The DLC Drop Podcast

At the same time, leagues, esports teams, and video games companies, in general, make considerable efforts to help endemic and nonendemic companies reach the space and make money in the gaming industry, the worst-performing metric, by far, is ROI. Whether the problem is the lack of measurement, or the reluctance from certain companies to share their metrics, Cam Kelly, our guest today, believes it needs to be addressed and solved ASAP.

Cameron Kelly is the VP of Marketing & Brand at Maestro. During his career, Cam developed an acute understanding of marketing and the gaming industry and how they interact. Before joining Maestro, Cam served as a CMO at Complexity Gaming and Senior Marketing Strategist at OnePlus. 

In this episode, Cam shares bits of his vast experience and knowledge of marketing in the gaming industry. We delve into the superficial approach to gaming, the lack of interest from young generations for the "less sexy" jobs, and how we can get young people interested in developing skills rather than getting likes and social media fame. We talk about the lack of metrics that affects the entire industry, which doesn't allow us to keep doing what is working, or pivot when something is not. 

We also go through the dangers of playing "the convenience game," how endemics and nonendemics can get access to the skeptical gamers' universe, the merge of the digital and physical space in marketing, and much more.  

Resources:

Visit Maestro website: https://www.maestro.io/

Connect with Cam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-kelly-81656031/

or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/col_csk

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Perhaps one of the first things that come to mind when we think of augmented reality (AR) is Pokemon GO, some sort of stigma AR deals with. Pokemon GO was an excellent icebreaker for what AR could be; still, it didn't show AR's full potential, such as its possibilities in the geospatial sense. 

Our guest, Kevin Hart, is the Founder and CEO of Aireal, a geospatial augmented platform that allows designers to see and experience their designs before building them. Aireal provides solutions for real estate development, architecture, construction, and smart cities.  

We had a fantastic conversation about AR's potential, its multiple applications to develop the way we do business, consume goods, and even buy properties. Kevin shared their strategies to narrow Aireal's target market since its products can serve virtually any industry. We also discuss the value of soft skills, how hard it is to pivot and change direction while leading a company, the importance of facing our fears, and more. In addition, Kevin gifted us with a mini masterclass on the metaverse, its applications, and where he sees it heading. 

Visit the Aireal website: https://www.aireal.com/

You can send an email to Kevin at: khart {at} aireal.io

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kjhart/

or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevinjosephhart

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Niching down and specializing in just one or two types of products is one of the recipes for success. But there are also alternative routes; a company can sign up to take care of several kinds of jobs, as long as they deliver the same value and quality in all of them. The latter approach is the one our guest, Mike Arzt, picked for his company, The Public Works. 

Today's guest, Mike Arzt, is the Co-owner and Co-pilot at The Public Works, Owner of Battery 621, and Member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization. Constant growth and evolution are the cornerstones of his founded and co-founded companies. At The Public Works, a company committed to creating beautiful photos and videos, they do things based on three core values: putting people first, making sure working with them is fun, and always doing what they say they would do. 

Our conversation spins around Mike's past, present, and future projects at TPW, the values he chooses to lean on to run his company, and his networking, Mike's experiences working for some of the biggest companies in the world, and what he took from that experiences into his own company. We also delve into being a giver the proper way, Mike's take on snowboarding at the Olympics, and more. 

Visit The Public Works website: https://www.tpw.media/

or Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepublicworks/

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-arzt-thepublicworks/

or follow him on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/arztm/

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Those who want to make a living out of the live streaming and video content creation space depend on gathering at least a million followers. The challenging part is that they must have them on one platform; otherwise, having a million followers on several platforms won't do the trick. 

In the game development space, the path is slightly smoother. For instance, a Roadblock developer with three to five thousand concurrent players could make a reasonable living. 

Joining us today to help us understand better the monetization mechanisms in gaming is Matt Edelman, CCO at Super League Gaming. Matt built and produced content basically on every known platform in his over 20+ years of experience in the space. 

He worked at Marvel in the '90s, he executive produced the first-ever electronic comic book, helped to create marvel.com, and that was only the beginning of his career. 

In this episode, Matt kindly shared his expertise in monetizing online and gaming spaces, content creation, and providing the gaming and esports audiences value. We delve into Super League Gaming services, how they help the everyday gamer connect and engage with like-minded people, and how they can make money while gaming or streaming. We also talk about the power of creating an inspired gaming and esports fandom, the strong bond between younger generations and the metaverse, and much more.  

Visit Super League Gaming website: https://www.superleague.com/

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattedelman/

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One of the trickiest parts of creating content and products for kids isn't only that we aren't kids anymore; it is also the generational differences. The sociocultural environment, the technology, and the access to it are just some of the main differences separating marketers and content creators from their target audience. 

To Terence Burke, our guest today, kids are the caterpillar, an early stage of us, and, at the same time, an entirely different version of ourselves. 

Terence Burke is the V.P Director of Research and Editor-In-Chief of KidSay's Trend Tracker. KidSay is a full-service youth trend forecasting, brand strategy, and generational market research firm. KidSay asks students about what they like to do on their weekends and their favorite toys, and in return, they give funds to schools they can use to do the things local school budget taxes don't cover, like field trips, buying instruments, scholarships, or sports gear. 

In this episode, we had a wholesome conversation about some of the secrets of a market that its constant evolution and fluctuation makes it so hard to get: producing content and products for kids. We talked about the problems marketers and developers face to create these products, the new trends among kids that came to stay, and what kind of work KidSay does. 

We also delve into the discussion of reframing the understanding of gender within the new generations, the toxicity of social media, why some social platforms are more successful than others among kids, and much more. 

