The insurgent livestreaming platform Kick is starting to roll out its first advertising offerings, despite some media buyers’ concerns over the potentially problematic content allowed by the platform’s more relaxed community guidelines. But as Kick introduces ads for the first time, the platform’s leaders are confident that its strong grasp on marketers’ coveted 18-34 demographic will convince brands to make the jump.
A necessary expansion
At the moment, Kick’s first and only advertising offering is a banner ad for Alfa Romeo, the Italian luxury car brand and Formula One team, on the platform’s homepage. The ad is a direct result of a partnership between Kick and Alfa Romeo, which has also partnered with Stake, a crypto gambling company that shares co-investors with Kick. (Andrew Santamaria, Kick’s head of strategic partnerships, described Stake as the streaming platform’s “sister company.”)
“Partnering with Kick benefits Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake in several ways. It allows us to reach a large and engaged audience, which is increasingly difficult to do through traditional advertising methods,” said Alfa Romeo head of marketing Eligio Catarinella. “Additionally, the partnership provides us with the opportunity to align ourselves with an exciting and dynamic platform, which helps to reinforce our brand image and values.”
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