Gaming marketing strategy & data company Livewire launches
Aiming to provide an integrated approach to gaming marketing strategy, Livewire has launched in Australia.
Former Dentsu Aegis programmatic executive Indy Khabra and gaming marketing guru Brad Manuel have combined their expertise to launch Livewire, an international gametech, entertainment and marketing company. Livewire will provide integrated services in game marketing and programmatic advertising backed by gaming industry expertise and deep data insights. In addition, the team will provide consultancy on bespoke projects in gaming.
“We know many brands are eager to talk to the next generation of consumers through the gaming ecosystem but require the expert advice on how to build truly integrated gaming campaigns that deliver results,” said Manuel, who noted that the global eSports and games streaming industry will grow from a worth of around $2.7 billion at present to over $4.5 billion by 2025 – with the Asia-Pacific projected to account for half of the audience.
A psychology graduate and MBA holder from the University of South Australia, Manuel served as Business Development Manager at the Adelaide Crows Football Club from 2017 up until to last year, during which time the AFC became the first professional sporting organisation in Oceania to enter the commercial eSports market through the purchase of Legacy. Since then, he has established a Livewire forerunner focused on events, marketing and market entry.
Business partner Khabra has meanwhile been busy with building his own enterprises, having founded digital marketing and media management consultancies Audiency and Equilibrium upon exiting Dentsu International in 2019 after a five and a half year stint. His most recent role with the network was as Regional Managing Director for the ANZ operations of AMNET, Densu’s programmatic media buying and data services arm.
On launching Livewire, Khabra pointed to the world’s 2.6 billion gamers, the majority of who are aged between 16 and 40. “What makes these consumers interesting to brands is that they engage with traditional media and marketing – TV, radio and out-of-home – at a much lower frequency than prior generations, earning the label of ‘cord cutters’ for their behaviour of opting out of traditional marketing and using subscriptions to avoid advertising.”
Between them, Khabra and Manuel have worked on campaigns and projects for some of the world’s most recognised brands, including Microsoft, McDonalds, American Express, Samsung, Universal Pictures and L’Oreal, along with Epic Games and the AFL. And the Livewire founders say that the new enterprise has already struck a range of partnership deals with brands, gaming organisations and agencies, with further announcements to come.
“We’re not spread over a range of different things, we’re experts in gaming,” Manuel told media industry publication Influencing. “So we have relationships with everyone from gaming publishers, to apps, to influencers and talent, and we’re aware of a whole lot of new games that are getting ready to launch and new products that are coming out from overseas. There’s an opportunity to create a really in depth, integrated gaming marketing strategy for brands.”
