EVOS Esports and SGAG's sister firm eye Indonesian ad dollars with exclusive inventory

EVOS Esports has tied up with digital creator agency Hepmil Creators’ Network (HCN) to offer brands and advertisers in Indonesia premium inventory on YouTube, marking the latter's first foray into the market. One of the key inventory is the esports and gaming channel bundle, which is said to enable advertisers to target the hard-to-reach Gen Z and Millennials in Indonesia, according to HCN. This is done by tapping on HCN's Reserved Media offering, which allows brands to secure "highly sought-after inventory" on the top esports and gaming channels in Indonesia. 

As part of the collaboration, marketers in Indonesia will have the ability to create YouTube advertising assets in multiple formats, both skippable and non-skippable, that run complementary to its branded content on YouTube channels. This will also done in collaboration with gaming talents who are working with EVOS Esports and HCN. Additionally, the collaboration supports the optimisation of brands' marketing spend by providing "a complete share of voice on select channels, premium association and effective micro-targeting".

HCN's Reserved Media offering will allow brands to purchase premium ad inventory on specific channels by their favourite creators from one single point of contact. At the same time, brands will fully own the advertising spaces on select channels during the engagement period without interference from competing advertisements. This, in turn, improves targeting efforts and optimising media budget. Through the partnership, HCN aims to grow its Reserved Media offering and expand its inventory of channels. 

HCN touts itself to be the first in Southeast Asia to offer premium inventory of Reserved Media to advertisers in the region, as a result of HCN's partnership with US-based digital media company Bent Pixels. Bent Pixels owns the sales rights for Reserved Media through its long-term partnership with YouTube. 

Meanwhile, the network is the sister company of Singapore-based content creator SGAG and a subsidiary of Hepmil Media Group, which also owns other platforms in Southeast Asia such as MGAG in Malaysia and PGAG in Philippines. It was launched in April 2020 to offer Southeast Asia's independent comedy content creators, including those on TikTok, with business opportunities. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to EVOS Esports for additional information.

Ivan Yeo, co-founder and CEO of EVOS Esports, said: “We are delighted to partner exclusively with HCN in Indonesia to offer premium inventory of YouTube’s Reserved Media to brands. EVOS Esports is open to offer this initiative to gaming talents in Indonesia, as it will serve as an additional revenue generation stream for them. I am confident this new offering will serve as a catalyst in elevating the esports and gaming scene in Indonesia.”

EVOS Esports currently manages 160 gaming influencers exclusively and are partners with over 200 esports talents, with a total following of over 64 million YouTube subscribers, over 62 million Instagram followers, and over 350 million views per month across Southeast Asia. Its talents include Jonathan Liandi who has 2.7 million subscribers, and Dyland PROS who has 13.4 million subscribers.

Karl Mak, co-founder and CEO of Hepmil Media Group said the company is excited to enter the Indonesia market with a strong partner such as EVOS Esports. "Through this partnership, we will be able to expand our Reserved Media inventory and cater to advertisers in Indonesia who are not only hungry to enter the esports and gaming space, but also looking for media buying opportunities to associate their brands with the industry," Mak added.

EVOS Esports' tie-up with HCN follows its efforts to grow the esports and gaming scene in Southeast Asia. Last August, it partnered Visa to enable digital payments for in-game currency purchases and its merchandise. Under the partnership, Visa will also be used as the preferred payment solution when fans apply for EVOS Esports' membership. According to EVOS Esports, the collaboration is in line with its "Unlock Your Dreams" campaign, which looks to empower EVOS Esports' fans to live their dreams. This partnership also came as Visa's recent study showed that spending habits are shifting in an accelerated manner towards cashless payments, and it looks to enable seamless payment experience to enhance the esports eco-system in Indonesia. 

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(Photo courtesy: 123RF)

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