Gaming communities bring together people with overlapping interests in music, films, sport, anime and technology. For brands considering Discord community marketing, the opportunity starts with understanding those interests, then working through trusted community leaders to create something relevant.
Wildfire's voluntary, off-platform surveys illustrate why a community's headline topic is only a starting point. Our findings show both crossover between games and substantial differences in wider interests between surveyed communities.1
What else do gaming audiences care about?
In a separate set of community surveys used in our audience research, respondents were asked to select their top three interests. Across ten community samples with at least 100 responses each, the reported results varied considerably:
| Interest | Lowest to highest share selecting it across the ten samples |
|---|---|
| Music and movies | 6% to 66% |
| Sports and fitness | 10% to 68% |
| Anime and manga | 8% to 76% |
| Technology and coding | 14% to 48% |
These are ranges between community samples, not an average for Discord. Their value is in showing how much the audience mix can differ. A creative idea that feels relevant in one space may need a different approach in another.
For an entertainment brand, music and film interests can help identify a shortlist beyond obvious fan communities. For a sports or technology brand, the same research can reveal relevant interests within spaces organised around something else.
The practical question is not simply “Is this a gaming community?” It is “What do people here care about, and what would make our campaign welcome?”
Players' interests also cross game boundaries
A Fortnite player is not necessarily only a Fortnite player. In a separate Wildfire survey, respondents who selected Fortnite also reported playing Minecraft, Valorant, Rocket League and GTA.
| Game | Respondents selecting Fortnite, n=651 | Respondents not selecting Fortnite, n=1,372 |
|---|---|---|
| Minecraft | 57.3% | 34.6% |
| Valorant | 31.2% | 12.0% |
| Rocket League | 28.3% | 7.9% |
| GTA | 47.2% | 24.9% |
For a publisher planning a launch, that is a reason to explore communities beyond those dedicated to its own title. Shared interests can help build a more informed shortlist, although they do not establish whether those players are new to a game or predict how they will respond to a campaign.
Different player groups can suggest different creative approaches
The same survey also asked about listening preferences. Around 66% of the Fortnite-selecting group chose rap and hip-hop, compared with 50% of the comparison group.
That does not mean every Fortnite activation should use a music concept. It suggests an avenue worth discussing with community leaders, alongside the campaign objective and the culture of each space.
For example, a music-related creative concept could be a starting point for one audience, while a game-focused challenge could be more appropriate elsewhere. These are planning ideas, not formats proven to perform better by this survey.
How should brands choose communities for a campaign?
Start with the audience and the outcome, then assess three things:
- Relevant interests. Look beyond the community's name to understand whether the campaign fits what its members care about.
- A trusted route in. Work with the community leader to establish what would be welcome, how it should be introduced and where it belongs.
- A useful reason to participate. Shape the creative around an experience, conversation or opportunity that makes sense in that community.
A platform ad buys a defined advertising format. A community activation works through an existing relationship and a trusted voice, with creative shaped for that particular space. The distinction is similar to a pre-roll ad versus a creator's sponsored segment: placement matters, but so does who introduces the brand and how.
That is where Wildfire's existing relationships make a difference. We work across 500+ curated communities, combining audience research with experience from 1,200+ past placements to plan campaigns through trusted community leaders.
Test a relevant audience, then expand what works
Audience research helps decide where to start. Campaign results determine where to go next.
Wildfire handles strategy, native creative, delivery and end-to-end measurement, with brand lift included on every campaign. Tests start from a $10K minimum, with most test budgets between $25K and $50K. A focused first campaign can establish what works before expanding into an ongoing programme.
Whether you are launching a game, promoting entertainment or looking for relevant communities beyond your usual channels, we can help turn the audience opportunity into a practical test.
[1] Source: voluntary Wildfire surveys conducted off-platform, not data extracted from Discord. Game and music comparisons use 2,023 eligible response records; interest ranges use ten separate community samples with at least 100 responses each. Multi-select questions; percentages rounded. Self-selected samples describe reported interests, not all Discord users or predicted campaign performance.
Explore managed community activations · See campaign examples