The Influence of Esports Stakeholders on Consumer Purchase Behavior

Abstract

Esports branded peripherals made an appearance ever since technology brands such as Logitech and HyperX entered the esports scene. With a shift in the marketing space towards sponsored and affiliate marketing, this research investigates in which capacity esports athletes or organization have an influence on the purchase behavior of the average esports consumer. The result of this research helps companies understand the potential value that sponsored, and affiliate marketing brings. Data for this research was collected through an anonymous online survey of esports consumers, ages twenty to twenty-five. In total the research collected one hundred fifteen usable responses.

The results showed a clear influence from esports stakeholders, however not in the capacity that was ex pected. While the theory supports a large shift towards social media marketing for brands with the use of influencers, the empirical part of this research does not overwhelmingly support these claims. This research was able to establish a benefit to social media and influencer marketing yet requires further research to determine the magnitude of the results in comparison with traditional marketing.