In the recent past, there has been a cultural shift in the gaming industry occasioned by the development of technology ( Carter, et al. 2017, p.32). Unlike the traditional approach to the online gaming, people are embracing eSports where they watch their favorite players and teams compete against each other in well-established gaming premises (Eventbrite 2015, p.2). The eSports enthusiasts are increasingly looking for chances to gather and perfect their skills as they watch and participate in various online games. The growth of eSporting has largely grown in regions such as Western Europe, Australia, United States, and other liberal regions of the world (Donghun & Schoenstedt 2013, p.34). The number of eSports enthusiasts are almost 50 million in these regions with approximately 25% attending live gaming events in their respective countries (Deloitte , 2017). A research study conduct by Eventbrite (2015) using more than 1500 active attendees of eSports gaming activities indicates that people attend the live game sessions for different reasons. Approximately 81% of the gamers desire to become part of the gaming while 80% of these individuals are driven by the urge to see their favorite players in action (Eventbrite, 2015). Approximately 52% of the respondent indicated that they would attend the live sessions to meet the game pros and improve their gaming skills. The findings of this research show an increasing desire among the people to participate in eSports which can be attributed to technological advancements and the need for these sports enthusiasts to interact with the gaming pros (Davidyuk 2014, p.45). Also, these events give the people an opportunity to interact and thus enhancing integration among individuals and the entire society. According to a research study conducted by Donghun & Schoenstedt (2013), there are several factors that have contributed to the rise of eSports gaming activities including competition, need to improve skills, and peer pressure (p.56). The researchers utilized 515 college students who were actively involved in various gaming activities such as athletics to find out what motivated them to join eSports. Majority of the respondents indicated that the competitive environment draws them into the games while a few said that they were influenced by their peers to join the eSports gaming activities (Donghun & Schoenstedt 2013, p.39). The marketers have used the competitiveness aspect of these games to attract more attendees due to the urge the youths have to engage in competitive activities. As such, the advertisers and marketers of these activities have successfully lured the youths into these activities by using strategies that are attractive to the people. This study will evaluate the use of various merchandises to enhance the eSports gaming activities and the reasons behind the preferences the fans make when buying the merchandises. It will have a special reference to the game of League of Legends which is one of the leading online games with a wide coverage all over Europe and other parts of the world (Fisher 2014, p.14).
eSports Merchandise
League of Legends has consistently grown to one of the most active eSporting games in the world (League of Legends, 2017). The video game was developed by Riot Games and supports the use of multiplayer in an online battle arena. This online sport has attracted one of the largest sales of eSports merchandise which makes it an ideal example to use in the study of the factors that affects the buying behavior of the sports enthusiasts (Özer & Argan 2014, p.117).
The sports merchandise is an old phenomenon applied by marketers to target the population of individuals who love to spectate (Zarrabi & Jerkrot 2016, p.45). It began when there was little known about eSporting and the merchandises could be sold to individuals who turned up in fields to watch their real favorite players. Traditionally, the merchandises were common among fields such as volleyball, football, hockey, basketball among other games that used to attract the population (Gainsbury , et al. 2017, p.234). The people used to purchase items to show their love for the games where they could use them around their homes ( Schaeperkoetter , et al. 2017, p.34). With time, there has been the development of eSports merchandise due to the rise of online games in the entire world. Games such as league of legends have gained so much traction that the fans are willingly buying sports items branded with the game logo to show their support for the game (Tinoco & Ridrigues 2017, p.12). This rise in the online gaming activities has presented the marketers with an opportunity to customize various sports merchandise that attracts the youth and consequently lead to an increase in the sales of such products. The video games have developed from being an exercise of a solitary player to a complex multiplayer exercise that offers not only a networking opportunity but also an income generating avenue (Loung, 2017). According to Statistica (2017), the industry generated approximately 1.2 billion US Dollars in 2017 which shows the significant role that the eSports industry is playing in the society. The merchandises are sold in different forms including wears such as caps, tee-shirts, cardigans, shorts, and bangles (Statistica, 2017). In 2015, the League of Legends held a championship that recorded a viewership of approximately 36 million people worldwide which shows that the level of acceptance of these games is rising each day. While the sale of merchandise contributed the least amount of revenue in 2017 at approximately 22 million US dollars of the total 1.2 billion dollars, there is a significant chance that the sales will rise with the increasing love of the games (Amanda , 20012)Equally, other online games, such as GameBattles, Smash.gg, Toornament, Battlefy, and Electronic Sports League, have contributed large amounts of revenue in the past (Desbordes & Richelieu, 2012). This high product uptake is a boost to the companies selling the merchandises, the marketers as well as the economy of the entire world.
