Publication: E-spor sektöründe marka değeri, satın alma niyeti, e-wom ve sponsorluk türü : aracı ve düzenleyici etkiler üzerine bir araştırma
Abstract
Elektronik sporun kısaltması olan e-spor, birinci sınıf oyuncuları, nakit ödüller kazanmak için karşı karşıya getiren organize dijital oyun yarışmalarıdır. E-spor, dijital oyun kültürü ile çok yakın derecede bağlantılıdır ve bu nedenle e-spor dijital oyunun bir uzantısı olarak tanınmaktadır ve yorumlanmaktadır. Yüksek hızlı internet, sosyal ağ ve yayın teknolojilerinin etkisi ile e-spor popülerlik kazanmıştır ve e-spor endüstrisinin hacmi son yıllarda önemli miktarda artış göstermektedir. Dijital oyuncu sayısı 3 milyarı geçmiştir, e-spor seyirci sayısı rekor sayıya ulaşmıştır ve küresel gelir $1,4 milyar geçmiştir. E-spor gelir kalemlerinin arasında en büyük payı sponsorluk ve reklam sağlamaktadır. E-sporun bu kadar büyümesi ulusal ve uluslararası örgütler tarafından yakından takip edilmektedir. E-spor oyuncuları ve hayranları arasındaki marka değerini yükseltmek ve satın alma niyetini artırmak amacı ile örgütler farklı pazarlama stratejileri izlemektedir ve bu stratejileri arasında en yaygın olanlardan biride sponsorluktur. Örneğin Intel şirketi, en uzun soluklu e-spor sponsorlarından biridir, on yılı aşkın süredir e-spor turnuvalarına sponsor olmaktadır ve Coca-Cola League of Legends Dünya Şampiyonası'na sponsor olmuştur. Örgütlerin e-spora sponsor olarak ulaşmayı hedefledikleri amaçları vardır. Araştırmacılar özellikle e-sporun yaygın olması ve düşük sponsorluk maaliyetinin etkisiyle, e-spor sponsorluğunun spor sponsorluğu kadar marka değerinin gelişmesine katkı sağlayabileceğini ve e-spor sponsorluğunun bireylerin satın alma niyetine etki edebileceğini savunmaktadır. Bu araştırmada dijital oyuncuların ve e-spor hayranlarının satın alma niyetinin neye göre şekillendiği ve etki eden faktörler merak edilmiştir. Bu araştırmada e-spor sponsorluğu, marka değeri, satın alma niyeti ve E-WOM arasındaki ilişkiler incelenmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda elde edilen veriler, araştırma problemi ve hipotezler doğrultusunda tartışılmıştır. Bu araştırmasının hem akademisyenler arasındaki tartışmalara hem de gelecekte e-spor sponsorluğu başlığı altında yapılacak olan çalışmalara katkı sağlaması beklenmektedir.
E-Sports, the abbreviation for electronic sports, is organized video game tournaments that bring together top-level competitors to compete for awards. Esports is closely linked to digital gaming culture and is therefore recognized and interpreted as an extension of digital gaming. With the impact of high-speed internet, social media, and broadcasting infrastructures, esports has attracted a lot of attention, created popularity, and the size of the esports industry has grown rapidly in the last decade. Digital gamer number exceeded 3 billion, esports’ viewers number has reached record levels, and global revenue has exceeded $1.4 billion. Sponsorship and advertising account for the largest share of esports revenue streams. The rapid growth of esports appeals to domestic and worldwide organizations. Organizations follow different marketing strategies to increase their brand equity and purchase intention among esports players and fans. One of the most common marketing strategies is sponsorship. For example, Intel is one of the longest-running esports sponsors and has been sponsoring esports tournaments for over ten years, and Coca-Cola sponsored the League of Legends World Championship. Companies have goals in mind when sponsoring esports. Researchers believe that esports sponsorship, especially due to its widespread popularity and low sponsorship costs, can contribute to the development of brand equity as much as sports sponsorship. Literature research has shown that esports and sports sponsorship might influence individuals' purchasing intentions. This thesis is started with the curiosity of “How digital players’ and esports fans’ purchase intentions are effected”. This study focuses on the relationships between esports sponsorship, brand equity, purchase intention and E-WOM. The findings are discussed in line with the research problem and assumptions. It is expected that this master's thesis research will contribute to academic discussions and future studies on esports sponsorship.
E-Sports, the abbreviation for electronic sports, is organized video game tournaments that bring together top-level competitors to compete for awards. Esports is closely linked to digital gaming culture and is therefore recognized and interpreted as an extension of digital gaming. With the impact of high-speed internet, social media, and broadcasting infrastructures, esports has attracted a lot of attention, created popularity, and the size of the esports industry has grown rapidly in the last decade. Digital gamer number exceeded 3 billion, esports’ viewers number has reached record levels, and global revenue has exceeded $1.4 billion. Sponsorship and advertising account for the largest share of esports revenue streams. The rapid growth of esports appeals to domestic and worldwide organizations. Organizations follow different marketing strategies to increase their brand equity and purchase intention among esports players and fans. One of the most common marketing strategies is sponsorship. For example, Intel is one of the longest-running esports sponsors and has been sponsoring esports tournaments for over ten years, and Coca-Cola sponsored the League of Legends World Championship. Companies have goals in mind when sponsoring esports. Researchers believe that esports sponsorship, especially due to its widespread popularity and low sponsorship costs, can contribute to the development of brand equity as much as sports sponsorship. Literature research has shown that esports and sports sponsorship might influence individuals' purchasing intentions. This thesis is started with the curiosity of “How digital players’ and esports fans’ purchase intentions are effected”. This study focuses on the relationships between esports sponsorship, brand equity, purchase intention and E-WOM. The findings are discussed in line with the research problem and assumptions. It is expected that this master's thesis research will contribute to academic discussions and future studies on esports sponsorship.