Publications
Publications
- March 2021
- HBS Case Collection
Astralis Group: Determining a Brand Strategy
By: Benjamin C. Esty, Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej and Emilie Billaud
Abstract
After launching a Danish esports company in July 2019, and going public in December 2019 with multiple brands associated with different games, the Astralis leadership team was contemplating a shift to a single, corporate brand. While the original arguments for multiple, team-based brands were that esports fans differed by game and the holding company structure made it easier to acquire and divest teams, Jakob Lund Christensen, the firm’s chief commercial officer (CCO), now believed that a single, corporate brand strategy made more sense as the popularity of esports continued to grow—the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was causing interest and participation in esports to grow rapidly. Rather than a holding company, Christensen saw the possibility of creating a leading esports company under the Astralis brand. In addition to being easier to manage corporate resources, he argued it would be easier and more lucrative to monetize a single brand. He was scheduled to meet with the firm’s other leaders—CEO Anders Hørsholt and Chairman Nikolaj Nyholm, in just over a week to discuss whether they should indeed change the firm’s branding strategy.
Keywords
Brand Strategy; Esports; Video Games; Corporate Scope; Positioning; Ecosystem; Brands and Branding; Strategy; Business Ventures; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Sports; Competitive Strategy; Value Creation; Diversification; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Denmark; Europe
Citation
Esty, Benjamin C., Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej, and Emilie Billaud. "Astralis Group: Determining a Brand Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 721-382, March 2021.