#marketneeds

Client needs, focus on what the team manager wants the brand to achieve. Market needs, focus on what the target audience (fans and players) expect from the brand. For H2O Esports, both must work together for the brand to grow successfully.

The key needs of H2O Esports are:

A strong and recognisable brand identity that stands out from other grassroots esports teams

A brand that attracts new players aged 15–21

Growth on social media platforms such as YouTube and Twitch

Merchandise sales to help fund future tournaments and equipment

A brand that can grow long-term, not just for one season

The client needs the brand to look professional, even though H2O Esports is a new team. This helps attract players and sponsors in the future.

The target market for H2O Esports is:

Age range: 15–21

Platforms: YouTube and Twitch

Games: Call of Duty, Rainbow Six Siege, CS2

Location: UK

Interests: Competitive gaming, content creation, team identity, and community

From this audience, the key needs are:

Regular content such as match clips, training videos, and highlights

A team they can relate to, not just a professional organisation

Opportunities to interact through Twitch chat and comments

Affordable branded merch such as hoodies and jerseys

A brand that feels inclusive and community-based, not corporate

Younger audiences also prefer fast-paced content, behind-the-scenes clips, and player personalities rather than just match results.

Research into esports brands shows that:

Younger fans engage most with YouTube, Twitch and TikTok

Small esports teams grow faster when they focus on:

Community before profit

Consistency over perfection

Brands that interact with fans build stronger loyalty than teams that only post results

For H2O Esports, this means the brand should focus first on:

Growing a community

Building consistent content

Developing player personalities alongside competition

How This Affects the H2O Brand Plan

Because of the client and market needs, H2O Esports will:

Prioritise YouTube and Twitch over expensive websites

Focus on engaging fans through live chats and Discord

Keep merch simple and affordable

Use a clean blue brand identity to reflect confidence, trust, and consistency

This ensures the brand is realistic, affordable, and sustainable at grassroots level.

Evaluation

If H2O Esports ignores market needs, the brand would struggle to grow because:

Fans would not feel connected

Engagement and retention would be low

Merchandise would struggle to sell

By matching client goals with audience expectations, H2O Esports has a much higher chance of:

Growing a loyal fanbase

Developing competitive players

Building long-term brand value

This proves that understanding client and market needs is one of the most important steps in brand activation.

Kotler, P. and Keller, K.L. (2016) Marketing Management. Pearson.

Statista (2024) Esports Audience Demographics.

Twitch (2024) User Engagement Statistics.

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