• by Colin Kirkland , January 13, 2023

Wehype -- an influencer marketing agency that connects brands like EA, Microsoft and Ubisoft with gamers -- has announced an expansion of its services into the mobile gaming sector, partnering and integrating with mobile analytics companies Appsflyer and Adjust. 

As marketing continues to evolve, influencer marketing has emerged as one of the most effective ways that gaming brands can become household names. However, Wehype believes that marketing strategies are largely outdated for the now oversaturated market. 

According to a report by the NPD Group, the mobile gaming industry was estimated to be worth $116 billion in 2022 -- a number likely driven by the creator economy and the growing popularity of live-streaming and influencer marketing. 

In 2021, fans live-streamed over 653 million hours of gaming content each week, marking a 21% increase on the year prior, which marked an 81% increase on 2019. 

In 2020, the video game industry in the United States surpassed the movies and music industries combined. The gaming industry in the U.S. alone is projected to hit $48 billion in revenue by 2027. And based on Data.ai’s recent mobile report, mobile games downloads alone grew to $83 billion in 2021. 

Wehype says it is utilizing the rise in mobile gaming, acting as an “extended arm” to brands’ influencer marketing efforts via data sets comprising 10,000 sponsorships and over 3,200 partnered creators. 

According to a recent press release, the company believes the key in marketing mobile games “lies in tracking statistics over time” and therefore chooses to become a long-term partner to mobile game publishers.

Wehype’s platform is integrated with YouTube and Twitch, allowing the company to collect data from thousands of different games, as well as viewer data -- information the company says it uses to match the creators to specific games and understand audiences.

“In a post-IDFA (Identifier For Advertisers) era, mobile publishers have to find new channels to reach their audiences,” says Wehype CEO and co-founder Robin Åström. “Working with creators is an extremely effective way not only to drive installs but also to support player retention.”

Åström ads that working with third-party analytics companies AppsFlyer and Adjust will help the company transform influencer marketing into a performance-optimized channel: “Compared to more traditional UA channels, creators allow game publishers to reach their players in a more authentic way, which not only drives great Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) when done right, but also leads to an uplift in brand awareness.”