Measuring the Effectiveness of Creator Programs

Over the past 15 years, influencer marketing has transformed from a novel approach to a crucial component of modern game launches and content updates. However, determining the tangible impact of investing in influencer activations remains a challenge. Sales may surge when a content creator's gameplay goes viral, but how can teams better understand the overall impact of their investment? Using live service titles as an example, teams that strategically leverage creator programs can potentially achieve an annual $20 million valuation in Earned Media Value. This is made possible through ongoing campaigns that foster long-term partnerships with creators, extending beyond a single activation or title. The data and recommendations presented are based on 1.2 billion data points compiled daily from a database of nearly 130 million influencers, as well as strategies developed through years of designing and evaluating performance marketing campaigns. While no campaign strategy is universally applicable, these findings demonstrate how a well-deployed activation can change the landscape for a title or even a portfolio. Creator programs are a relatively new concept, providing members with more than just game keys and incentivizing them to invest in non-transactional relationships with studios or publishers. For live service games, creator programs can potentially provide an annual $20 million valuation in EMV. To explore this potential, we modeled a dataset based on 500 potential creator program targets for live service games on Twitch, as well as anonymized retention data from multiple creator program members. Earned Media Value represents the estimated value of content generated by creators through streams, videos, and social media posts. By concentrating on Twitch creators and utilizing aggregated streamer behavior related to live-service titles, we modeled streamer behavior based on average monthly streaming durations, shifts in viewership, and seasonal trends. The cost per viewer hour metric was derived from historical influencer rates, adjusted to a more conservative scale to reflect the nature of unpaid activities. Typically, EMV is calculated using the formula: EMV = Viewer Hours * CPVH (Cost Per View Hour). A creator program's impact can be measured on a genre-by-genre basis, allowing teams to contrast it with a game's potential for organic, non-paid engagement. Our data outlines what teams can anticipate gaining for their title, broadly speaking. Notably, creator program members stream 80% more content on average from relevant games after joining a program, demonstrating remarkable value in a space where content creators plan their time with games on a contractual basis. Creator programs also have a 14% higher content retention rate than non-program creators, which is particularly beneficial for titles experiencing a decline in influencer content mid-update cycle. Moreover, creator programs facilitate cross-title pollination, where members play multiple titles from a portfolio, with a 70% cross-pollination rate compared to 12% for creators outside the program. To maximize the potential of creator programs, teams should identify suitable creators, foster non-transactional relationships, and establish a launch strategy. By prioritizing partners based on their unique audience and retention, teams can build trust and transparency, support creators in their events and initiatives, and avoid assuming that creators will always work for free. Ultimately, creator programs can substantially extend a title's longevity, bolster engagement, and sustain a community of creators driving genuine passion for a game's community, but only if teams dedicate the necessary resources to make them more than an afterthought.