Fortnite is Changing YouTube Marketing

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According to a report by Tubular Labs, Fortnite has over 50 billion views on YouTube just one year after it was launched in July 2017. This view count includes a variety of video content. For instance, Tubular looked at data from September 2018 (when the game’s popularity started) and found out that Fortnite-related video contents range from walk-throughs, gameplay, tutorials, dance challenges, and even mainstream influencers just talking about the game.

Fortnite-inspired videos can easily make it to the list of most viewed videos on YouTube. Although not an official category, Fortnite came in second place as the most viewed video category. Here are the top-ranking categories:

  • Sports with 197 billion views
  • Fortnite with 50 billion views
  • Travel with 42 billion views
  • Fashion with 24 billion views

The Epic Game’s video game has indeed become larger than other mainstream verticals on YouTube. In a report entitled “How Fortnite Changed the YouTube Game,” Tubular Labs stated that Fortnite is not only getting billions of views, but is also changing the marketing game on and off of YouTube.

For one, YouTube gaming channels are not the only ones creating content about the game. According to Tubular Labs’ report, 80% of those who created Fortnite video content aren’t even gamers. When people outside your niche are creating videos about you, that means you have penetrated the mainstream consumer market.

The ripple effect is that marketers and brands started investing thousands of dollars to build ad campaigns around Fortnite contents. Aside from influencers, brand sponsors like Blue Apron, Dollar Shave Club, Casper, and 1-800 Flowers have also joined the trend.

 

 

Dollar Shave Club notably sponsored nine video integrations which garnered 9.8 million views in just three months. Even America’s Got Talent, Cartoon Network, Buzzfeed, and ESPN rode on Fortnite’s popularity.

The interesting thing about this is that Fortnite is not even helped by the major brands to invade the mainstream market. That distinction goes to a famous Canadian family, known on YouTube and other social media platforms as the Eh Bee Family. They popularized the Fortnite Dance Challenge and brought awareness about the game to non-gamers. The video below was the first Fortnite video they released in April 2018; it has 86.5 million views as of this writing. They have since created nine other Fortnite-related video contents which racked up a total of 255 million views.

 

 

Major brands and marketers definitely see a huge marketing opportunity here, which is why we are seeing so many Fortnite integrations lately.

Virtual concert of 10 million people

A recent and innovative integration was an in-game concert that happened inside a Fortnite Battle Royale game, where famous DJ and digital music producer Marshmello took part. The video game was paused to make room for the 10-minute concert which drew 10 million players. Alan Wolk wrote about the in-game concert, and said:

“I think that if I were a brand and I was looking to reach this new generation, then sponsoring an in-game concert would be high on my list. The way I see it, a thirty second commercial can tug at your heart, but a ten-minute virtual concert, that is going to transport you, especially if it’s within a virtual world you are intimately familiar with.”

As marketers see it, Fortnite will continue to change YouTube, and marketing in general. The virtual concert is just a start; more innovative ideas are sure to follow.

Date: April 3, 2019 / Categories: YouTube, / Author: Rich Drees

April
3
2019

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