RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – September 28, 2023 – Following the tremendous success of the 2022 Gamers8 event, the launch of its 2023 iteration in July was highly anticipated. This year’s event made history as the largest Esports gathering to date, boasting a $45 million prize pool. Gamers8 now firmly stands as a major industry player and has solidified Riyadh’s position as the esports capital of the region. Spearheaded by the Saudi Esports Federation, this year’s ‘Land of Heroes’ event aimed to surpass its predecessor in all aspects, from the prize pool’s size to the scale of games and events hosted in vibrant Riyadh. Gamers8 in 2023 successfully brought the virtual world of esports and gaming to Riyadh’s heart, setting a new industry standard.
However, for the 2023 season, the Extend AdNetwork, responsible for strategy, planning, and execution, embarked on an innovative journey to elevate awareness and spark massive engagement for the event. This was achieved by pushing the boundaries and challenging conventional norms, introducing tech-driven, content-centered integration in lieu of the traditional approach, all while targeting a heightened connection with the tech and gaming community.
Partnering with Smartifai, Extend unveiled an innovative strategy designed to captivate users and amplify event awareness. This pioneering approach centered around the integration of ChatGPT with contextual tech, generating unprecedented attention for Gamers8. Harnessing the power of generative AI, the entire execution was meticulously designed to seize users’ attention. It achieved this by delivering swift and concise content summaries in both English and Arabic while strategically navigating users to ad content through the integration of video and three distinct visual communications within the ChatGPT ad format. This approach enhanced the reading experience and fostered deeper engagement by developing strategic partnerships with gaming, sports, music, and entertainment publishers.
The campaign was launched on a global scale, employing In-Screen and In-Image Ads in international markets while focusing on ChatGPT Ads in regional markets such as KSA and UAE, complemented by In-Screen and In-Image Ads. The results have been nothing short of remarkable.
The campaign achieved an impressive reach, connecting with a unique audience of 4.7 million individuals and sparking a staggering half a million ad interactions.
The ChatGPT-led ad format, meticulously tailored to cater to Gen Z and Generation Alpha, successfully tapped into their desire for instant gratification, boasting an astonishing 7% interaction rate, with over 21,000 unique content summaries. Remarkably, nearly 70% of these interactions originated within Saudi Arabia. As the campaign progressed, interaction rates soared to an astounding 16.6% during the final week, surpassing display and social benchmarks in the region.
Moreover, the natural language processing technique was proficient in understanding the content sentiment, allowing it to grasp the audience’s reading context and trigger Gamers8 communication with compelling content summaries and call-to-action prompts. Additionally, Addressable Context was deployed to comprehend the audience’s social context, particularly those actively engaged in gaming and tech communities. This personalized approach ensured that Gamers8 resonated with its target audience on a deeper level.
Furthermore, the incorporation of Motion Context allowed to leverage real-time gaming events for hyper-personalization of Gamers8 communications, creating a dynamic and engaging experience for every individual. This multi-faceted strategy boosted Gamers8’s profile and cemented its connection with the tech and gaming community.
The campaign’s success extended beyond the digital realm, with over 3,500 footfalls recorded at the Gamers8 event’s physical location. Commenting on the success of the campaign, Tareq Al Awar – Head Of Digital Media – Extend, said this is a testimony to push our efforts to stay at the forefront of innovation and bring a unique execution to our clients, introducing the latest tech as an early adopter in the Saudi market. We are continually striving to establish ourselves as a key differentiator in our digital offerings to our clients. When we proposed this first-of-its-kind execution, we were confident of achieving exponential results by applying a unique use-case of technologies like Generative AI and its applications to advertising that enhance the user experience and set new industry standards for creativity and engagement.
Adel AlMeqren, The Head of Marketing & Branding at the Saudi Esports Federation, emphasized the historical significance of these achievements, proclaiming that Gamers8 is in the process of making Saudi Arabia a global epicenter for esports and gaming. He further underscored that Gamers8’s willingness to explore and implement something truly new and unique in the industry signifies the organization’s commitment to innovation and its open-minded approach to marketing strategies.
AlMeqren’s remarks shed light on Gamers8’s determination to break away from traditional marketing practices, highlighting their readiness to embrace novel ideas and execute them successfully. This forward-thinking approach not only distinguishes Gamers8 but also positions Saudi Arabia as a pioneering hub for esports and gaming innovation.
In response to the campaign’s success, Herman D’Souza, Co-Founder of Smartifai, emphasized the pivotal role played by Extend, under the leadership of Tareq Al Awar, in shaping the outcome of the Gamers8 2023 digital activation campaign. “Extend’s supervision and strategic contributions significantly influenced the campaign’s innovative approach.
Their involvement was crucial from the campaign’s inception, actively participating in the development of launch strategies that seamlessly integrated advanced technology. Tareq’s hands-on engagement continued throughout the various phases of the campaign, offering valuable insights and expertise to ensure its smooth execution. This highlighted the significance of a strategic partnership that understands the client’s vision and objectives, enabling them to embrace cutting-edge technologies, adapt to changes, and elevate our region to meet global standards.
Furthermore, Islam Haggag, Media Manager, played a vital role in orchestrating the campaign’s media presence and impact, further reinforcing the synergy between collaboration and execution in achieving remarkable outcomes through the Gamers8 unique activation.”
The 2023 Gamers8 event has not only shattered records but has also ignited a blazing trail of success, illuminating the path for a future where esports and gaming take center stage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond. As the gaming world continues to evolve, Gamers8 remains at the forefront, leading the charge toward new horizons and unprecedented triumphs.