← Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart
Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart
446: Breaking Barriers in Esports with Brian Cooley, CMO of PlayVS
00:37:00
Loading summary
Transcript57 lines
- [00:00]
eHarmony Ad
This podcast is brought to you by eHarmony, the dating app to find someone you can be yourself with. Why doesn't eharmony allow copy and paste in first messages? Because you are unique and your conversations should reflect that. EHarmony wants you to find someone who will get you. How are you going to know who gets you if people send you the same generic conversation starters they message everyone else. Conversations that actually help you get to know each other. Imagine that. Get who gets you on eharmony? Sign up today.
- [00:30]
Alan Hart
Hey there, Ryan Reynolds here. It's a new year and you know what that means. No, not the diet resolutions.
- [00:36]
Brian Cooley
A way for us all to try.
- [00:37]
Alan Hart
And do a little bit better than we did last year. And my resolution, unlike big wireless, is to not be a raging and raise the price of wireless on you every chance I get.
- [00:47]
Brian Cooley
Give it a try@mintmobile.com switch $45 upfront payment required equivalent to $15 per month.
- [00:53]
eHarmony Ad
New customers on first 3 month plan.
- [00:55]
Brian Cooley
Only taxes and fees.
- [00:56]
eHarmony Ad
Extra Speed slower above 40 GB on.
- [00:58]
Brian Cooley
Unlimited mintmobile.com for details. For all of us, it's about predicting where the consumer is going and getting half of it right. One of the things we want to.
- [01:14]
Alan Hart
Do is create ads that don't suck.
- [01:18]
Brian Cooley
Embracing change creates great possibility.
- [01:22]
Alan Hart
I'm Alan Hart and this is Marketing Today. Today on the show I've got Brian Cooley. He's the chief marketing officer of Play Versus, a leading scholastic esports platform in North America. On the show today we talk about the huge market for collegiate esports and also scholastic esports. I should say so. High schools, middle schools, etc. Play Versus operates the tech platform that hosts those competitions and enables those competitions and then works with sponsors and private sector companies and collaborators to help fund that system so that students around the US can take advantage. Brian today shared a number of stats that were impressive to me. One is that of the people that are playing games on these platforms today, 46% of those students had never done an extracurricular event before with their school. Huge opportunity. And if we think about teens today, 90% of them game in some form or fashion, whether that's casual games or actually doing esports. So a lot to learn from this conversation with Brian Cooley. Brian, welcome to the show.
- [02:42]
Brian Cooley
Thanks so much, Alan. Great to be here. Really excited.
- [02:45]
Alan Hart
Yeah, I'm excited to talk about gaming and all kinds of things. But before we go there and talk about business, you grew up in a number of countries outside the US and you've traveled to even more. I'm Curious, like how those experiences have influenced you.
- [03:04]
Brian Cooley
Great. Yeah. I had a fantastic opportunity as a young person to. To live overseas for many years. In fact, my first 13 years were spent in Thailand, Venezuela and South Africa. In fact, on two different occasions, I lived in South Africa. And it's something that really, I think indelibly shaped the person I've become, how I approach relationships, how I approach work. I've had also the good fortune of traveling to about 50 different countries, both professionally and personally. So really get a lot of joy out of engaging with different cultures. Have done business in 20 different countries. And it's fascinating. Every time you have the opportunity to leave our shores and engage with people from different cultures, you realize, I think, a couple things. One is that the world is getting smaller and smaller, but also that it's really important to be thoughtful about your interactions internationally, obviously understanding cultural norms and the like.
- [04:04]
Alan Hart
Yeah, no, it can only imagine you've experienced many more countries than I have in a deeper way. But I agree. And I think you said you also have had some really interesting meals from all the places that you've been curious if one stands out as the most interesting.
- [04:23]
Brian Cooley
Yeah, it's a great question. And obviously all of us have had the experience of having a meal with new partners or even colleagues. And when you do it in a foreign country, as many of us have, obviously there are some interesting restaurants and experiences that you engage in, I think, particularly traveling in China or Taiwan or Japan. And obviously things that are delicacies in those countries are not necessarily things that we're accustomed to on a daily basis here in the US Or North America for that matter. And I will say that sometimes being. Leaning on being a vegetarian is not a bad thing to do, especially when you're encountering some rather interesting reptilian meals that are being served. But in each one of those experiences, obviously the excitement is the adventure, the discovery, meeting new people, engaging with new people. I will say that frequently when you're traveling in some of the aforementioned countries, I think that there's an excitement about seeing how people from the US or other foreign countries will engage in those environments. And so I like to say that I've eaten some very uncommon meals in the all in, in the name of international business.
