By Kymberly Martin
Latest partnership to grow gaming category.
LG launches new Ultrawide and UHD monitors as its major sponsorship with the professional gaming team Dire Wolves gains momentum.
Retailers are increasingly recognising how important gaming is becoming to the PC market, LG Electronics Australia marketing manager, Russ Prendergast, told Appliance Retailer at the media launch for its new IT monitors in Sydney.
“The eSports industry is worth around $1 billion and continues to grow. We need to be ahead of the game, providing the latest technology in our monitor range to meet the demands of professional gamers as well as the at-home enthusiasts.
“Our 12-month sponsorship with Dire Wolves is also creating a lot of interest and giving us greater exposure to the retail environment. We are already seeing some good feedback from social media that is delivering a tenfold return in engagement.” While Prendergast would not reveal details about the sponsorship deal he said it was already “paying for itself well and truly”.
LG marketing manager, Russ Prendergast with the Dire Wolves team.
The sponsorship arrangement with professional gamers is exclusive to Australia, he said, “no other LG market is doing anything like this”.
All marketing activity for the launch is going into social media for obvious reasons. “Our target audience is online with 286 million gamers globally who are on social media on a regular basis using gaming technology. So for LG it is all about social media like the social video platform, Twitch which gets about 100+ million views a month.” He said LG is also meeting with team franchisees and floor staff and discussing the opportunities to carry out in-store activities with Dire Wolves.
Dire Wolves founder, Nathan Mott, told AR, LG was the first major sponsor for the team. “The gaming industry is bigger than ever and we are always looking for the best equipment to train and play on. LG is a leader in this space and gives us a competitive advantage with their latest range of monitors,” he said.
The three models released include the 27-inch Ultra HD LED with on-screen control and screen split (RRP: $1,299), the Ultrawide 34-inch Curved LED (RRP: $1,499) and the Ultrawide 34-inch Flat LED (RRP: $1,499). The monitors are designed to enhance the cinematic experience for avid gamers with a wider view and improved immersion. The monitors feature a new ArcLine base for an infinite display that delivers a borderless visual experience. All models come with the new USB-C and USB 3.0 Quick Charge for charging smartphones or transferring USB data which was first shown at CES in January. Another curved gaming monitor will be added to the range in October. Retailer availability is still to be confirmed primarily aimed at gamers or the commercial sector for business displays.