e” makeup routines and the unboxing of products. “By expanding the Game Face program and our presence on Twitch, we’re hoping to make deeper connections with the up-and-coming generation of gamers,” said Toto Haba, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at Benefit Cosmetics. “Our goal is to create a space where they can explore and combine their interests in beauty and gaming and ultimately feel empowered to get their best Game Face on so they can play and live-stream with confidence. I hope to see more beauty brands tap into the gaming industry to support and highlight underrepresented talent.” Women gamers represent 45 percent of the world’s gaming population. This is estimated to be a whopping 1 billion gamers who identify as female and yet they experience harassment and underrepresentation regularly. In April this year, Twitch reported 9.36 million active streamers across all livestreaming genres, of which 35 percent are women. It’s about time brands did more to support their audience and subgroups within them. Standing on the sidelines without a voice just won’t cut it. Online videos are most influential to Gen Z & Gen Alpha Streaming videos and watching user generated content has become one of the biggest phenomenons since social media. YouTube being the most well known video platform for sharing videos and building a following. In 2011, YouTube started offering live streaming, and that same year Twitch launched, becoming a live streaming destination for esports and gaming. In the past decade Twitch has grown significantly. In January 2021 alone, people streamed 2,173,794,168 hours of videos on Twitch according to Sully Gnome, a site dedicated to sharing Twitch statistics and analysis. Some of the most popular Twitch videos are gamers streaming their game-play for hours non stop. They weave in entertaining conversations, thank supporters and provide game commentary. Put simply, it’s a real time video of someone in their home or office, who after a short time of watching them constantly becomes less like strangers and more like a friend of a friend. For people watching, it’s passive viewing. Kids and teens tuning in are aware of the stream yet they might have another device or apps open, however they remain engaged with the content and people interacting. Loosely paying attention to everything else that appears on the screen such as advertising, unless it specifically hits on something relevant, it will go completely unnoticed. While live streaming is not necessarily a new channel, it’s a medium that Generation Z and Gen Alpha are incredibly familiar with and engage regularly. This space is ripe for meaningful collaborations that do more than just target new audiences with old strategies. An untapped channel for brand engagement A recent study by Wunderman Thompson Commerce revealed that boys are 9 percent more likely to be influenced by online videos than girls. And girls engage 10 percent more often with social media than boys. However, YouTube and Twitch aren’t the only online platforms to offer live streaming functionality. Social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and House Party provide people the opportunity to live stream also. It’s critical for brands to fully understand audience segments across digital platforms. No longer is it useful or even safe to spray and pray advertisements to a broad audience within a certain platform. The demographics and visitor preferences are what sets a brand apart from its competitors and begins to build trust and loyalty. For many businesses, omnichannel marketing is already in play, however as user groups become even more segmented within platforms, it’s worth implementing multiple messages that speak to each group to increase connection and influence. Looking at Benefit Cosmetics for example, just because the user base on Twitch for females is a lot lower than males, doesn’t suggest the engagement will be less. Rather, it creates an opportunity to have greater impact with those who do identify as women or have a personal interest in makeup and gaming. How a brand engages with younger generations and subcultures requires deep analysis and understanding. Marketing has changed so much in the past five years that the value in standard approaches such as running generic paid ads is decreasing fast. New tactics are needed to deliver thoughtful campaigns and collaborations on platforms and with influencers. Where products fit the style of content or coincides with the values between a brand, influencer, and their audience. Younger generations, while they have their age in common, as far as their interests and communication preferences go, are still very interested in spending time outdoors, participating in activities that consistently provide value both online and offline. Creating strong and meaningful brand stories that flow seamlessly into a variety of messages and platforms like Twitch and Benefit Cosmetics, shows they are investing in younger audiences now for long term brand awareness.