The UK is renowned for having the largest video gaming sector in Europe; this was accelerated by lockdown measures increasing screen time during the pandemic. With approximately 88% of 16-24 year-old UK adults playing video games, it is projected the number of digital users in the UK will surpass 51.88 million by 2025. The gaming community is highly engaged and active, proffering a new opportunity for brands to target younger demographics and acquire new customers across device and mediums.
Leading premium provider for mobile and broadband, EE, approached Awin to leverage the diversity of partners within the affiliate channel and boost brand awareness for its full fibre proposition; providing customers with ultrafast broadband.
The telecoms affiliate portfolio is traditionally dominated by price comparison publishers due to the nature of contractual packages and renewal upgrades. Awin and EE collaborated on a promotional strategy targeting the gaming community as a result of its engaged audience, vast digital presence and the user experience being wholly reliant on fast, reliable broadband.
Awin and EE reached out to GameByte, a gaming community with over six millions active users, managed by Social Chain, to execute an online competition to win an EE-branded gaming PC.
Objectives
The primary objective was to increase brand awareness for EE home broadband, delivering traffic, impressions and competition entries. Qualitative metrics were also established to access a new market audience and refine cross-department collaboration.
- Generate 10,000 clicks from GameByte to the EE Home Broadband site and raise brand awareness in the channel.
- Reach over 1 million impressions, a key measurement of brand awareness success.
- Drive 15,000 competition entries via the gaming community by promoting the EE-branded gaming PC.
- Develop a new target market to improve the value that the affiliate channel delivers for EE.
Approach
Awin’s benchmarking reports revealed gaming publishers make up less than 1% of telecoms sales. With an audience demand for fast broadband speeds, the gaming sector was an optimum medium to promote EE’s full fibre proposition which offers ultrafast broadband speeds.
Awin partnered with GameByte and Social Chain to execute a brand awareness campaign for EE Home Broadband. It was collectively decided to execute a competition metric whereby entrants could win an EE-branded gaming PC. HOW? This would be a unique and creative way to promote EE’s brand and full fibre products through the affiliate channel, whilst driving high audience engagement.
Results
The campaign hit the brief in terms of approaching a new market with an innovative campaign that would raise awareness of EE Home Broadband and its full fibre proposition.
- GameByte drove 11,575 clicks, which exceeded target by +11.5%.A
- The campaign saw over 2 million impressions, which was over +100% above target.
- The competition saw 19,532 applications, exceeding target by over +30%.
- The percentage ultrafast took of overall EE Home Broadband sales grew by 17%pts YoY, exceeding target by +7%pts.
“With over 2 million impressions and 15,000 competition entries, EE far surpassed all expectations in its first affiliate-led gaming collaboration venture through the affiliate channel.
This EE and Awin collaboration saw EE Home Broadband enter into the affiliate channel gaming space, whilst growing brand awareness for EE Home Broadband's full fibre proposition. It was innovative thinking combined with the united efforts of multiple teams which enabled this to be such a success.”
Jimena Vergara-Lincoqueo, Digital Affiliate Trading Manager at EE Home Broadband.
