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AGENCIES ARE BUILDING ESPORTS AND GAMING STRATEGIES—WHAT MARKETERS NEED TO KNOW
R&CPMK Vice President of Consulting Rob Twiddy shares his insight with AdAge, on how agencies can help brands design successful strategies in esports and gaming to reach core audiences. In addition, Twiddy highlights some of R&CPMK’s high-profile work in the category with clients Mastercard and Cisco.
Here's what he had to say:
Esports has the most growth potential, but brands shouldn’t rush into the space without a plan, says Rob Twiddy, VP of esports and gaming at marketing agency Rogers & Cowan PMK, which is part of the larger Octagon Sports and Entertainment Network.
“The biggest misconception is that esports will be impactful from day one,” Twiddy says. “By dipping your toe in the water, you're not going to see the ROI. We always preach what is the 3-to-5-year plan. At that point, you will start to see the impact and the justification of why you entered the space. If you’re looking to be opportunistic and jump in and do something short-term, you’re going to be misled by the results. You need to ingrain yourself in the community.”
R&CPMK helped construct Mastercard’s first global esports partnership with Riot Games, which is the developer of the most-watched esports game in the world, League of Legends. Since the beginning of the partnership in 2018, the agency says it developed a 360-degree marketing plan each year including digital experiences, broadcast integration, opening ceremony sponsorships, on-site production and execution across the largest events in League of Legends esports such as Mid-Season Invitational, Worlds, and its All-Star event.
The agency also helped Cisco take its first step into esports by assisting the partnership between the tech company and League of Legends. Through the partnership, Cisco now powers League of Legends’ pro gameplay and its remote broadcasting capabilities.
To read the full article click here
It’s Time for Brands to Meet Fans at Music Moments
LIVE AND VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR BRANDS TO PLUG INTO AS MUSIC ROARS BACK TO LIFE
Mike Dunn, EVP of Music and Entertainment at R&CPMK, recently wrote a piece for Campaign US sharing his insight on what the music landscape will look like post pandemic, and how brands can seize the moment. As an expert in music partnerships, Mike helps brands connect with consumers through the shared passion of music, by developing innovative campaigns through artist partnerships, content creation, tour sponsorship and more.
We invite you to check out his article available now at Campaign US.
TO READ THE FULL PIECE, SCROLL BELOW:
As we move into that part of Spring where the weather gets warmer, letting us all dream of summer fun to come, there’s hope in the air. Flowers have bloomed, vaccinated numbers are rising, and we can all start to consider summer plans in ways that seemed impossible only a year ago at the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There’s a pent-up desire among people to be with one another again after all the isolation brought on by lockdown—a yearning for common connection, for communal interaction. The best way to experience that, in my mind, is through live music. As we’ve seen in the past, brands will be there to help—in fact, sponsorship revenue of live music is projected to hit $3.85 billion, following a massive dip in 2020 to $2.1 billion after 2019’s $6 billion haul.
Unlike 2020, we can actually start considering attending shows or festivals again because, unlike 2020, there are actually live shows, tours and festivals in the works, from Bonnaroo to Outside Lands to GovBall and, eventually, Coachella. Though outdoor shows and festivals are a natural fit for a post-COVID crowd, I’m also looking forward to when the thousands of smaller music venues can come back to life and offer stages up for artists to connect with their fans in a way the virtual experience just doesn’t allow.
After a year of isolation and disconnect, fans want to make up for lost time: 64 percent of music lovers plan on attending even more live music events than they did before. The good news is, artists are just as eager to also get back to live performance. But so many factors determine the return to large scale arena tours. Topline artists will need close to full capacity in order to make the financials work—which isn’t a given since we don’t know how many fans will actually commit. And with so many artists on tour, arena and stadium availability makes for another logistical challenge, along with pro sports schedules that occupy those locations. All with an added level to make sure it’s done safely and following COVID guidelines.
