[Eidetic Marketing Insight] Drone Shows, Beyond the Technology

Marketers are pondering how to apply drones appropriately. Whether it be achieved via Drone Show or Drone-vertising, the answer may not always be clear. Whatever the answer may be, it is important to take note of the underlying essence beyond the technology.

Software to Design the Sky

 

Drones were originally created exclusively for military use. Of course, they are still used for said purposes, which can be noted through a variety of military advancements using unmanned aerial vehicles. However, drones encompass much more innate utility to be limited to military use. As such is the case, drones are currently being used with many different objectives ranging from filming, leisure, exploration and much more. This usage has reach a stage in which many of the world’s leading corporations make use of drones in one way or another.

The value of this aerial device is not limited to simple videography. The fact that this machine can fly adds endless possibilities and immeasurable value to the product. An example in which the value of drones was realized occured during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. 1,218 drones lit up Korea’s night sky to create illuminating constellations for onlookers. Transforming into anything from the Olympic logo to a snowboarder, these drones created a scene which rivaled that of one created from CG technology. During the finale of the Olympics, the drones turned into the Olympic mascot and then into a starry constellation, creating a memorable scene. The press applauded this showing for its originality and deemed it as the pinnacle of Information and Telecommunication technology.

 

Why a live show over a recording?

Most drone show content that we view are recordings. Whether through documentaries, movies or even a youtube video, the drone shows points of views that would usually be impossible to recreate. As mentioned before, however, the value of a drone does not end there, as corporations have started to make use of drone events and marketing.

 

 

During the 2018 CES, one of the main headlines was not a new product release or a technological breakthrough. It was the live Intel drone show that was held along the Bellagio’s iconic fountain. Intel has been well known for utilizing drone marketing in many more cases such as the Las Vegas drone show commemorating the opening of the movie ’Wonder Woman.’ In this case, 300 drones were utilized in recreating Wonder Woman’s image, showcasing an event that was as memorable as scenes in the movie itself.

 

Drones have even spread into the unlikely category of fashion. During the 2018 Milano Fashion Week, Dolce & Gabbana made use of a drone to showcase the brand’s new product. Breaking off from the use of a human model, this divergence created more interest in the drone than the products. Some distained this action stating that this was a simple rouse to garner attention. However, in the future, people will note Dolce & Gabbana as the brand that first utilized drones in an international fashion event.

What we, as marketers, must consider is why these organizations chose to use drones. Not limited to the technology, drones created an amalgamation of both technology and emotion.

 

---

 

The marketer’s role: tech and emotional synergy

Drones are products that are fundamentally based on technology. The drones utilized during the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, though light, were manufactured to withstand winds of up to 10 meters/sec and imbedded with the ability to detect and avoid obstacles. However so, despite being based on technology so heavily, the product stirred within us an emotional reaction,

The main charm of drone shows stems from the unlikely melding of technology and emotion. The drone encompasses various technological innovations such as BLE, wifi, VR, AR and many more. This seemingly cold and definite product created sentimental, human connections through a marketer’s outlook. A marketer’s view, derived from understanding the consumer, created an efficient method by which such apathetic technology was able to create a truly sympathetic bond with humanity.

It is also the marketer’s duty to truly understand and apply the embedded technology within the drone itself. However, the marketer’s first priority is to discern consumer priorities and through this knowledge, to engrave a brand in a positive light. Simply put, drone marketing’s main strength lies in the mix of innate technology and human emotion.

Many consumers already know about drones. Not only have they surfaced on the media, individuals have been purchasing these products to use as hobbies. Despite this, the application of drones in the Milano Fashion Week and the 2018 CES made headlines. This was because those individuals were able to experience unexpected beauty in a familiar environment. Drones stimulated are emotions through the imaginative design of marketers. Marketer’s must strive to create a story the resonates with consumers and through these stories, what seemed like unfeeling technology gained humanity.

 

Go to EM’s Portfolios

Outlink:  Naver post (Kor)

[EIDETIC INSIGHT] Embracing eSports

eSports in the Asian Games?

During the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta Palembang, eSports made its debut on to a globally renown sports event. Out of 6 distinct games, Korea competed in 2 of the categories; League of Legends (LoL) and StarCraft 2. How is it that eSports evolved from simple hobbies for individuals to becoming recognized as an official sport category?

 

The Current State of eSports

Sports Media Watch, a prominent medium in the sports industry released an interesting statistic regarding the current state of eSports. In 2017, the MLB World Series received roughly 31 million views through TV viewership. During the same year, Riot Games stated that the LoL World Championships Finals received a total viewership of 57.6 million views across a variety of mediums. Of course, there may be some difficulty in comparing the two statistics due to the different standards by which the numbers were measured. However, it can be noted that eSports viewership has risen significantly during the past few years, and is rapidly catching up to views for traditional sports. The world renown financial institute Goldman Sachs predicted that by 2022, the global market for eSports would amount to $2.96B. Considering the current eSports viewership and estimated projection for the market, investing in eSports teams, players or the likes seems like a well-founded decision.

 

---

 

Why Corporations are Captivated by eSports

There is a simple reason why people are so enamored by sports. It is because they are fun and people enjoy watching games. However, to corporations, to justify investments through such simple reasons are impalpable. In this article, Eidetic Marketing will elaborate on the current state of eSports and offer insight into 3 marketing values that eSports offers.

