On Twitch, livestreams often feature individual gamers playing popular titles, either on their own or with other streamers. But the platform also allows corporate entities to maintain pages with live content, and creative marketers are discovering new and entertaining ways to make use of this channel.

For example, Pizza Hut has hosted its “Friday Night Bites” livestream since 2020, when the company sought to reach consumers stuck at home by COVID-era lockdowns with entertaining content that they could enjoy, ideally while scarfing down a delivered pizza. The platform proved popular enough, attracting an estimated 5.4 million views, that Pizza Hut has maintained it. In various livestreaming events, its VTuber host—a streamer that appears only as an avatar—interacts with other celebrities, influencers, and gamers, often while competing in branded challenges that relate to the pizza chain’s offerings.

In a recent integrated marketing campaign, these Twitch sessions provide a clear tie-in with Pizza Hut’s ongoing promotions linked to the release of the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. That is, “Friday Night Bites” is being hosted by Donatello, the Turtle described as the biggest gamer among the four, rather than the usual avatar presented by the series host.

Pizza Hut thus is taking its Twitch presence to a new and integrated level, but it is not the only brand to stream content. In a Kellogg’s campaign, the Frosted Flakes mascot Tony the Tiger plays a battle royale game with several familiar streamers, conversing with them and participating in the gaming sessions. The actual identity of this VTuber isn’t clear, but it is obviously another well-qualified gamer, based on the play exhibited.

In inserting key spokescharacters into their own or others’ livestreams, marketers are pursuing a clear and obvious target: the young consumers who account for most of Twitch’s user base. An estimated three-quarters of Twitch users are younger than 30 years of age, and about 38 percent are still in their teens. For brands like Frosted Flakes and Pizza Hut, appealing to this hard-to-access youth market can be just as good as emerging victorious in a massive multiplayer game.

Discussion Questions

1. What other brands should establish a presence on Twitch?
2. Are spokescharacters as VTubers an effective marketing strategy? What are some other ways that brands could leverage Twitch to reach and appeal to consumers?

Sources: Chris Kelly, “Pizza Hut Mutates Twitch Streamer into ‘Ninja Turtle’,” Marketing Dive, July 26, 2023;Chris Kelly, “Tony the Tiger Transforms into Gr-r-eat Twitch Streamer,” Marketing Dive, August 15, 2022; “U.S. Twitch App Users by Age 2020,” Statista, April 8, 2021.