pH7 Communications, Shanghai, China: Game On! TUMI Esports Pro Launch

Company: pH7 Communications
Company Description: pH7 Communications is an agile professional strategic communications firm in China, composed of a team who are independent thinkers, passionate, and most importantly creative. pH7 represents neutrality in chemistry. With neutrality at heart, we quickly adapt to new challenges and embrace new ideas.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - New Product or Service Launch
2022 Stevie Winner Nomination Title: Game On! TUMI Esports Pro Launch
  1. If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:

    Campaign Period: April 29,2021 - Nov 2nd, 2021
    Launch Date: April 29, 2021

  2. Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
    Written answers to the questions
  3. If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.

    Campaign Video: https://youtu.be/1TEh5x2VMug

  4. If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):

    Total 249 words used.

    REASONS

    Urged to rejuvenate brand image

    • TUMI has built a successful reputation within the Chinese market as the go-to brand for high-powered businesspeople, who make up a relatively mature consumer pool.
    • TUMI hope to communicate with the younger audience with professional image to keep the brand momentum.

    Esports has become one of the most popular professions in China.

    • With over 500 million active players, the esports market in China is sharing a size worthy RMB 163.7 billion in 2021. (Data sourced from iResearch)
    • This market is expecting an over 10% growth annually.
    • Within the market, the love and respect towards esports professional gamer is raised higher than ever. A well-established team like LGD’s level of influence is even high than a celebrity singer.

    The Launch of Esports collection to attract younger professional attention.

    CHALLENGES

    The Esports industry in China is highly competitive, brands from all industries are entering the heating market.

    • Brands with low relevancy but high budget are all fighting within Esports genre, from Auto giants to FMCG and Cosmetics brands.  
    • Numbers of new brands specialized in esports travel are coming out every year. 

    Consumers’ ‘stereotype’ towards TUMI.  

    • With favor from the high-powered business elites (average aged 35 and above) brand do share a stereotype image as mature and business only.
    • China’s esports community are rather young (30 and under), which is a completely untapped target audience group for TUMI.

    PROBLEMS

    Through the launch of Esports Pro Campaign, TUMI hopes to shift the stereotypical “business-only” brand image.

  5. If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):

    Total 246 words used.

    GOAL SETTING

    Maximize impact from professionals to massive enthusiasts

    • Strengthen recognition as professional travel luxury brand among professional gamers.
    • Build preference among esports enthusiasts.

    Attract younger consumers and strengthen their brand preference

    Maximize exposure on social platforms

    SCHEDULING

    All about gamers: from trust to preference

    • Ahead of launch, TUMI collaborated with local esports teams, building trust within the professional community.
    • Highlighted product benefit with gamers, strengthened brand quality communication, endorsed product-line on time with launch.
    • Ignited enthusiast’s energy leveraging effective channels of gamer communication.
    • Met crucial esports championships (MSI&TI), maximizing exposure and build preference amongst esports followers

    DEVELOPMENT

    Content Creative

    • Localized global creative assets’ occasion into professional team’s travel towards championships sites.
    • Generated visuals and campaign KVs that resonate with the local esports audience.
    • Created short videos and images on esports teams’ travel, gaining outstanding impression from enthusiasts.
    • Released KOLs and esports celebrities’ visuals and livestreaming with product-line, featuring their respect and enthusiasm.

    Channel Strategy – from vertical to mass

    • Channels that resonate with Esports community:
      Recognized key esports communication channels in China. Identified vertical esports livestreaming platform - Huya.
    • Riding on Huya‘s impact, expanded communication to Weibo&Bilibli (Chinese Twitter&YouTube).

    Influencer Strategy – from professionals to enthusiasts

    • Ignite heat through famous esports team PSG.LGD co-op at peak season
      Winning 2nd place of TI Championship, PSG.LGD was celebrated by esports community and the mass net-surfers all-around.
    • Leverage famous esports KOLs and celebrity esports lovers (Singer Ayanga, Actor Qiming)’s impact, expanding talkability from professionals to mass.
  6. If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2019. Even if your initiative started before 2020, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2020 only (up to 250 words):

    Total 189 words used.

    Professional brand image was recognized in esports filed

    • From esports professionals to enthusiasts all give credit to TUMI’s dedication and professional communication respecting all gamers from design to launch. 
    • The in-depth co-op with PSG.LGD during TI Championship enhanced TUMI’s professional image on the larger scale.

    Attract younger consumers’ attention towards the brand

    • By end of 2021, TUMI WeChat official account achieved an increase of 45.8% in number of followers that are under 35 years old, in comparison to data collected by end of 2020.
    • Through 2021 to 2022, there’s also a decrease (40 y/o to 39 y/o) in the average age of TUMI consumer from all channels.

    Great social heat during campaign phrase

    • Overall, esports influencers co-op, media capture, and livestreaming showcase generated over 1.4 billion page view, 25k engagements and over 3.5million usd in ad value.
    • Fully maximized communication within the esports community at vertical channels like Huya.
    • PSG.LGD co-op online content generating over 37 million page view, 76k engagements, and over 136k usd in ad value, successfully delivering the professional image of TUMI from within the esport community to the mass beyond.
  7. You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):

    Total 5 words used.
    Campaign Video: https://youtu.be/1TEh5x2VMug

Attachments/Videos/Links:
Game On! TUMI Esports Pro Launch
URL Game On! TUMI Esports Pro Launch