Why Honda is tapping Twitch's non-gaming audience to find first-time car buyers

Honda is turning to Twitch's growing audience of non-gamers to woo younger car buyers. 

To this end, the automaker debuted a new Twitch channel dubbed "DreamLab," which will be a variety show of sorts, with each episode focusing on either a crafting challenge, conversations around pop culture, or a DJ battle. 

“We’re looking to widen out to that larger audience on Twitch,” said Phil Hruska, media strategy department head at American Honda. “We want to build brand awareness and forge an authentic and emotional connection.” The goal is to eventually drive sales to first-time car buyers, he said. 

Honda has done several other activations on Twitch: It was the official automotive partner of the e-sports organization Team Liquid in 2019, and debuted its new Civic on Twitch in 2020. Last year, the brand hosted two live streams on the platform for artist H.E.R.

But with the new DreamLab channel, Honda is looking to diversify its Twitch content to reach non-gaming audiences. The episode coming out today will feature dancer Bailey Sok and be hosted by Action Jaxson, a gaming enthusiast and professed "average streamer." The DreamLab episodes coincide with three different Twitch categories: Just Chatting, Makers and Crafting, and Music. Just Chatting can include anything from a streamer talking through a new game, to reviewing a restaurant. Makers and Crafting shows folks building Lego sets, knitting or creating 3D art. Music includes people playing the guitar, the piano, or streaming K-Pop.

All three of these categories have doubled in popularity since 2019, according to data from Twitch Tracker, which gathers data on views, channels, and content on the platform. For brands, it represents potential to turn to Twitch for non-gaming audiences. 

“We’ve seen improvements in awareness metrics among young car buyers,” Hruska said of previous Honda Twitch events.