Esports Marketing Management (EMK)

Esports Experience Students will focus on exploring the rise of esports and its place in a new age of participation, from the vantage points of developers, athletes, participants, sponsors and media. Students will explore the growth of this fast growing vertical, examining franchise, sponsorship and participant relationships in the range of esports communities, providing understanding of how their different roles affect each other. Students will develop their skills in order to speak knowledgeably about the history, community, and business of esports with future employers and other stakeholders in the industry.

Athlete and Influencer Marketing Influencer marketing has quickly become a tenet of esports marketing. Esports has shown how participants are less influenced by traditional media marketing and advertising methodologies and more swayed by online influencers. Influencers have risen as persuasive and credible voices that impact consumer opinion and drive purchases for brands around the world. Students will analyze the impact of influencer marketing, delve into how it emerged as a powerful marketing tool and utilize best-of-class campaign examples to learn how esports entities have successfully developed influencer campaigns. Students will learn how to find and vet esports influencers, maintain brand safety and understand how to create content that aligns with the influencers’ authentic voice and the brand’s values.

Esports Event Production and Distribution Creating physical, online, and mobile esports events with strategically integrated digital media, content & creative, operations, and project management tools is an important facet of the esports industry. Students will learn how to develop new media projects and understand the basic tenements of how to structure esports events and utilize digital media strategies to attract audiences for maximum media exposure and revenue generation. Students will learn the fundamentals of the crucial role that digital media plays in overall project management and event production.

Entrepreneurship for Esports As an emerging powerhouse industry with a globally connected community, esports entities can still lack business infrastructure. Revenue-generating opportunities for the industry are boundless - spanning events, experiences, content, sponsorships, licensing, media rights, merchandise and more. Leaders in this field must have the ability to pivot quickly to take advantage and be a part of charting esports future. The focus will be on theory combined with practical exercises about various entrepreneurial and business issues and procedures that will help prepare students to develop decision making skills in an industry which values quick and strategic thinking, mental agility, intellectual curiosity, and creativity based on sound reasoning and analysis.

Audience Analytics for Esports The Audience Analytics for Esports course delves into the dynamic world of esports, equipping students with the skills to analyze and understand the diverse and engaged audience within this rapidly growing industry. Participants will explore the fundamentals of esports audience behavior, examining viewership patterns, demographics, and engagement metrics. Through hands-on experience with cutting-edge analytics tools and platforms, students will learn to interpret data-driven insights, enabling them to make informed decisions crucial for optimizing marketing strategies, sponsorship opportunities, and content creation within the unique context of esports. Whether aspiring esports professionals or marketing enthusiasts, this course provides a comprehensive understanding of audience analytics tailored to the esports ecosystem.

Evolution of Esports Technology As the esports industry continues to grow and embrace new technologies ? Wearables, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and others ? athletes, teams, leagues, and the professionals advising them must have the knowledge base to produce content in these environments and allow consideration of the benefits and drawbacks of use. Growing attention to esports and the related analytics will result in increased partnerships between emerging technology companies and esports teams and leagues. For athletes, spectators, developers, and marketers, knowing about the finer details is vital for success in this industry. In this course, students will examine current technologies that the leaders in the industry are using, how they are accelerating the rate of adoption, and driving the most value for their organizations. Students will further explore trends and technological advancements within the ecosystem of developers, content producers, leagues, athletes and media metrification which are expected to benefit the industry as a whole.