Resources: Visit KidSay website: https://www.kidsay.com/

You can also write an email to Terence at: [email protected]

Or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terenceburkekidsay/

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The evolution of technology has always been seen as something positive; faster and more efficient tech turns people and companies' lives easier. However, when we take technology as a component of our business, there are so many things happening simultaneously that it requires a lot of effort and resources to make sure we stay at the top of the game. To our guest, Chris Hana, this "catch up" game with technology is what most companies are struggling with right now. 

Chris Hana is the Founder and CEO of The Esports Observer (TEO). He is a Media Executive with vast experience in brand building, storytelling, and experiential marketing in the digital entertainment, esports, and pop-culture space. Almost 3 years ago, TEO was acquired by Sports Business Journal (SBJ). Chris saw it as an excellent opportunity to expand the audience and felt like a validation for the hard work creating and growing TEO. 

Today, in one of the most anticipated interviews of the year, Chris kindly shared his insights on brand and team building, the past, present, and future of esports, and the overwhelming pace of technology's evolution. We discuss the lack of conversations about normalizing failure, mental health issues like burnout or stress. We also talked about Chris' first steps in the industry when he created TEO, he shared some advice for future entrepreneurs, and more. 

Resources:

Visit The Esports Observer website: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Esports.aspx

You can connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herrhana/

or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/herrhana

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Although he had been a gamer since he was a kid, Arda Ocal didn't know anything about League of Legends; he hadn't played a single minute in his entire life. However, when ESPN officials asked him if he would like to host their Digital Desk for League of Legends, he didn't flinch. He said yes right away; he knew he'd had time to get ready for it. 

Arda Ocal is a Host and anchor at ESPN and an Adjunct Professor of the Department of Mass Communication Master’s Degree Program in Sports Broadcasting from Iona College. 

In this episode, we delve into Arda's journey of becoming a host and anchor for ESPN and what kind of mindset helped him land his dream job. We explore different aspects of esports, its evolution through time, the possible inclusion of competitive gaming in the Olympics, and discuss who would benefit more from that. Arda also shared how he felt the first time he hosted for ESPN, how fulfilling it felt, and the firm sensation of starting a new chapter of his life. We also talk about the importance of volunteering and the right way to do it, beat the fear of failure, and much more.

Resources:

Visit Arda's website: https://www.ardaocal.me/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ardaocaltv/

or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arda-ocal-34a97a12a/

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Son of two elite athletes, as a division one athlete at high school and a two-time state champion in his junior year, being a track runner was more than something Jarryd Wallace loved to do; it was part of his identity. He had the potential to become a professional athlete. 

But destiny had something different in mind for him. He had a chronic exertional compartment syndrome, which required surgery to solve. The surgery went wrong; he had complications. After 10 reconstructive surgeries and more than a year and a half of suffering from chronic pain, 17-year-old Jarryd had to face the decision to get his leg amputated. 

Joining us today is the three-time Paralympian, Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist, and Co-Founder and CEO of Rival, Jarryd Wallace. We had a fantastic conversation about resilience, identity, the life of a Paralympic athlete, and marketing. Jarryd shared his journey from having a promising future as a professional athlete to looking at amputation as hope for a painless life and becoming an elite Paralympic athlete. We also talked about the barriers to access prosthetic equipment, the importance of authenticity, the complicated world of sponsorship for athletes, and much more. 

Resources:

Visit Jarryd's website: https://www.jarrydwallace.com/

Connect with Jarryd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarryd-wallace-3a70b586/

or follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wallace_jarryd/

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One of the hardest things to get for companies about the gaming and esports industry is how to engage with its massive audience. Business professionals would attend esports events and be blown away by the gigantic screens. They would look at the missing logo placement opportunities and be distracted by that. Donny Neufuss, our guest today, calls that the SOS, the Shiny Object Syndrome. He believes most companies are missing the point. It is not about logo placement; it is about the people attending the event. 

Donny Neufuss is the Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships at Sonic Foundry, a technology strategist, an esports expert, a hip hop enthusiast, and a dear, long time friend. 

In this episode, we had a great conversation about what companies are missing and where most of them fail to engage with the gaming community. Donny shared bits of his background as a gamer and streamer, his participation in the MP3 revolution in the early 2000s, and his incredible conversation with Apple's music division. We also discuss the role of digital engagement in education, the future of the entertainment industry, Donny's passion for music, and much more. 

Resources:

Visit Sonic Foundry website: https://sonicfoundry.com/

or connect with Donny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnyneufuss/

or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DO2NY/about

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The Digital Isle of Man is a private/public initiative created within the Isle of Man Government's Department for Enterprise, developed to incentivize the growth and prosperity of tech-based companies, which represent 30% of the Island's economy. 

The action's primary goal is to support and sustain the economic growth and establish the Island as a center of international excellence for the digital economy. To teach us more about this particular project is Chris Kissack.

Chris is the Esports Advisor of the Digital Isle of Man. He is a lifelong gamer and esports solutions specialist, utterly passionate about the gaming industry and the esports ecosystem. 

In this episode, our conversation delves into Chris' approach to gamers and the industry in general. He talked about how despite being a guy from the government in a suit, he is a true gamer and how that authentic approach helps him access the industry quickly. We also talk about betting and gambling in esports, the complex process of regulating that practice, the different ways governments can incentivize esports, the Metaverse, and much more. 

Visit the Digital Isle of Man website: https://www.digitalisleofman.com/

or connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskissack/?trk=public_profile_browsemap&originalSubdomain=im

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