Esports and brands—how to boost inclusivity in gaming

As esports grows in popularity—and spending power—the space is increasingly diverse. However, the industry, and brands marketing around it, should do more to promote an inclusive environment, experts say. Gone are the days when gamers were stereotyped as teenage boys playing in their basements. A recent report from gaming research company NewZoo found that 46% of gamers are women and that 40% identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color, while 16% are LGBTQIA+ and 31% have a disability. The report also showed that 35% of players in the U.S. don’t feel welcome in gaming communities, rising to 47% when it comes to queer gamers. Over half of surveyed gamers want video game publishers to take a stance on issues such as health and wellbeing and social causes. The same goes for brands seeking to break into and market in esports communities, according to industry professionals. Marketers should pr1ovide financial support to “organizations on the front lines,” said Ryan Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Cxmmunity Media, which aims to increase participation of minority gamers in esports through skill development and access. But “it is equally important to learn about the culture of the minority gaming community to authentically engage (and) understand the realities,” said Johnson, who was interviewed by email. Below, a look at what brands are doing well when it comes to supporting diversity in esports marketing–and how your brand can do the same. Financial support is the first step “We don’t need to talk about diversity, we need to start funding people that are diverse,” said Alex Hutchi, esports advisor and Discord community manager in the gaming, esports, and NFT industries. There are a variety of ways for companies to get financially involved. This could include providing financial backing for mentorship and funding grants, said Hutchi, through organizations such as High School Esports League, which provides gaming resources for high school students; and the 1000 Dreams Fund, which supports female gamers through funding and mentorship. Johnson pointed to Verizon, which donated $1 million to Cxmmunity. This allowed for the organization to build gaming labs and create scholarships at historically Black colleges and universities, “giving Black students the necessary access, education, and exposure to pursue careers in the industry,” said Johnson. Microsoft partnered with Cxmmunity in July to donate Xbox kits to 50 HBCUs to put in their gaming labs. DoorDash worked with the nonprofit in March to create a virtual two-day conference, “Creatxr Dash,” to educate minority creators from HBCUs on how to develop and distribute their gaming content. Attendees also got a promo code from DoorDash during the conference. Discover and Hot Pockets are sponsors of Cxmmunity’s HBCU Esports League, which aims to make a “safe space for gamers of color to engage in esports,” said Johnson. Find creators and give them a platform It’s important to find and work with nano-influencers and micro-influencers in order to “amplify and elevate the smaller fan bases,” said Verta Maloney, chief innovation officer and co-founder of The GameHers. The organization, which goes by "the*gameHERs," is an online community of women and femme identity gamers. Maloney is also co-founder of 45 Lemons, which does anti-racism work with companies. For example, in May, Coca-Cola Co.-owned Vitaminwater worked with professional gamer and Twitch Partner ctrlaltquinn, who has 8,000 followers on Twitch, for a Pride-focused campaign. Reaching smaller fanbases allows those fans to feel as though brands or other esports organizations “really care about me as a part of the community,” rather than just targeting mega-fans who attend tournaments “because everyone can't do that,” said Maloney. Brands should also help amplify the platforms of those who are teaching and mentoring younger gamers, said Hutchi. Gaming industry professional Eunice Chen founded the education resource Enlight.gg with the aim to train younger gamers in the esports industry. “For me, that's a great example of what a company could do if they want it to get in(to) the space,” said Hutchi, who took one of Chen’s courses. “Find someone who's an advisor and help give them a platform to teach others and be a part of it.” Take the time to understand who, what and where On a basic level, your brand’s message should fit with the community’s values. Rebecca Longawa, founder of esports consultancy Happy Warrior spoke at a Chicago EsportsNext conference in August about turning down an offer from Hooters. Working with the brand, which has been criticized for its treatment and depiction of women, would have lost the trust of her majority female audience, said Longawa, who oversees collegiate and esports strategy for the*gameHERs. “For a women’s initiative, it’s just not a brand fit,” said Longawa. “It would really upset my community.” Similarly, when brands seek to engage with gaming communities, it is important to have “the people in charge reflect the same energy,” specifically the demographics, of those communities, said Hutchi, speaking at the same esports conference. Brands should reach out before, not during, minority-focused events or periods such as Black History Month and build contacts year-round, Hutchi added. Brands on the rise A look at up-and-coming brands disrupting their categories Read more here To develop an understanding of the gaming space, “find people in (your) team that are gamers and let them do it,” said Maloney. Part of this comes from understanding the rules and downsides to the spaces you’re exploring. For example, some brands have tried to operate on Twitch but didn’t account for the “toxic things that can happen in the chat,” such as racism or homphobic comments, and employ moderators, said Maloney. “You didn’t help to protect and prepare those people that you've brought on to be there,” she said. Brands also need to stop “creating expectations that set minority communities up to fail,” said Johnson. Rather than expecting minority institutions such as HBCUs to be able to keep up with their white counterparts from a production standpoint, brands and esports organizations alike should instead “keep in mind that historically (marginalized) communities haven’t been given the same resources to succeed,” said Johnson. “If brands want to come into the space and help underrepresented communities, they have to be willing to understand by definition, they’re not at [the] pace of the general market."

Esports and brands—how to boost inclusivity in gaming

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