In the meantime, I credit the music industry for crafting new ways for fans and artists to make virtual connections over the last year when live shows were off-limits. From startups that devised new forms of interaction like Patreon or Bandcamp, to companies that brought live performances to life online like Driift or YouTube Live, to media platforms like TikTok that breathed new life into all manner of music (think of viral dance crazes based on popular songs, or even Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ blowing up because of a skateboarder video) —all these efforts kept music alive and vibrant when in-person experiences weren’t an option. Even an unlikely source like Peloton, which has exploded in the last year due to the home-fitness boom, thrives on the music that drives users to achieve new personal bests—and has gone so far as to strike deals with artists like Beyoncé.
Brands have helped along the way. Take the Honda Civic Tour, which just livestreamed on Twitch on April 28 and was headlined by H.E.R.. Instead of canceling its 20th anniversary show, the tour promoters found an alternate solution—exactly the kind of adaptation, creativity and passion that I love about the music business. It also showed heart, as brands used their voices to show support for COVID relief, small businesses, social justice and more. Verizon, for example, was very quick to create Pay It Forward Live! and leverage virtual artist performances effectively (as well as entertainment and gaming).
The most successful brands are the ones that can act quickly, but also have a strong purpose and point of view. Take Anheuser-Busch, which just recently announced its Bud Light brand is giving away up to 100,000 tickets to sporting events, along with free tickets to big music acts nationwide—borrowing from current vernacular with the name Bud Light Summer Stimmy.
There are also more opportunities to craft those partnerships in a creative, unique way. It can be as low-key but socially important as Mastercard’s recent collaboration with Jennifer Hudson, who rerecorded “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with producer Will.i.am to promote and celebrate Black-owned women’s businesses. Or it can be as huge as the Vans Warped Tour, which, sadly, is no more but remains a classic example of brand association with music its customers love—the perfect mashup.
Passion burns at the heart of everything to do with music, both for the artist and the fan. Now is the time for marketers to set their plans to be there to latch onto and become a part of these unforgettable musical moments. This is especially true for brands looking to connect with young people, many of whom will be setting out to enjoy their first shared music experience—in person—in a year or more. There’s just a strong desire for people to get back to normal, and associating with their favorite music offers a chance for your brand to take a bigger role than you’ve had before. And brands won’t just be part of this “new” experience, they have the opportunity to make it all possible.
If all goes well, we will hopefully see arena tours stage their comeback too. Promoters will have to figure out what levels of capacity are not only safe but also profitable. Several acts have announced 2021 tour dates, from Dave Matthews Band to Eric Church to Andrea Bocelli to Kane Brown.
So as these plans coalesce, brands need to seize the moment now to meet music fans (aka your customers) at these music moments they’ll never forget. Wait too long and either your competitor or another brand will step up, plug in and turn up the volume.
As the world slowly returns to some semblance of normal, music will be that connective tissue. What better opportunity to tap into that passion and desire than to leverage a partnership and engage with a receptive audience. The time is now, because some other brand will step into that sponsorship soon, in hopes they will be associated with these music moments and elevated fan experiences.
I don’t know about you, but I, for one, can’t wait to stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow fans to feel the pulse of music again.
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R&CPMK EXECUTIVES JOIN POP CULTURE ICON AND NFT CREATOR KEVIN SMITH TO DISCUSS WHAT IS AN NFT AND THE POTENTIAL VALUE FOR BRANDS
Senior Leaders from R&CPMK and Sister Agency Octagon Discuss How Brands Can Leverage New Digital Currency and Engage with Consumers
As part of a recent IPG DXTRA panel, a collection of R&CPMK and Octagon senior executives, along with pop culture icon and NFT creator Kevin Smith, joined a panel to discuss the exciting new digital currency trend NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and how brands can potentially best leverage them to connect with consumers.
R&CPMK Executive Vice President of Insights & Analytics Michael Fein moderated an engaging conversation with Smith to kick off the session, learning about the award-winning director’s NFT ventures and success in the space.
Additionally, Fein led a discussion with VeVe COO and Co-Founder Dan Crothers, as well as a group of agency executives in a session titled “What is an NFT, and Why Should Your Brand Care.” Azher Ahmed, Executive Vice President and Head of Digital, Octagon, and Marian Koltai-Levine, President, Film, Content, and Entertainment Marketing, R&CPMK participated in the panel, providing keen insights on the current state of the NFT economy, benefits and challenges of the digital currency, and how brands should look to activate around the tokens and connect with consumers.