Sale of Merchandise in Public Events
Marketing of merchandise is not different from the general marketing and thus, the primary selling points of the products are key to ensure achievement of sales goals and targets (BányaiMark , et al., 2018). A large population gives a marketer an ideal opportunity to sell their products to the potential customers and book orders (Lin, 2015). However, it is critical to study the mood of the people before presenting the products to them to ensure that there is a need for the product at that specific time (Spicer, 2013). If the marketer is selling an eSports related merchandise, it is only reasonable that they market the products in an event that has attracted a large number of sporting enthusiasts. Thus, it is necessary that firms establish the influence that their brands have on a specific group of people to achieve success during public events. These people are fans of the specific games, teams, and players and they have the potential to do anything to support the team. According to Özer & Argan (2014), a fan is somebody who has a special interest in the developments of specific teams or player (p.124). Such people attend the games, watch them on television, follow them through the radio and constantly monitors their performance (Kurzweil, 2012). If the company marketing the merchandises plan to have customized products for these people, it is highly likely that they will sell to them regardless of the location (Hansen, 2008). However, the location of the target customers at any given time has a great influence on their behavior. Thus, it is paramount that the marketers target them in public gaming activities where a large number of enthusiasts have gathered and the mood allows buying of such products (Davidyuk, 2014).
The sale of merchandise in public events is highly dependent on the feelings of the spectators and the supporters (Campbell, 2015). For example, if a marketer decides to brand a shirt with a professional sports logo for a given team, they should be targeting the fans of that specific team but not any other person. In this situation, the manufacturer must ensure that they make prior analyses of the target population to maximize the number of sales ( Desbordes 2011, p.95). Also, the strategy should also consider the demographic factors of the target markets including the age, financial situation, and the willingness to spend on the sporting activities. The League of Legends, for example, is an online game that has particularly been embraced by the youths ( Gratton & Jones 2012, p.56). It would, therefore, be wrong for any marketer to target the elderly with their merchandises. Instead, such people should research the needs of the youths in the society and capitalize on them (Gramazio 2012, p.35). The purchasing of merchandise related to specific teams is associated with a sense of pride and satisfaction of the spectators which helps to grow the sport as well as establish create great networks in the society (Hamari & Sjöblom, 2016).
Factors influencing Choice of Merchandise
The spectators and players of the online games have different purchasing behaviors depending on several factors. These factors include:
Satisfaction
The reason behind a player or a team using specific items branded with their favorite teams or players is to acquire a sense of satisfaction through expressing their love and support to that very team or an individual player (Schell, 2012). If the merchandise fails to this important element of marketing, it will be relatively difficult for the marketer to sell the product. As such, whenever the manufacturer is designing a merchandise, they should ensure that they have the end user at heart to ensure that the final product suits their demands ( Gratton and Jones 2012, p.112). The manufacturer should ensure that they exceed the customer’s satisfaction expectations by ensuring that they uniquely make their products. The originality of such a product may be determined by the quality of material used, the location of the team’s logo, the position of the player on the product among other factors (Mason , 2012). Such a strategy can be achieved by ensuring that they involve the fans to get their views regarding the teams and the players. Seeking their direct opinion on the matter is a direct method of endearing the products to the players and fans even before they are made (Wolf, 2012).
Choice of Color and Material
The merchandises may take different aspects and may include clothing, tee, mugs, shirts, or even shirts (Rieser, 2016). The manufacturer should ensure that whichever the product they choose to customize, the choice colors should always match the theme colors of the specific teams or players. This exercise is crucial in ensuring that the market produces items that will always make the fans feel closely related to their favorite teams. This will encourage the participants to use the product more frequently which will consequently lead to increase in sales of the merchandise for the marketer (Desbordes & Richelieu 2012, p.112).
The top priority for different spectators and fans has a product that will frequently remind them of the particular games they that they adore. In the case of League of Legends, the marketer may decide to have a tee-shirt with the portrait of specific stars in the online game at the back and an impressive logo of the game in the front of the tee-shirt. They may include characters such as Aatrox, the Darkin Blade; Akali, the first shadow; Ahri, the nine-tailed fox; or Alistar (Preston, 2015). The individuals who love participating in the video game will associate with these characters and will be proud to buy such merchandise.
Proper Field Survey
While the online gaming activities have been on the rise, it is critical to note that different individuals have different tastes and preferences to the online games (Campbell, 2015). For example, while the League of Legends is among the most engaging video game in the current gaming world, not everyone would enjoy watching or playing it. As such, when designing the merchandise, the marketer must perform a critical market analysis to determine the most appropriate products for specific groups (Desbordes and Richelieu 2012, p.39). It would be futile for a marketer to try selling Aatrox branded mugs to people who have no idea who the character is. Instead, the marketer should take their time and discover the favorite gaming activity for that specific individual. As such, the manufacturer will maximize the available demand for their eSports commerce without compromising on the beliefs, quality demands, and the passion of the target population towards a given team or a player ( Desbordes 2011, p.43).
These literature reviews have shown that there indeed exists a rise in the online video gaming activities all over the world (Deloitte , 2017). More importantly, the activities have contributed significantly to the networking ability of the society as well as the economic status. Various segments of the activities brought in excess of 1 billion US dollars in 2017 which is a significant contribution to the economy (BányaiMark , et al., 2018). Also, the eSports merchandise contributed more than 22 million US dollars which shows that the potential of this field is increasing each day. The manufacturers and the marketers should, therefore, position themselves by producing merchandises that match the customer’s expectations while upholding their beliefs and passion towards the specific players and teams.
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