Video streaming is big business these days. We live in a visual culture dominated by the moving image – and the proliferation of visual media platforms is a testament to this fact. 

From Facebook to Youtube, from Instagram to TikTok, there's no shortage of platforms to sell yourself or your brand. But there's one outlier in the pack that has yet to grab the business world's attention – and that's Twitch. 

But surely they all do and offer identical or similar services? Well, no. It's true that most of these platforms allow users to stream video content, but the very modes and allowances afforded to the creator often determine what kind of content is created.

Take TikTok, for instance. The platform gives a clear set of boundaries for creators to work within. These boundaries are often predisposed to certain types of media and content – think dances, jokes and humour. "Keep it snappy!", the TikTok gods seem to say.

Contrast this with Youtube, in which there are fewer boundaries and thus a more diverse pool of content – short and long-form. 

Twitch, on the other hand, takes a different tack. The platform is an offshoot of Justin.tv, a video streaming site similar to YouTube that encouraged users to broadcast live content to their audience. This model was introduced by the platform's creator, Justin Kan, who used the domain Justin.tv to broadcast his life 24 hours a day. (What a life that must have been!)

As Justin.tv grew, the creators noticed that the platform was popular with online gamers, so they decided to create a dedicated channel for gaming. 

Twitch from a business and brand perspective

So how does the platform measure up for businesses? Well, whichever way you slice it, Twitch is a gaming platform through and through. Picking through some of Twitch's metrics may shed some light on some of the potential strengths and weaknesses of the platform from a business-oriented perspective.

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  Viewers typically spend an average of 95 minutes a day watching Twitch streams. The daily average total viewing time sits at around 57,091,178 hours. 
• Gamers receive about 82% of total viewers, split across different gaming titles. The other 18% is split between "just chatting", sports and "variety".
• There are an average of 2.46 million average concurrent viewers with 7.24 million monthly broadcasters.

Analysing these statistics, it's clear to see that the gaming market enjoys the largest share of viewers. However, casual chatting trumps all individual game titles for the most engagement.

So what are the business use cases for Twitch? Let's look at some examples.

Business use cases for Twitch

The most clear-cut way for businesses to take advantage of Twitch's growing audience is through partners. Approaching popular streamers to promote your product is the most effective way to utilise the platform. (Unless you dedicate a segment of your business to streaming games and pitching your product… unlikely!)

There are a number of ways companies have successfully tapped into this area, so let's take a look at some of them and then discuss ways SimplyVideo and XR might be integrated into these strategic marketing campaigns.

Lexus

Car manufacturer Lexus partnered with Twitch user Fulsie to create a (Twitch) community-designed version of its 2021 IS Sedan. In short, Twitch users steered the design process by voting in their thousands through Fulsie's channel, resulting in the ultimate gaming vehicle, worthy of a spot on Pimp My Ride. 

Lexus proved that by tailoring a product to Twitch's user base, brands can create successful marketing campaigns driven by participation and engagement with the Twitch community. 

Nissin Noodles

Nissin Noodles caused a stir through its partnership with popular League of Legends streamer Pokimane. This was implemented through a "branded broadcast" segment of Pokimane's stream, where she consumed Nissin Noodles with her viewers whilst gaming.

The addition of a "slurp metre" – measuring the volume of Pokimane's munching – added fun and novelty to the stream and cemented Nissin Noodles as a fan favourite among Pokimanes 11,000 viewers. 

The strategy was fun and simple. Instant noodles are easy to eat while you game – and tasty too.

Burberry

In 2021, Burberry became one of the first high-end fashion companies to partner with Twitch. The luxury brand leveraged the platform to stream its summer/spring catwalk show. Using Twitch's "Squad Stream", guests were able to view the catwalk from multiple perspectives, from the front row to behind the scenes.

SimplyVideo and XR integration with Twitch

XR wearables are, of course, part of the broader gaming community and can be used to stream on Twitch. Additionally, SimplyVideo is fully compatible with Twitch so users can enjoy the innovative chat and XR integrations that come with it.

Any business can join Twitch and use its streaming functionality to set up things like webinars, product demos and site tours (or catwalks). With a successful marketing campaign, brands can create public streams tailored to the gaming community. But a word of advice – know your audience!

Twitch may not be the place for your business, but it has massive potential when used creatively. Functions like "Squad Stream" have multiple use settings for enterprise. Using XR wearables and SimplyVideo, multiple locations can be streamed all at once.

Use cases like Burberry's demonstrate that Twitch can be used for more than just gaming, so long as the participation involves an element of interaction with the product. Businesses should combine elements of gamification with their Twitch endeavours to further emphasise the parallels between their product and the gaming community at large.

Looking to scratch that Twitch? SimplyVideo is the perfect tool to start. Our platform integrates with Twitch so you can take advantage of SimplyVideo's innovative remote collaboration features while exploring the potential of Twitch.

Sign up for a free 30-day trial to get started.