Quantifying the impact of creator programs
Over the past 15 years, influencer marketing has evolved from a novel approach to an essential component of any modern activation related to a game's launch or significant content update.
Most developers and publishers view the concept as a uniquely powerful tool in their arsenal for reaching new players, but determining the tangible potential an activation can provide is often nebulous. Sales may spike when a content creator's gameplay goes viral, but how can teams better understand the overall impact investing in an influencer activation can provide?
Using live service titles as an example, an annual $20 million valuation in Earned Media Value is on the line for teams who strategically leverage a creator program to support their launch(es) – that is, an ongoing campaign that fosters long-term partnerships with a creator extending beyond a single activation or title.
The data and recommendations below are informed by the 1.2 billion points of data our analysts compile on a daily basis from a database spanning just under 130 million influencers, as well as strategies we've utilized through years of designing and evaluating performance marketing campaigns (in other words, activations which are trackable in real-time and designed to accomplish specific goals like retention, conversion, etc.).
No campaign strategy or estimated trajectory of impact can be universally applicable for every game, but these findings clearly demonstrate how a well-deployed activation can change the landscape for a title – or even a portfolio.
Creator programs are a relatively new concept compared to the longer-running precedent of negotiating sponsored content for an individual game. They often provide their members with more than just game keys, incentivizing creators to invest in a non-transactional relationship with a studio or publisher for their own benefit beyond paid activations.
For the $20 million valuation in annual EMV we estimate creator programs can provide live service games, we'll
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