Tom Edwards is a professional futurist and keynote marketing technology speaker covering data, digital, artificial intelligence, marketing technology and emerging media trends
I had the distinct pleasure to join Jeffrey Hayzlett on the All Business show. We had a great conversation discussing topics such as marketing and advertising shifts due to COVID19, shifts in consumer behavior, adaptive digital strategy, the role of AI, gaming + marketing, connecting with GenZ, emerging technology, and 2020 trends.
1:30 – Discuss how brands (w/ examples) are shifting marketing and advertising due to COVID19?
8:00 – Discuss how the consumer decision journey has evolved for everyone.
12:00 – Discuss gaming + marketing = Tripleclix.
15:30 – Discuss behaviors that impact technology adoption.
18:10 – Thoughts on marketers attending live events in 2020.
19:40 – Technologies that lead us into the near future.
Today at 2 PM eastern one of the largest gatherings of concurrent gamers witnessed an in-game event from a galaxy far far away that may redefine the future of multimedia marketing.
Fortnite and the Star Wars team promoting The Rise of Skywalker collaborated to deliver massive in-game event featuring JJ Abrams and a clip from the upcoming movie.
JJ Abrams via an avatar getting the crowd ready.
Fortnite is looking to redefine multimedia experiences and offering brand collaborations at an audience scale we have never seen.
With tens of millions of players connected in-game and millions more watching the live event unfold (2.2M on YouTube, 1.1M on Twitch), not only did we get to see a clip from the movie but also interact directly with the content to shift the experience from passive to active. The engagement and excitement were through the roof!
Fully interactive experience.
After logging into a queue, players were instructed to go to Risky Reels (An in-game location) and prepare for the show. There was a live countdown.
Countdown to the start of the event.
The day was teased during the recent 2019 Game Awards. Players received a free in-game glider and were promised something that had never been done before in the history of in-game marketing.
The Game Awards 2019 announcement.
After the countdown, The Millenium Falcon flew around and landed and out popped our host Geoff Keighley along with The Rise of Skywalker director, JJ Abrams.
About to reveal the clip.
Next came the interactive quizzes predicting what we were about to see.
This was fun as it determined the color of your lightsaber… purple of course for Mace Windu!
Finally, an actual clip from The Rise of Skywalker IN-GAME!
Rey, Fin, and Poe ready for action #JediMindTrick
The event ended with lightsabers and blaster rifles now being available to all players in the game.
Love the introduction of lightsabers into the game.
This was an absolutely brilliant move by Star Wars to create buzz and awareness pre-film. Previously, in February 2019, EDM superstar Marshmello performed an in-game concert for ten million concurrent users. This dwarfs what’s possible from a reach perspective for live events and opened the door for others such as Star Wars to build upon the success of that in-game event.
Marshmello EDM goodness.
Expect more opportunities for brands to connect directly with a highly coveted audience beyond only sponsoring an esports event. This event included creating value for the players by providing free in-game content to enhance the experience, as well as access to unique content that can only be seen through the Fortnite experience.
I am gliding into the map courtesy of my TIE whisper glider.
Fortnite and other games are looking to redefine awareness and engagement, and those looking to capitalize should start looking to those in the know such as gaming/marketing agency TripleClix. Chris Erb, founder of TripleClix, and I discuss how to create marketing value via gaming during Episode 1 of the TripleClix podcast.
The man, the myth, the legend… Chris Erb, founder of TripleClix.
I was recently in LA and sat down with Chris Erb, founder of TripleClix, an amazing boutique video game marketing agency. I have known Chris for almost a decade and we have collaborated on a lot of fun programs over the years.
When Chris asked me to be guest #1 on his new podcast I jumped at the chance. We talk about the gaming industry and what it means for marketers, the future of gaming and consumer experience and a healthy debate about the Seattle Supersonics leaving for Oklahoma City. That and so much more. Enjoy!
eSports is “athletics of the mind” and it’s popularity is skyrocketing past traditional sports leagues. It’s a way for younger millennials & gen Z to compete and to create and share experiences and it’s shifting entertainment and lifestyle behaviors dramatically.
This eBook provides insight into 5 use cases for brand marketers to build an eSports strategy beyond simple sponsorship. We also highlight Epsilon Agency’s proprietary data assets that map psychographic insights through machine learning tied to various segments of gamers to uncover key personality markers.
We preview how this information can highlight lifestyle and affinity connections with gaming audiences for brand marketers through an eSports brand index that allows for seamless connections between brands and gamers with eSports playing a key role in binding the two.
