and as a result have crept into esports Unlike traditional sports league that have one central governing body to set policy and punishments should rules be violated esports is still fragmented Competing associations and even game publishing companies are still wrestling with the more toxic elements of racism within their networks Highprofile incidents such as a racial slur used during a chat stream in a Dota 2 tournament and YouTube influencer PewDiePew39s use of the NWord shines a light on how pervasive these toxic behaviors areThe boardroom and corporate structures in the gaming community are not a haven against these behaviors and are not immune to accusations Former NBA player Rick Fox chose to step down from his esports company citing racism from a fellow partner in the venture Toxic behavior that flourished in the grassroots can39t be allowed to go unchecked as leagues and brands become more connectedPublishers such as Activision Riot Games and Valve have shown uneven enforcement of rules put in place to create a welcoming environment for all players Brands such as Facebook Twitch and YouTube have invested millions in broadcast rights entering into a Faustian bargain with esports CocaCola TMobile and Toyota are significant sponsors of the Overwatch League and are in the same boat Sponsorship dollars can39t be their only contribution if they hope to have longterm success in the communitySexismThe popular perception of the gaming community is that young men dominate it In reality women make up almost half of the gaming community Their participation does not translate into the playing arena as they represent about 15 percent of professional gamers The quotold boys3939 networkquot of gaming has managed to foster an environment where women are meant to feel uncomfortable at the least and unwanted altogether in the extremePlacing half of your fans in a situation where they are treated as secondclass citizens is untenable In a MeToo environment no brand can withstand the scrutiny of supporting any venture that is either passively or actively insensitive to the feelings of their audience Esports faces a challenge both in front and behind the console as the ranks of developers and programmers are also notoriously unwelcoming environments for womenLaborThe paradox of esports is that while the marketing story is a straight line of tremendous growth the labor story is one of layoffs and worker exploitation Throw in the aforementioned workplace sexism and underrepresentation and you have a trifecta of labor strifeIn the 1990s Nike came under fire for its sweatshop factories and despite having made attempts to be a better global citizen the brand still finds itself connected to that earlier reality Gaming publishers and by extension their brand partners risk suffering from the quotNike effectquot as it pertains to their workforce It is never too late to do the right thing and on the flip side it is never too earlyThe growth potential of esports is bringing the attention and the money but brands can39t be passive Exercising power via cash amp8212 a traditional use of power amp8212 isn39t enough Thoughtful brands can and should do moreThe current structural power vacuum is an opportunity for savvy brands that understand they serve their longterm interest by acting as engaged socially vibrant citizens Brands staking out territory in esports should1 Enact a zerotolerance policy for players and teams that participate in toxic behavior Fines forfeiture of titles and prize money and suspensions should all be on the table as possible punishments2 Ensure that sponsorship of tournaments and other events coincide with specific outreach programming and branding efforts to combat racist and sexist behavior3 Create team sponsorship packages that are genderneutral There should be pay parity established across the board to ensure that resources are allocated to empower esports teams led by women4 Support labor movements and organization efforts industrywide to allow workers the right to safe working conditionsThese are just a few easily enacted steps that can help to improve the esports environment and center brands as leaders in rhetoric and deedamp160Photo credit Anthony Brolin UnsplashClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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A Brand Dilemma: Esports' Bad Rap but Big Opportunity

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Philip McKenzie

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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A Brand Dilemma: Esports' Bad Rap but Big Opportunity

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Philip McKenzie

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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