Beyond E3: Top Gaming Events and Moments for Strategic Brand Activation
On March 30th, 2023, the Entertainment Software Association announced the cancellation of its annual E3 convention. For nearly three decades, E3 has been a massive event in the gaming industry, where major and indie publishers reveal upcoming games. Many gaming enthusiasts liken E3 to Christmas, as it's a week filled with new announcements, excitement, and more.
Brands have historically capitalized on the event's popularity, with companies like Dr. Pepper sponsoring after-parties, T-Mobile hosting booth activations, and Samsung partnering with celebrities.
Despite the E3 2023 cancellation, there are still plenty of opportunities for brands to engage with the gaming community. We’ve compiled a list of key events and moments for brands to consider leveraging as well as some ideas on how brands could participate.
Summer Game Fest: June 8, 2023
As E3 2020 was cancelled due to Covid, Video Game Journalist and powerhouse Geoff Keighly created Summer Game Fest as an all-digital replacement for E3. Summer Game Fest has become an annual event and has started to see in-person events.
Idea: Share your brand's reactions to major announcements on social channels or create engaging content.
San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC): July 20 - 23 2023
SDCC is a big moment for not only gaming but general nerd culture as companies from gaming, comics, movies, television, and more descend on San Diego to share news and host panels. It’s one of the nerdiest weekends of the year!
Idea: Have an on-site presence with a branded booth or a panel that includes members of your company and/or is sponsored by your brand.
Tokyo Game Show (TGS): September 21 - 24, 2023
Similar to E3/Summer Game Fest, Tokyo Game Show spotlights new and upcoming games. While the event does feature non-Japanese companies, there is a heavy focus on games made by Japanese developers.
Idea: Engage with the fandom. If a popular franchise is in the news, make a post or engage with content about it and share your favourite character/moment.
The Game Awards: Early December 2023
The best way to describe the Game Awards is if you combined the Oscards with the Superbowl with a video game twist. Created by Geoff Keighley (his second mention on the list) The Game Awards is an annual event where the industry celebrates the best games of the year as well as announces new games coming out in the near future.
Idea: Sponsorship! The Game Awards has been experimenting with sponsored segments and brands can reach out to get involved.
While not major events like the above, here are a few additional moments to keep in mind for potential campaigns:
Summer Games Done Quick (May 28 - June 4) - A charity speedrun event where gamers try to finish games as fast as possible
EVO (August 2023) - a fighting game tournament that features multiple games taking place in Las Vegas.
Game of The Year (December) - The time of year when gamers and gaming news outlets reflect on the best, and worst, games of the past year.
These are just a few of MANY events brands could leverage, including many local/country-specific events such as the Canadian Game Awards or Gamescom Australia. To get a list of a bunch of events taking place around the world, check out Fancons.com’s full list.
While E3 may be pressing pause in 2023 and possibly for even longer, there are more opportunities than ever for companies to engage gamers during key industry moments. Whether it's live-tweeting events on social media or stepping up as official sponsors, there has never been a better moment for brands to hit "start" and dive into the exciting world of gaming events.
Looking for some inspiration on how to activate during these moments? Check out one of our previous blog posts highlighting how brands can get join the hype around E3 gaming events Gamers.
