As 2021 draws to a close and we begin to set our sights on 2022 and beyond, it is helpful to look back on the milestones, goals reached, and lessons learned to better inform the journey ahead.
For one local start-up in the gaming scene, the future is looking very bright. In a relatively short period of time, NIBBLE Esports has grown to become one of the top esports organisations in the country while creating a movement focused on inclusivity and storytelling.
“It has been a big year for us. We have connected brands, gamers and content creators, to disrupt and reimagine the potential for brand immersion within the gaming community,” says Glenn Kisela, creative director and co-owner of NIBBLE. Two notable campaigns have been the overwhelmingly positive sales-based campaign for Scoot, as well as a partnership with EPS whereby the goal was to sustainably grow an inclusive, non-discriminatory gaming scene which was achieved through a Fortnite SA series event.
“The work we did for Scoot was a really exciting challenge for us. The initial ask was to introduce the brand to the gaming community. In the end, we managed to surpass expectations by connecting content creators and gamers with big name partners to deliver a digital campaign that, well… delivered. Over the campaign period, we helped Scoot deliver over 23,000 McDonald’s orders, exceed social media impression targets by 128%, reach a total of 41,000 points of engagement, as well as earn 2,200 organic YouTube impressions.
“In the end, we proved that gaming can provide some serious ROI for brands,” says Glenn. Watch the case study here.
“As for the work we did with EPS, this campaign was a personal one for us and gave us an opportunity to create an inclusive environment for gamers. Beyond the engagement and impression statistics (which, don’t get me wrong, were great) the real measure of success is a long-term one whereby everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, identification and so on feel safe and welcome. We are incredibly proud of the progress made so far.”
Glenn adds that for a long time gaming has been overlooked by brands, but as esports gains more traction and global interest, the organisation has noticed more brands starting to show an interest in this community as a way to connect and collaborate. “Through our network, NIBBLE is not only bridging that gap, but we have formed a fully-fledged agency that is able to execute a campaign from start to end.
“Looking back now, we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved and we’re only just getting started.”
The road ahead.
“At this stage, the most important goal for us is to find an investor so that we can move beyond the start-up phase to bring our long-term vision to life. We are also actively looking for a CFO to assist with the financial side of things.
“We also have really exciting partnerships coming up with heavy-hitter brands that we cannot wait to get started on. Beyond that we will continue finding new ways to challenge the industry norm, to rethink the possibilities and to continue adding more wherever we can,” concludes Glenn.
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ABOUT NIBBLE:
Established in 2016, NIBBLE has grown from a group of friends with a passion for gaming to a fully-fledged creative agency, lifestyle brand, and esports organisation.
NIBBLE is a level 4 BEEE compliant company.