For as long as audiences have been online, many brands have worked to recreate the spontaneous, live interactions most prevalent in the offline world. It’s the reason a growing number of advertisers are getting behind live streaming, in which streamers broadcast their experiences in real-time.
As a leader in that space, Twitch has been helping brands tap into audiences’ desire for human connection and live entertainment in a way that’s unique to the service.
“The virtual and real worlds are more intertwined than ever, but our needs – at the core – are unchanged,” says Sarah Iooss, Twitch Head of Sales for the Americas. “We still need real human connection, a sense of belonging and communities to call our own. Livestreaming offers exactly that.”
When Twitch launched in 2011, it attracted a community of online gamers who tuned in to watch livestreamed gameplay and to see their favourite players and teams compete in tournaments. Today, the Twitch community participates just as actively in music, art, talk show and podcast, food and drink, and makers and crafting streams.
“Beyond gaming, you can find streamers broadcasting everything from cooking classes to workouts and fitness routines,” Iooss says. “If there’s a topic you’re interested in, there’s a good chance someone is livestreaming their passion for that subject at this very moment.”
Twitch helps brands connect with a new generation of consumers – one that still craves the entertainment of traditional digital video, but wants the added immediacy and interactivity that only livestreams can provide.
A recent report by Horizon Media found that 91% of 18-to-25-year-olds believe there is “no such thing as mainstream pop culture anymore.” Marketing successfully to this cohort demands leveraging the influence of niche groups and subcultures through direct relationships with content creators.
“As many as eight million streamers go live each month, and each of these streamers has cultivated a distinct, tight-knit community of their own,” says Iooss. “The relationships viewers have with their favourite streamers are powerful and real. They engage with them regularly, they cheer them on, and they deeply value their opinions. When streamers share brands that they use and love, their communities take note.”
The bonds between Twitch streamers and members of their communities are incredibly strong, and when advertisers tap into these, it translates into a strong degree of influence for brands. In a recent Twitch Ads survey, for example, more than two-thirds of viewers reported being more likely to consider the brands that their favourite streamers use themselves.
Twitch fosters live interactions between viewers and streamers, which has become another important element of brand success on the livestreaming service. Features such as live chat enable viewers to connect with streamers — and brands — during broadcasts, ask questions and participate in the conversation in real time.
“Looking for ingredient substitutions in a recipe, the perfect pre-workout snack, or tips for beating a difficult level in a game? Ask away,” Iooss says. “You’ll get recommendations from the streamer and other viewers with similar passions.”
The aforementioned Twitch Ads survey found that 72% of viewers feel that interactive tools make ads more compelling on the livestreaming service. Around the same proportion of respondents said Twitch offers brands an opportunity to be bold and creative and to show a “more human” side to their followers.
Take, for example, a recent campaign from McDonald’s this past August. To promote the McCrispy chicken sandwich, the quick-service restaurant brand worked with popular Canadian streamers Lethamyr_rl and ClassyPax. The streamers taste-tested the sandwich while completing a series of in-game challenges in an arcade-style vehicular soccer game. As challenges were completed, McDonalds rewarded viewers with channel subscriptions and gift codes for McDelivery.
The livestream, which was supported with a media campaign including Twitch Premium Video, First Impression Takeover ads and a Homepage Headliner, reached more than 50,000 unique viewers, who collectively watched nearly 225,000 minutes of content.
Iooss summarizes that by teaming up with Twitch, there’s “an incredible opportunity for brands to reach viewers and be a part of conversations happening in real time.”
For more information please contact – Chris Walton, Head of Sales, Twitch Canada – chrisads@twitch.tv
