Httpool will become an exclusive commercial partner in India and will add invaluable experience, knowledge and insight on a local level to Bidstack’s proposition. Httpool was selected as a launch partner because of their excellent track record with global media partners and brands. The new partnership strengthens Bidstack’s presence in an important, strategic market and will help to continue growth in the region.

GIMA Esports will also join the Approved Partner Network as a global launch partner, offering expertise across partnerships, digital media and influencer marketing and brand activations. Launched in 2018, GIMA has global reach through teams, players, influencers and brands across the esports ecosystem. They have particularly strong relationships with leading gaming brands in the US and the MENA region with partners such as Twitch, Riot Games and Hyper X.

The Bidstack Approved Partner Network is designed to deliver in three key areas. Firstly, it will help media professionals to level up their strategies around gaming and esports with inventory that is brand safe, viewable and unintrusive. Secondly, it will establish relationships with trusted vendors in new markets that can identify and develop new opportunities for growth. And thirdly, it will offer data driven insights and greater understanding of how local brands are approaching a new and evolving advertising medium.

Advertisers are increasingly focused on gaming and esports as a marketing channel, particularly since the COVID 19 outbreak, which has created an opportunity for Bidstack to lead the discussion around how to activate the space in an authentic way. The objective of Bidstack’s Approved Partner Network is to help educate newly accredited partners on the gaming landscape, Bidstack’s inventory, ad formats, the technology that supports it, brand safety standards and in-game measurement for their campaigns.

Of the new partnerships, Yasin Dabhelia, Bidstack’s global demand partnerships director said: “Shifts in media consumption globally are making it harder for advertisers to reach their audiences and there has been a significant industry-wide discussion about how these changes could be here to stay.

Bidstack’s holistic approach to gaming, combined with the local expertise of our partners creates a powerful entry point for brands that want to access this desirable, growing and influential audience. I’m really excited about working with our launch partners, Httpool and GIMA, and look forward to building long-lasting relationships with them.”

Jassem Osseiran from GIMA Esports added: “Accessing the games market through in-game assets is a powerful opportunity for brands to become more immersive and interactive with their communication. The GIMA team is excited to partner with Bidstack to provide in-game advertising solutions to the US and MENA markets, understanding that these are the types of solutions brands need to better capture audiences through interactive virtual environments”.

Amit Gupta, managing partner, Httpool India said: “Marketers today are increasingly focussing on gaming and esports as a marketing channel. This has become even more obvious during lockdowns. And so, partnering with Bidstack has come at the right time. It creates an opportunity for us to actively participate in the discussion around how to activate the gaming space in the most authentic way and figure out the best ways to talk to gamers”.