Following are highlights from the session:
Kevin Smith on the need for authenticity to find success with NFTs:
“This is not the gold mine everyone thinks it is. You can’t just drop a client into this world and assume they’ll sell. Inauthenticity reeks and Cryptocurrency is volatile, it goes up and down. If you’re thinking I’m going to get stinking rich making money for nothing, you’re going to fail. It’s not that quite yet. You have to go into it wanting to be in the space. You can’t just ask ‘where’s the money?’ This isn’t just about commerce, but it’s about art at the end of the day. It helps if you know the world of collectibles or if you’ve been a collector – baseball cards, comics, and what not. That’s what this is. It’s a world of collecting. Think about it as stocks, but prettier to look at and not just numbers. You’re owning a piece of blockchain, and that’s what you’d be selling if you dive into this.”
Smith on the value of innovating around the NFT space:
“This is one more place to go. This is basically YouTube at the beginning. That’s why I jumped in. So, I asked ‘Can we put an entire movie on an NFT?’ I figured why not take ‘Kilroy,’ this movie we made, and instead of shopping it around, we just took it to Crypto and sell it as an NFT. So, basically, we create a gorgeous NFT of Kilroy that has clips from the movie in it – looks like a golden ticket – and whoever has that wins the NFT. But in the real world, people still like holding something tactile -- people will sell digital trading cards and then get a physical card after the fact. So, I thought in a world where people still do that, what if our real-world bonus was the movie? The movie is yours. We’ll hold your hand and bring you in. But this is what you get. You get the NFT in the digital world, but in the real world you instantly become a distributor – someone handling the movie.”
Koltai-Levine on how NFTs give creators more control:
“The emergence of NFTs continue to give creators more control over their destiny. The idea of the art and commerce meeting together is a really valuable asset. In the evolution that we are seeing with content in general has changed so much. For the creators, this is a huge opportunity to hold on to their rights, and it’s just one more asset in their arsenal.”
Koltai-Levine on connecting with the right audience through NFTs:
“Whether it’s NFTs or another opportunity, we always address who the audience is we are trying to reach, where the story is, and what is the simplest way to get there. If we can define those three verticals, then we can move on to the next. But the simplicity of it – we say this about buying tickets or downloading a pay-per view – if they have to click more than once to do it, we’ve lost them. The simplification is essential.”
Ahmed on the opportunities to create value with NFTs for sports and entertainment fans:
“For a lot of people, the value of an NFT is that point of access and pride of ownership. The exclusivity of owning that piece of content. As content evolves, as things get more sophisticated, you could see a 360-degree immersive video of that moment at a sporting event or a concert getting captured. To own the virtual ticket to go back to that point, which is new for someone right now but could be nostalgia for someone 20 years from now, is the power through which I’d want us to frame the future of where this goes. The different types of content, whether it’s a feature-length film or a shot during a game, what that value is will be different for different people. There are so many different opportunities around that.”
Ahmed on the two mindsets with emerging technology and how it applies to NFTs:
“There are two mindsets with any sort of emerging technology, and NFTs would certainly qualify. There are the pioneers and the settlers. Right now, you have the pioneer brands going out and toe-dipping and trying out some things that aren’t exactly unexpected but are fun. Those ones that are there are already learning and seeing what they want to adjust and adapt with. As the issues are being addressed and they are dealing with the downsides of certain efforts, you get first-mover advantage. There will be a wave of the settlers who walk in and say, ‘I want to do that, but here’s how I think I can do it different.’”
Fein on the opportunities for creators and marketers alike to take advantage of NFTs:
“There’s opportunity from geek culture, bragging rights, building the community perspectives. Clearly there are opportunities for creators in this space with royalties and a new way to reach consumers. There is a larger new opportunity for us as marketers because we do live in this attention economy, and this is a great way to get out there.”
