What do you do if you want to foster innovation in eSports by collaborating with other industries?

Innovation can be different things. Understand your audience and find out how they spend their time and budgets. If you want to foster collaborations and innovation between (professional) gaming and other industries, pick industries and topics your audience is actually interested in. This way you can add value, create impact and make sure your partner is not sold on a buzz-word or on your wish to extract money from them.

Assess Current Challenges: Analyse the current challenges and limitations within the eSports industry that could benefit from collaboration with other industries. This could include areas such as technology, fan engagement, monetization, or player performance. Research Industry Trends: Stay informed about emerging trends and innovations in both the eSports industry and other relevant industries, such as technology, entertainment, marketing, or sports. Identify areas where synergies or opportunities for collaboration exist. Engage Stakeholders: Consult with key stakeholders within the eSports ecosystem, including players, teams, event organizers, sponsors, broadcasters, and technology providers.

Identify Potential Partners: Tech Companies: Partner with tech giants like VR/AR developers, AI companies, or hardware companies Entertainment Industry: Collaborate with film studios, music producers, or streaming platforms to create captivating content, esports-themed movies/shows, or interactive viewing experiences. Sports Industry: Partner with traditional sports organizations to leverage their expertise in event management, athlete training, or broadcasting to enhance the professional esports landscape. Consumer Brands: Collaborate with fashion brands, food and beverage companies, or other consumer products to create unique merchandise, co-branded events, or targeted marketing campaigns.

Research and insights are key here. What dots connects these areas with each other, what do they have in common that creates values and what value proposition stands out for the target audience to make all stakeholders feel a part of it. Innovation is created by your own invention.

Identify Strategic Objectives: Clearly define your goals and objectives for innovation in eSports through collaboration with other industries. Determine what specific outcomes or innovations you aim to achieve. Research Potential Partners: Identify industries and companies that align with your objectives and have complementary expertise, resources, or technologies that could contribute to innovation in eSports. Engage in Networking: Attend industry conferences, events, and networking opportunities to connect with potential partners from relevant industries. Build relationships and explore potential collaboration opportunities.

It's important to measure the impact of your innovations. This involves analyzing data to see how new strategies or technologies have changed the esports landscape. Are players performing better? Is audience engagement up? Understanding the effects of your collaborations can guide future projects and show the value of cross-industry partnerships in driving esports forward

When seeking partners make sure to pitch them right. It’s not only about finding the right partner - it’s pitching them with your creative ideas, build bridges for them to understand where the vision leads to, increasing their awareness of possibilities and down the line leverage potential revenue channels that justify their efforts along the road.

Partnerships with companies from diverse industries such as technology, entertainment, fashion, or food and beverage are the way to go. These collaborations can lead to innovative products, events, or marketing campaigns that appeal to a broader audience. You can also partner with non-endemic brands (those not traditionally associated with gaming) to sponsor eSports events or teams. These brands can bring new perspectives, resources, and marketing expertise to the eSports ecosystem, driving innovation and growth.

Identify Potential Partners: Research and identify industries and companies that have expertise, resources, or technologies that could contribute to innovation in eSports. Reach Out: Initiate contact with potential partners through networking events, industry conferences, or online platforms. Introduce yourself and your objectives for collaboration. Establish Common Ground: Find areas of mutual interest or shared objectives between your organization and potential partners. Highlight how collaboration can benefit both parties. Cultivate Trust and Rapport: Foster trust and rapport with potential partners by demonstrating honesty, integrity, and reliability in your interactions. Show genuine interest in their work and goals.

Innovation through Diversity. We've seen how powerful it can be when we come together with fashion brands to forge creative marketing strategies and unique merchandise. Let's do more of that!

Genuine communication filters the right partner that is made for you to build a everlasting relationship on true terms. The most healthy relationship is to make your partner not dependant on you. Be the wingman and you gain respect as a bonus.

Partner with fashion brands to design unique jerseys that double as performance apparel with biometric sensors. This would not only create visually appealing merchandise but also provide valuable data to improve player health and training. Collaborate with VR companies to develop interactive experiences that bring fans closer to the action. Imagine fans participating in virtual reality training exercises alongside their favorite pro gamers. Team up with educational institutions to design innovative curriculum that teaches valuable skills like strategic thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving through esports. This could help legitimize esports and open up career paths for aspiring gamers.

Whatever you do - create and develop it yourself. Everything sustainable is done by allowing yourself to not be influenced by others. It’s a thin path between being inspired by others and embracing a burning passion to set new standards.

Just do it. The implementation phase is the result of the previous work. Push your vision hard and everything that fits to it will significantly advance your vision to create new impacts.

Establish a detailed plan addressing logistics, training, and regulations. For example, collaborate with VR companies to implement VR training for referees in fast-paced games like CS:GO, ensuring smooth integration with existing systems and compliance with VR safety standards. Collaborate closely with partners throughout the rollout process. This could involve working with sports apparel manufacturers to design gear that tracks biometric data for player health and performance optimization.

Analyze data to see how new training methods (e.g., sports science collaborations) or VR experiences (e.g., partnered with Meta) affect players' performance (win rates, KDA) and audience engagement (viewership, social media activity). This data guides future projects and showcases the value of cross-industry partnerships in propelling esports forward.

Examples of Successful Collaborations: Louis Vuitton x League of Legends: This partnership resulted in a limited-edition capsule collection, showcasing the potential for fashion and esports crossover. Mercedes-Benz x ESL: This collaboration brought high-end automotive technology to esports events, enhancing the spectator experience. Red Bull Athlete Performance: This program provides esports athletes with access to training facilities, nutrition guidance, and mental health support, demonstrating the potential of collaboration between the sports and esports industries.

Tips for Successful Collaboration: Clearly Defined Goals: Establish clear objectives and desired outcomes for the collaboration to ensure everyone is aligned. Open Communication: Maintain transparent communication throughout the partnership, fostering trust and collaboration. Mutual Benefits: Ensure the partnership offers benefits to all parties involved, creating a sustainable and mutually advantageous relationship. Flexibility and Adaptability: Be prepared to adapt and adjust strategies as needed, considering the dynamic nature of both esports and the collaborating industry.

I've done this on multiple occasions, with a billion dollar fashion brand and a large Saudi Arabian brand. It's all about relationships and presenting your vision along with the benefits or ROI that will be available for the organisation from another industry that you are working with! Crossover collabs in esports are just in their infancy!

Finding the areas that overlap and compliment each other is crucial as working at the intersection of music, sports, fashion, esports, and video games allows a natural cross-pollination of these entertainment verticals to engage with fans and communities who are fans and cut across all these worlds.