Home » Scratching A Twitch: Why Are Advertisers Still Hesitant To Embrace Gaming?

19 June, 2020

Scratching A Twitch: Why Are Advertisers Still Hesitant To Embrace Gaming?

It’s the world’s largest live streaming platform, sharing content across gaming, sport, the arts and even chess.

But if there’s one thing Twitch values above all else, it’s the audience.

“Twitch is the connection to today’s most sought-after audiences who are cord-cutters and cord-nevers, rejecting traditional media and advertising,” Twitch head of sales for Australia and New Zealand Ricky Chanana [feature image] told B&T.

“It is the place where Millennials and Generation Z congregate and meet those they trust, including influencers.”

It’s also a demographic that is usually inaccessible via traditional channels.

Twitch’s research shows that 39 per cent of its audience is unreachable through TV, while nine per cent watch no TV at all.

But even with a hold on this demographic, Twitch still describes itself as an “under-utilised advertising platform”.

Why?

“I think advertisers are unaware of not only our reach, but they also might not completely understand what we are. Twitch is the future of entertainment,” Chanana said.

“It is live, interactive, personality and content-based, community-driven video where anyone can play a role in creating the moment. When you invest in Twitch, you invest in an audience that participates and engages in their entertainment.”

Even when advertisers do find their way to Twitch, there are still some misconceptions as to how the platform works, explained Chanana.

Some will approach Twitch as if it is just a traditional VOD platform, while others look to craft campaigns specifically for ‘gamers’.

“We combat that by showing advertisers that gaming is mainstream,” Chanana said.

Another aspect advertisers might struggle to get their heads around is the close relationship between streamers and their audiences.

“The most popular streamers don’t just post content. They go live on Twitch for about 40 hours a week on average. And there’s the lingo unique to each individual streamer’s fanbase, a direct result of a live interactive environment,” Chanana said.

“That makes it tough to understand on the surface but is telling of the close ties viewers have to streamers and opportunities for engagement for advertisers.”

the covid-19 effect

If ever there is ever going to be a global event to change the way advertisers approach gaming, it will be COVID-19.

The outbreak of the virus and subsequent lockdown procedures has seen traffic to the platform spike, with some data suggesting a 24 per cent increase in viewership in the month of March.

And growth hasn’t been limited to gaming.

“We’ve seen new records set in hours watched, a significant uptick in new creators streaming on Twitch, and distribution of activity across a broad range of categories, including gaming, sports, and music,” said Chanana.

“When you look at our growth outside of gaming content, it’s been significant in music and sports.”

And this has helped grab the attention of now advertisers, Chanana explained.

“We are seeing inbound enquiries and briefs from a lot more non endemic clients in recent times.

“Additionally, we just announced a partnership with Doritos as Official Marketing Partner of Twitch Rivals, our recreational esports property that lets streamers participate in esports events run by us.

“Any brand that enables more opportunities for online connection in a method that feels natural is welcomed by the community.”

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