How brands can tap into diverse, emerging audiences flocking to TwitchCon 2023
Global livestreaming service Twitch might be best known for gaming, but it’ll be far more than fans of RPGs (role-playing games) and triple-A titles flocking to its annual IRL gathering later this year.
From fans of cooking, music and fashion, to DIY and interior inspo, thousands of diverse content creators and consumers will be making their way to the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on July 8 and 9 to indulge in a bold and immersive celebration of all the service has to offer.
For brands the event creates an invaluable chance to build relationships with the community of diverse and highly engaged young adults.
So, what do they need to know to make the most of the opportunity?
Since its 2015 launch TwitchCon is now a biannual event, with one event taking place in Europe and the other in North America, bringing together the livestreaming service’s vast online communities under one roof.
Last year’s event saw no less than 14,000 people gather in Amsterdam, all energised to be meeting face-to-face once again after the long enforced break brought about by the pandemic. They enjoyed a mix of live performances, esports showdowns, official meet and greet sessions with streamers and artists showcasing their creations.
Top of the list of highlights was a drag showcase that capped off the first day. Drag performers had been increasingly drawn to Twitch during the pandemic as a way to diversify their content creation amid lockdown and the live show was lauded for its celebration of LGBTQIA+ communities and queer culture, as well as the inclusivity and diversity of Twitch itself.
This year’s event looks set to be no less joyful or colourful either. There will be illustrators, photographers and animators showing off their skills at Artist’s Alley, creators discussing the topics that matter to them and their audiences at community panels, interactive workshops and a raft of musical performances at the fan-favourite Kappa Cabana stage.
For brands that can integrate into this packed agenda it’s a brilliant chance to open up a dialogue with a highly engaged audience, points out Martin Howard, director of sponsorship sales at Twitch.
“Other than collaborating with influencers and streamers, many brands may be unaware of how to connect with Twitch’s audiences, and may not know there’s an opportunity like TwitchCon,” he says. “With this event, the community really comes together, with everyone excited and enthusiastic to meet one another. As a result, they linger, taking the time to soak up all there is on offer.” In fact, at last year’s event on-site dwell time was just under five hours per day, rising to over seven hours for the 19% of attendees dubbed ‘super fans.’
In this way the event acts as a natural extension of Twitch’s audiences online, with the livestreaming service boasting high levels of engagement. Not only are there more than 31 million daily visitors to Twitch – with over 2.5 million tuning in at any given moment – but that community consumed more than 1.3 trillion minutes of content throughout 2022, broadcast by nearly seven million streamers in 35 different languages.
This fundamentally changes the way in which they relate to brands, adds Howard. “They’re looking for brands that can get involved with the community in an authentic and organic way. Organisations that can get that right will find Twitch’s viewers really brand loyal.” In fact, nearly three quarters (73%) of Twitch viewers agree advertising is important because it can support their favourite streamers.
TwitchCon is the perfect way to get equated with the service’s highly engaged fanbase. At the 2022 event in Amsterdam, 71% of attendees spent time in the Expo Hall engaging with brands, and more than half (53%) felt this was the best part of the experience, spending an average of 11 minutes at each stand and engaging with no less than 56% of brands that had set up stations on the Expo floor.
Of course there are endemic brands, such as PCs or game developers taking advantage of all that TwitchCon offers but there is also a huge appetite for non-endemic brands to get involved too, with 69% of viewers agreeing that any brand can advertise on Twitch. Last year, those brands that got involved with the event included professional makeup brand NYX, Amazon Prime and ecommerce platform Stock X – each keen to build communities in Europe based around gaming, fashion, tech and culture.
Convinced? Well, though they’re selling fast, there are still a number of sponsorship packages available to take advantage of at TwitchCon 2023, from premier floor space spots, to adding products to the attendee swag bag, venue branding and coveted presenter slots.
To take advantage get in touch here
