Leisure & entertainment

Guitar sales soar as lockdown triggers a need for calm

News • 21/09/2020

Numerous studies have demonstrated a surge in streaming, gaming and other online activity since the coronavirus pandemic forced people to spend more time at home, yet there also has been an uptick in more traditional pursuits – and guitar sales are ...

US cinemas weigh up an uncertain future

News • 18/09/2020

There are serious concerns about whether many cinemas in the US will be able to survive the pandemic, especially after disappointing returns for Tenet, the $200m spy-fi thriller directed by Christopher Nolan that was supposed to give a lift to the ...

Shaadi.com: #WFH – (#WeddingsFromHome)

Case Study • Dheeraj Sinha, Shibani Mitra, Devika Joshi, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2020

Matchmaking website Shaadi.com created an online wedding portal to attract earned media and build brand buzz and engagement during India's COVID-19 lockdown.

What we know about marketing via gaming

Article • WARC Best Practice, September 2020

Explores how gaming platforms, which allow brands and products to be promoted via means such as sponsorship or in-game advertising, can enable brands to build reach.

Why entertainment and gaming brands should partner

News • 11/09/2020

Entertainment brands that partner with gaming properties can generate great PR and a positive halo for the brand in the short term, while also shifting long-term brand perception, says a Havas executive.

Hershey sees opportunities in esports

News • 10/09/2020

The Hershey Co., the candy manufacturer, has found deeper opportunities for collaboration with esports athletes than is often the case in more traditional sports.

Where next for PUBG?

News • 10/09/2020

India’s fast-growing gaming and esports market – and the associated marketing opportunity – has been thrown into turmoil by the government’s ban on a number of Chinese apps, a decision which caught the popular mobile game PlayerUnknown’s ...

The show will go on: Entertainment sector confident about post-pandemic rebound

News • 10/09/2020

Despite economic and industry uncertainty, entertainment industry executives are feeling confident for a rebound, according to a new study by Branded.

How Hershey evaluates the appeal of esports and in-game advertising opportunities

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, WARC Exclusive, September 2020

The Hershey Co., the candy manufacturer, has begun exploring the opportunities provided by esports having carefully evaluated how this channel can help its business.

The brand marketing opportunities in Asia’s mobile gaming ecosystem

News • 08/09/2020

Asia’s unique and thriving mobile gaming ecosystem brings heightened consumer engagement and specific opportunities for the region’s brand marketers to explore; the latest WARC Guide explains what these are.

Drop in city centre footfall is local areas’ gain

News • 07/09/2020

While UK retail has long focused on the city centre, where work, hospitality and retail combined, the balance of power is shifting to the areas where people actually live as home working continues.

Marketing in the gaming ecosystem

Article • WARC Best Practice, September 2020

A summary of new thinking and best practice on marketing in the gaming ecosystem, from the WARC Guide.

Key considerations for marketers when investing in the gaming ecosystem

Opinion • Alex Brownsell, September 2020

It is easier than ever for brands to advertise to gamers, but marketers must be willing to understand this nuanced – and occasionally prickly – audience, writes Alex Brownsell.

How online games can help other entertainment brands to thrive

Article • Funto Debo-Aina, WARC Exclusive, September 2020

Discusses content partnerships between game and non-game entertainment brands.

#playaparttogether: The gaming industry before and after COVID-19

Article • Eduardo Mena, WARC Exclusive, September 2020

Research by Ipsos MORI into changing online gaming behaviour in the UK.

How brands should approach live-streamed gaming

Opinion • Michael Burke, September 2020

Marketing in the gaming ecosystem This article is part of a series of articles from the WARC Guide to marketing in the gaming ecosystem.

Game-on: How brands can unlock the potential of gaming in Asia

Article • Michael Fegan and Jamie Lewin, WARC Exclusive, September 2020

Best practice advice for brands exploring gaming and esports as a marketing channel in Asia.

The future of gaming is mobile, and in APAC the future is now

Article • Tim Lindley, WARC Exclusive, September 2020

An exploration of the online gaming market across Asia Pacific.

Navigating the Indian esports landscape

Article • Nishant Patel, WARC Exclusive, September 2020

Outlines the opportunities for brands when using esports as a marketing channel in India.

How sports can balance direct-to-consumer OTT with broadcast deals

News • 02/09/2020

Live sports have provided a much-needed last line of defence for pay-TV companies in the battle to retain subscribers but they now face another threat: the possibility of rights owners going direct to fans with OTT video content services.

ViacomCBS allows Super Bowl ad buyers verbal get-out clauses

News • 28/08/2020

A blockbuster ad in the biggest advertising date in the United States is likely to remain eye-wateringly expensive in 2021 as buyers seek assurances of freedom to walk should COVID disrupt.

For Formula 1 gaming finds a whole new meaning

News • 28/08/2020

Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend and Formula 1 finding a way in the new normality, we look at how e-sports filled the lockdown gap for the motorsport series.

What the rise of OTT means for NFL and European Tour golf

Article • Alex Brownsell, Forum for Advertising Research, SportsPro Insider webinar series, August 2020

Sports rights owners are taking different approaches to video streaming services.

Analyzing price premiums in international sponsorship exchange: What drives marketing costs in Formula One racing?

Research Paper • Jonathan A. Jensen, Joe B. Cobbs, Benjamin Albano, and B. David Tyler, Journal of Advertising Research, Digital First, August 2020

With increases in sponsorship expenditures outpacing traditional advertising, return on investment warrants greater scrutiny.

For Formula 1, e-sports means expanding into totally new territory

Article • Sam Peña-Taylor, WARC Exclusive, August 2020

Motorsport brand Formula 1 is looking to expand its reach and attract a younger demographic.