Crothers on how increased accessibility has made NFTs more desirable for collectors:
“The biggest thing that we’ve learned is that fans absolutely love this space. The reality is people can now collect directly from the palm of my hand, no matter where they are. They can get those items that they might usually need to go to something like Comic Con a special event, or you have to know someone to have access to that product. That’s one of the biggest advantages. I can be sitting in my home and collecting that #1 batman, and it just makes it very accessible for audiences.”
Watch the full panel discussion below.
What is an NFT, and why should your brand care? from Octagon Comms on Vimeo.
R&CPMK DEBUTS “CULTURE SOUP” SERIES OFFERING ESSENTIAL TRENDS AND INSIGHTS ACROSS ENTERTAINMENT
New Platform by R&CPMK’s Multicultural Practice Highlights Key Cultural Trends in Media, Fashion, Music and More
Looking for a smart and simple way to keep up with all the cultural news and trends scrolling through your timeline each day? R&CPMK is dishing out the answers you need on the regular.
Introducing R&CPMK’s “Culture Soup,” a monthly serving of unique trends and insights from across the worlds of media, fashion, entertainment, music, and more, all from a diverse perspective. Curated by R&CPMK Executive Vice President and Multicultural Practice Lead, Stephen Macias, along with Multicultural Group Director Marissa Wallace, “Culture Soup” offers brand leaders a comprehensive combination of data, analysis, and a dash of fun to keep you and your team in the know.
This month’s edition of “Culture Soup” includes:
- The rise in popularity of Black fashion
- Hollywood’s need for more Latinx talent
- How brands continue to break down racial and gender barriers
- The megastar that is Bad Bunny
- And much more
For more insights and analysis on all things entertainment, culture, and more, follow R&CPMK on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter,
R&CPMK DEBUTS NEW SERIES “STAT SNACKS WITH MIKE FEIN,” PROVIDING KEY DATA AND INSIGHTS ACROSS ENTERTAINMENT, CULTURE, AND MORE
Monthly Report Cultivated and Curated by R&CPMK Executive Vice President of Strategic Insights & Analysis Mike Fein
Looking for the snackable insights and data you need to grow your business? R&CPMK has the perfect bite-size solution to help you better understand your audience, and design targeted campaigns that help you reach consumers.
Introducing R&CPMK’s “Stat Snacks with Mike Fein”, a monthly collection of trends, data, and unique insights from across entertainment, culture, and more. Cultivated and curated by R&CPMK Executive Vice President, Strategic Insights & Analysis, Mike Fein, the new series aims to supply brand leaders with all the ingredients they need to cook up an appetizing marketing strategy.
In the debut edition, Fein highlights a few key trends from across industries, including:
- A notable increase in scripted TV shows produced over the past decade, but a stark decline in episodes per season.
- The growing demand for specific content that consumers are looking to stream.
- The incredible growth of streaming platform subscriptions globally, as well as the increasing success of streaming platform content.
- The true impact and power of advertising on podcasts.
- How users continue to “Like” Facebook Shops.
- And so much more.
Click below to download the full “Stat Snacks” insights deck for April.
For more insights and analysis on all things entertainment, culture, and more, follow Mike Fein on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter,
ABOUT R&CPMK:
R&CPMK is the preeminent integrated marketing and communications agency in global entertainment. The agency represents more than 400 of the most prominent and influential musicians, actors, producers, directors, content creators and athletes in the world, and creates distinctive integrated marketing campaigns for some of the largest brands and Fortune 500 companies across the globe.
We are a creative communications agency with insider access allowing us to influence trends and spark meaningful conversations. We leverage culture to create defining moments and experiences that stand the test of time. Our unique position, and the insight to know what to do with it, allows us to deliver the best of brand marketing with the best of entertainment strategies.
Follow R&CPMK on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter for more updates and information.
R&CPMK CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021
R&CPMK and the Octagon Sports & Entertainment Network are proud to celebrate International Women's Day and highlight our bold and inspiring clients who #ChooseToChallenge and continue to lead the way for others across our world.
In honor of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, we have asked some of the powerful women across our client network to answer some questions and provide some strong words and stories on how and why they Choose To Challenge.
Check out the video below to see some of the responses from clients across our agency network.
And follow our social accounts and digital platforms this week as we continue to celebrate our clients and share their powerful words.