 

1. Popularity of Game IPs

Being serviced as Penta Storm in Korea, Arena of Valor has achieved popularity throughout the world. Since its conception in 2015, the game has received more than 200 million downloads globally. Within a year since its launch, Arena of Valor was inaugurated into the KPL, Korea’s professional eSports league. In terms of last year’s autumn league, the accumulated viewership for the live broadcast amounted to 3.6 billion viewers, confirming the popularity of eSports and game IPs. As such, eSports have become a vital component to marketing within the game industry. Eidetic Marketing has previously activated a global eSports event, ‘Summoners War World Arena Championships 2017’.

 

Since its release in 2014, Com2uS has achieved global sales of over 1.0 trillion through this single game. During 2017, the game was experiencing some stagnation in terms of growth. However, with the advent of the global eSports tournament, ‘Summoners War World Arena Championships,’ Com2uS was able to achieve 90 million accumulated downloads and approximated sales of \500 billion. This was a case in which eSports effectively furthered the popularity of a game IP.

eSports also have the ability to increase the value of a brand or corporation. In 2000, Samsung Electronics launched the first ever global eSports tournament, ‘World Cyber Games (WCG).’ In 2016, Smilegate purchased the rights to the WCG brand and are planning to hold the competition next year, in 2019. Through the activation of this global event, Smilegate will be able to increase its projected value as well as branding itself as a company that puts importance on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

 

2.Viewership Base Business

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil had an accumulated viewership of 3.2 billion views. As a major global event, the World Cup created significant amounts of revenue from ticket sales, sponsorships, commercials and more. As such, the viewership holds much influence and power over the popularity of events. Comparatively, LoL’s ‘2017 Mid-Season Invitational’ had an accumulated viewership of 364 million viewers, around 1/10th that of the World Cup. To put this number into perspective, the viewership could be roughly estimated to be 5% of the global population. Because the viewership of such competitions is guaranteed to an extent, many corporations use copious amounts of money to create brand exposure through commercials, sponsorships or other methods.

There are many methods by which a corporation can conduct businesses using the viewership. First, in terms of eSports that are usually held offline in a physical location, ticket sales generate revenue. Expanding further, profit can be made through the renting of lots in which corporations can create brand exposure in a variety of ways such as the fabrication of a brand booth or outdoor advertisements from sponsorships. Broadcasting is another major source of revenue. From allocating broadcasting rights, to the use of music, videos and other media allows for another profit point. Moreover, IP based products offer both on and offline revenue streams, such as limited edition character skins or toy models.

 

3.Team Management

As the eSports market grows, so does the number of professional players. Just as major football or baseball clubs exist, there has been the advent and growth of professional and sponsored eSports teams. The US and Europe’s ‘Cloud9,’ China’s ‘WE,’ and Korea’s ‘SKT T1’ are but a few examples. eSports teams differ with other traditional sports in that the teams are not limited to one particular category but often has teams for a variety of games. In terms of Korea’s ‘SKT T1,’ the club has teams for LoL, Overwatch, Battleground and many more. Club merchandise with numerous sponsors and star players’ name values create another pivot point for revenue growth.

 

Differentiation within eSports Marketing

No matter what the product category, as the market develops, the division and specification occurs. As such, there is a need for differentiation in marketing tactics. Eidetic Marketing specified 3 differentiated current marketing points for eSports. However, the eSports market is still currently growing and will offer many more opportunities as it grows. For game companies, it is important to contemplate how to boost IP popularity through eSports. For Sponsors, it is important to understand the breadth of influence the event holds and how their brand can be involved. As marketers, it is important to understand the trend of the market and how to effectively apply given knowledge.

 

Go to EM’s Portfolios

Outlink:  Naver post (Kor)

Global integrated marketing agency ‘Eidetic Marketing’ announced their establishment of Eidetic Marketing China on February 15th.

Eidetic Marketing has seen significant growth in global corporations’ adoption of integrated marketing solutions. In 2015, 75% of their revenue was generated from large scale campaigns with global corporations, especially in the Chinese market.

“China is one of the highest growth potential markets in the world. Therefore, many companies keep their eyes on expanding their businesses into China. From long established corporations to new startups, Eidetic Marketing will provide helpful consultation services to formulate the best marketing strategies for companies at any stage. With Eidetic Marketing China, EM will have access to direct ‘on-site’ market information, and this will be the core ingredient in creating truly effective marketing solutions,” said Ashley Jung, CEO of Eidetic Marketing.

In order to fulfill clients’ needs and to expand into the Chinese market, Eidetic Marketing founded Eidetic China to become a bridge between the US and Chinese markets. With this strategic network, Eidetic Marketing is expecting to become an interface of integrated marketing services for major global territories. This vital bridge will be sure to provide clients access to valuable insights and competitive advantages for their products and services in the Chinese market.

Recently, one of Korea’s leading steel industry corporations POSCO, partnered with Eidetic Marketing for the key objective of expanding business reach in Beijing, China. In other industries such as gaming, Eidetic Marketing effectively executed marketing campaigns for China’s most popular companies such as Tencent and NetEase.

 

About Eidetic Marketing

Eidetic Marketing is an integrated marketing agency headquartered in North America. As an esteemed partner of many global corporations, EM provides comprehensive marketing solutions to clients from more than 20 different countries. One of the most thriving territories for EM has been, in recent quarters, the Chinese market. Whether the marketing campaigns are inbound or outbound China, Eidetic Marketing has been very active in the Chinese Market in various industries.