Luxury brands (BMW, Mercedes and others), the most grandiose brands of the common market (Amazon, Submarine, Nvidia, Samsung and others) and the famous Blue Chips, companies highly recognized nationally and internationally established by decades, financially solid and stable, they explore a consumer market that is ready to buy their products and use their services known worldwide (Coca-Cola, IBM, PepsiCo, Walmart, among others). These are the sponsors who should or are already paying attention to and orbiting the e-sport market, even if it is still very timely and timid, and the possibility of their services, products and brands being inserted in the context of this new category, on an ongoing basis, perpetual and stable is factual and accurate.
In a market where the terms "GAMER" and " Cyberatleta ", are already completely outdated and erroneously employed, and in their place we have the professional athletes, the focus of sponsors may stop being punctual, and specifically to a certain event, instead you need to create the profile of "professional sponsorship," paraphrasing the correct term that we should use when referring to the category and its practitioners.
These companies already know the professional sports of conventional sports, they need to feel free and confortable, protected and with guarantees not only of visibility, but also of business security with regard to the protection of their brands, and other fiscal possibilities of which they will be acting, at least in the institutionally managed part, have all their rights preserved and legal counterparts protected, as well as in football, baseball, basketball and other categories.
The key word for the first step to be taken with Blue Chips, for example, is ENGAGEMENT! There is no need for these companies that the exposure of their brands is the key point, logically that will be inserted in the context, but what they are looking for is the total engagement of the campaign, access or promoted initiative that this sponsorship can generate. Explaining Engagement: Not Just Having a Fan page on Facebook with ten million “LIKE”, if a post reaches an engagement of only ten thousand people in such page all the million “LIKE” are worthless, among other examples that follow the same line of reasoning and taking into account specific cases and needs.
These companies, in the three modalities I quoted in the first paragraph, must also understand that the consuming public, in less quantity in Brazil, but in great quantity in other countries of Europe, Asia and the USA, are an audience that already has part of its financial independence, work, and has an annual income over eighty-four thousand reais (R$ 84,000.00) – for example in Brasil, or more, regardless of whether that income comes from himself or from his close relatives in addition to his own, and that live in the same family environment. This income is, for the most part, twice as large as the income of many consumers, football fans and fans among other sports, who in turn also consume, in their proportion, the products and services offered and exhibited as sponsorship.
Another major difference to be noticed and exposed to the sponsor, is that the public engaged in electronic sports, is incredibly receptive to brands, products and services arising from these three categories of companies, because they know that the entry of these companies in Esports, make it a motive of pride, growth and notoriety for the category (Esports). They have the acceptance of these companies as fact for themselves, and give support to companies that sponsor electronic sport much more easily and faithfully than any other conventional sports consumer. They are young fans, young adults, committed and completely focused on the scene.
Another point that should be noted, is that this consumer has no physical barriers, geographical limitations or neighborhood in his profile. On the contrary, he likes the category, likes the electronic sports movement , and cheers for the event, team, athletes and brands involved. He loves what he sees, what he hears, what he reads, and what he participates in. This consumer is also a practitioner of this category, and not only in one modality, platform or franchise, but in several or even all of them!
The participation of companies in electronic sports may even be made, including and especially in Brazil, in order to have a contractual support that guarantees full coverage and protection for teams, athletes and their actions in both the electronic and real environments.
There is certainly the concern of these brands, their approach to teams and events, and certainly some questions should be taken into account, such as:
A) If the rights of athletes as sportsmen and as workers or service providers are being applied, what is the legal relationship between them (team, Athlete and Sponsor)? If the team has all the necessary structure for it to be framed as a legally constituted team (it changes from a country to another);
B) If it is a sports club (in this case it may have participation in Tax, Sport and Cultural Incentive Laws, in return for the companies that will sponsor it), if they are club-companies, or if they are only companies (Civil Society, EIRELE, MEI in Brasil) and then fall under other specific characteristics that require more care, including the use of correct terms that classify them in the Legal scope;
C) If these teams are able to participate in other world championships that are made using the engagement of the Olympic model, representing themselves, or officially representing the country in their modality (already thinking here about accepting the category at the Olympics, which would completely change any scenario that was not endorsed by the governing body organization in their respective country, and that would lead us to another key points, already solved by US at WESCO – World Esports Consortium and PAMESCO – Pan American Esports Confederation and our members, and lead us to govern, private and no for profit organizations, Laws and much more, it is a long road but already being unlocked);
D) In any case what guarantees for the sponsor that he is not exposed in a “civil or labor” lawsuit in the near future;
E) If the event is sanctioned and endorsed by a governing body organization from a country or region, guaranteeing judgment in case of disciplinary matters, commercial matters, regulation, arbitration and even antidoping (With their specific Court of Arbitrage of Esports, High Court of Esports, Chamber of Commercial Disputes and Litigation of Esports (once more like in CBDEL – Brazilian Confederation of Esports, WESCO and PAMESCO and our members);
F) If this event is inserted in a competitive and sporting world context, multicultural and engaged in the Olympic model, leading he champions to a higher competitions like Continental and World Final Championship against other nations, or if it is only a privet even of a single developer (even if there is a Final international competitions).
Certainly all alternatives can always be very positive for the sponsor, taking care and precautions and at least these points above are answered in a satisfactory and legal way, where all the points are tied with respect to preserving the athlete, team, event and the electronic sport class away from any misguided practice of that category, leading the sponsor to have full such company, product and / or service to something unexpected.
The main thing is to understand that the word "ENGAGEMENT" should be the main word, and the word "RESPONSIBILITY" both for the event and for what is done within a team as well as to an athlete should be the second to be taken into account , or even should be considered as the first.
Companies classified in the three categories listed here must be sure that the constancy and security of their brand, product and service positioning can be achieved in electronic sports, without fear of obtaining positive results even if initially it is not fully achieved as expected.
