Twitch: A marketing guide for brands

You've probably heard the name, but don't know exactly what it is?

Today, Twitch is the benchmark live streaming platform coveted by millennials and Generation Z, with over 31 million active users worldwide.

Today, Twitch isn't just for gamers.

While the platform was initially dedicated to video games and eSports competitions, it has evolved to welcome a growing number of streamers working in a variety of fields, such as music, film, talk shows and other mainstream media.

This is a tremendous opportunity for brands looking toinnovate their communications strategies! To help you seize the potential of this platform, we invite you to discover its marketing opportunities and how to exploit them, drawing inspiration from examples of brands that have stood out through their notable presence on the Twitch social network.

What's Twitch?

Founded in 2007 as Justin. tv by Justin Kan and Emmett Shear, the platform began to gain popularity among the gamer community. This led the founders to launch Twitch.tv in 2011, a social network specifically dedicated to video game streaming.

As the number of users grew, investments piled up and in 2014, Amazon acquired Twitch for a whopping $970 million. Today, Twitch dominates the online game streaming market with over 72% market share in terms of audience, far outstripping competitors such as YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming.

Twitch has considerably expanded the diversity of its live content, hosting shows such as the PopCorn talk show and Hors Jeu, artistic performances, and charity events such as the now-famous Z Event, which attracts millions of viewers.

This platform offers a unique opportunity for users to forge links with the creators and streamers who capture their interest. Thanks to live streams, the public can interact with them in real time via an integrated chat, encouraging spontaneous and authentic exchanges. Each Twitch broadcast becomes an interactive experience, reinforcing the unique bond between streamer and audience.

In 2022, Twitch will be :

• 31 million: the average number of visitors online every day,
• 21 billion: the number of hours of streaming viewed in 2022,
• 75 % : the share of Twitch's audience between 16 and 34 years of age,

As a result, it's highly likely that a Twitch community dedicated to your sector is already present and ready to explore the content you have to offer!

How does it work?

Twitch works on the basis of live streaming, enabling users all over the world to view live content. At the same time, it enables creators, commonly known as streamers, to share and broadcast their own live content to their audience.

To get started with Twitch, the first step is to create an account, which is completely free. Once registered, you can follow and interact with your favorite streamers, join communities that share your interests, and even start broadcasting your own content.

One of Twitch's key features is its interactivity. During a live broadcast, viewers can interact with the streamer and other viewers via a live chat function. Users can send messages, special emoticons called 'emotes', and can even support their favorite streamers financially by subscribing to their channel or sending 'bits', Twitch's virtual currency.

In short, Twitch is a powerful and diverse video streaming platform that enables individuals and brands to connect with audiences around the world in an authentic and interactive way.

What are the marketing opportunities on Twitch?

The streaming platform has more than 31 million active users and is gradually establishing itself as a key player in the world of social networking. These users spend an average of 95 minutes a day watching streaming content on the platform, testifying to Twitch's growing popularity.

The demographic evolution of Twitch users is constantly changing, demonstrating a growing diversity similar to that seen on TikTok. The platform is attracting growing interest from women, who now account for 20% of users according to Stream Scheme. Although the majority of users are relatively young, with 68% aged between 16 and 34, Twitch's audience is beginning to show signs of maturity. This testifies to its ability to attract an increasingly wide range of demographic segments.

This exponential growth, combined with strong user engagement, opens up a huge field of marketing opportunities for brands. Here are the three main strategies your brand can implement to capitalize on Twitch's potential.

Influencer marketing on Twitch

With millions of active streamers, some with millions of subscribers, Twitch is proving to be an important platform for influencer marketing.

By establishing collaborations with these influential content creators, brands have the opportunity to promote their products or services live, offering an infinite range of possibilities for presenting their offerings. Popular formats for this include brand promotions, prize draws, giveaways or product unboxings.

Given that 84% of Twitch users appreciate supporting creators, and 76% value the brands that contribute to their success, investing in such collaborations promises a significant return. What's more, partnerships with popular streamers enable brands to personalize their campaigns and reach a young, engaged audience, fostering an authentic marketing approach much appreciated by Generation Z.

Many brands have already embarked on collaborations with Twitch creators to raise their profile with new audiences and boost sales. Kellogg's, for example, has worked with video game streamers to produce live ads, while other companies like PokerStars have chosen to fund streamer projects, like Gotaga's, to gain visibility.

Advertising campaigns on Twitch

Twitch favors a community-based approach to brand collaborations and promotions, including in its advertising. If your company is looking to diversify its advertising budget by exploring a new channel, why not consider launching an advertising campaign on Twitch?

Two types of ads can be served by brands on the platform:

• Visible banners on the home page or rectangular advertising spaces in the content selection menu.
• Full-screen broadcasts that appear before, during or after the creator's streams.

The streaming platform offers seven distinct ad formats: Home Page Carousel, Home Page Headliner, Medium Rectangle, Stream Display Ad, Streamables, Super Leaderboard and Twitch Premium Video.

In addition, brands can collaborate with Twitch streamers to integrate manual ads on their channels.

Each advertising format has unique characteristics, a precise objective and different specifications. This allows you to better organize your advertising campaigns and achieve the commercial results you've set yourself.

Create a brand account on Twitch

Opening an account on Twitch is free and takes just a few minutes. You'll be able to broadcast your own Lives, interact directly with your community, organize your events and invite other streamers to your channel - an excellent strategy for increasing the visibility and awareness of your brand.

However, it should be noted that building a committed audience on the platform requires a substantial long-term investment. Be prepared to broadcast live on a regular basis and use your channel as a communication channel to orchestrate exclusive events in which your subscribers can participate.

Companies such as Monster Energy, Red Bull, Doritos and Ubisoft have succeeded in building strong communities thanks to their entertaining content and by creating a real closeness with their audiences.

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3 examples of marketing campaigns on Twitch

1. PepsiCo

To promote the limited-edition Brisk drink, PepsiCo sponsored an off-season Rocket League tournament, benefiting from greater control over the event. Brisk product ads were broadcast during the tournament, a car featuring the drink's image was integrated into the game, and the phrase "Take the risk, drink the Brisk" emerged as a meme among participants, giving the brand organic visibility.

2. Lexus

Luxury carmaker Lexus has teamed up with video game streamer Fulsie for its "All In" Twitch campaign. In it, 23,000 users voted on the best way to pimp and personalize the Lexus IS 2021 sedan. Twitch users ended up designing the ultimate vehicle for gamers, and included a 3D-printed controller inside the car, as well as game consoles.

3. Uber Eats

UberEats teamed up with streamer Ninja to offer its subscribers a 25% discount coupon to use on the app. The influencer marketing campaign took the form of a challenge. Each time Ninja "killed" a character in Fortnite, he earned his fans 1% off their next UberEats order. To spice things up, the streamer could only participate in the challenge once he had validated his order and until his meal was delivered.