Sponsorship (The Monster Effect)

I've never understood how advertising works, and I don't pretend to. From proving return on investment (ROI) to creating positive impressions of brand names and brand recognition, advertising is a confusing world. But somehow it seems to work! Advertisers are putting money into communities and events across the board. Hobbies, education, entertainment, community enrichment, you name it and someone has money somewhere in it. Gaming is no different.

A few months ago I switched from Sugar Free Rockstar to Monster Absolutely Zero based solely on the fact that, to my knowledge, Rockstar doesn't sponsor any SC2 competitors or events, and Monster does. I'd have switched back to Sugar Free Red Bulls, since Red Bull is a major sponsor for many SC2 events, but the heart palpitations I got a few years ago made that a ridiculous choice.

It doesn't matter to me what team(s), events, or Twitch channels Monster sponsors. Nor does it matter that I don't feel that they're a particularly better product overall. In fact, I enjoy the Sugar Free Rockstar drinks more, because they taste like my favorite candy in the world, Smarties! The only thing that matters is that Monster puts money into a hobby I find enjoyable, and Rockstar doesn't. I want to support the SC2 competitive scene and I feel a good way to do that is to show support for those companies that put their money there.

Now I'm not exactly sure how those events or teams show a ROI to Monster regarding my change in product but I know someone, somewhere, does. If only because I'm fairly certain that if they couldn't prove ROI, they wouldn't have sponsorships anymore.For my part, while I wish I knew the details regarding proving ROI and how sponsorship and value to brands actually works, it's enough to know that I'm supporting a scene I love by buying brands that support it.

Now, let's not be crazy. I'm not running out and buying SteelSeries stuff or a Kingston HyperX (whatever the hell that is). But I know their product names now! Hell, I can rattle off the Evil Geniuses sponsors faster than Idra and probably in the correct order! Is that value? I suppose someone somewhere can prove it as such.

Sometimes the sponsorships may seem out of place, as at Major League Gaming (MLG) Anaheim this year. MLG is sponsored by the energy drink Nos. Yet no where in the venue could you actually buy one. Granted Dr. Pepper was out in full force but I was going on 16 waking hours and games were still being played. I was yawning so much I couldn't watch the screen because my eyes just watered constantly. I needed something to at least convince myself I was going to be energetic damn it! In a room full of people that probably drink more energy drinks per capita than any other market the sponsor energy drink (actually, all energy drinks) didn't make an appearance. Who thought that plan up?!

So why am I willing to switch energy drinks and not run out and buy a new keyboard and mouse? Other than the fact that I'm cheap, I don't really have a good response. I've also not yet bought any team or tournament apparel. Mostly this is because the female apparel offered is simply atrocious, but it helps that I feel like supporting one tournament or team over another by selling myself as advertising is a serious thing. I really need to be willing to support my choice, once chosen, 100% win or lose. I'm just not willing to commit to that level yet!

When I am willing to commit, you can be sure I'll be sporting my team/tournament apparel (if they have anything worthwhile that doesn't make me look like a bag) and be more willing to support their sponsors, even if it's a few extra bucks. In the meantime, I'm watching sponsors and seeing who I can support when I can in an effort to show brands that the SC2 competitive scene is here to support those who support us!