- [05:35]
Alan Hart
Yeah, I can only imagine sometimes I've been in places or with people from various countries and it's almost like a test too. Let's see. Let's put this in front of them. We probably know they won't like it, but what will they do?
- [05:50]
Brian Cooley
That's exactly right. I think many of us have experienced that.
- [05:53]
Alan Hart
Yeah, yeah. You are the chief marketing officer at Play Versus. Where did you get your career start and what, been like some of the stops along the way?
- [06:03]
Brian Cooley
Yeah, absolutely. So I've spent about a year now with Play Versus and I know we'll talk a great deal about that very quickly. What we are is we are a competitive gaming and esports company that's really focused on the youth and scholastic segments. And so it's a fascinating business. I think just about everybody is thinking about gaming right now and how gaming can be a vehicle to really engage with the next generations that are coming up. And for me, as I think about my road to being here, I've had the good fortune of spending about 25 years working in marketing. As I think back to my beginnings, my first job out of college was actually one that sort of relates to the work I'm doing right now. Had the opportunity to lead a local startup in Washington, D.C. where I was essentially running a large network of young adults and adult sports leagues and a social organization. And so part of my job there was negotiating contracts with fields and suppliers and bar sponsors and things like that. And a really interesting opportunity to learn about grassroots organization and that sort of thing. And so did that for a couple years and then, and then joined what I guess I would say is the family business, which is the automotive industry. My reason for living internationally had a lot to do with the fact that my father was a sales and marketing professional, working with General Motors, working with Alfa Romeo. And so we traveled pretty much to every two and a half to three years to a new country. And one of the things I learned there is you gotta assimilate very quickly. You understand new cultural norms, you understand different perspectives on education, on community and that sort of thing. And I think that's something that's really always interested me really deeply, is human engagement, building community, how you essentially understand different, different cultures, different generations, different perspectives, and joining the automotive industry. For me, I spent about three years working with a Land Rover North America, obviously a very iconic British brand, and really enjoyed the experience of bringing to market a really amazing brand story. Obviously, when you think of Land Rover, you think of safaris in Africa and that sort of thing. And so learned a lot in terms of working in a business and that is really focused on selling a luxury product. But more than that, building a unique culture around a brand. And I think that's something that has really stuck with me throughout all my years post my time there. After a stop off at business school, embarked really into about 20 years in the technology industry. And so for me, that was six years with IBM, another six years with Blackboard, which is one of the original education technology companies. And then going yet deeper Into Education, spent nine years with Washington D.C. based company EverFi Digital Education Tools Developer and, and really learned a tremendous amount about, about our education system in the United States as well as Canada. And also I think most specifically around the role that companies or the private sector can really play in education and supporting education and creating opportunities for young people. So that's a little bit of my career journey and it brings me to current of spending a year now with Play Versus.
- [09:35]
Alan Hart
I love it. I love it. And you gave us a little taste of what Play Versus does in terms of competitive gaming. But tell us a little bit more, give us a little bit more of the scope of the business.
- [09:46]
Brian Cooley
Sure. So what we are, and the way I like to describe it, is we are not only the technology platform that allows two different schools to compete in competitive esports with one another, but we're also the network around that. So we're really fortunate to be in about 4,000 high schools and middle schools right now. We're the largest network across North America. And our focus over the next few years is a couple different things. One is we want to grow this network to 20,000 plus schools and we want to create ubiquity around getting more and more young people taking part in esports and competitive gaming. And we'll talk a lot about why we think that makes a lot of sense and some of the real benefits that students can gain from that. The other thing that is really important to us is when we joined the organizations as a number of new people coming in from EVERFI and other places, one of the first things that we did is we actually looked at the revenue model and said there's a better way to really scale this opportunity. And so previously there was a license fee that schools and school districts would pay to Play versus compete on our platform. And one of the first things that we did is we actually did away with that. And we are now employing a model that is very similar to what we used at everfi, which is essentially engaging with the private sector. Corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, sports teams and leagues, all of those kinds of organizations are now funders who are helping to grow this network and creating more opportunities for students to take part in both esports as well as casual gaming. And so that's really a unique pivot that we made and something I think that we're seeing a lot of great energy and momentum around in the early going.
- [11:37]
Alan Hart
Love it, love it. It's great, great opportunity to provide basically free, free access to students and schools. How did the company even get started?
- [11:49]
Brian Cooley
So we, we've been very fortunate as an organization to have been. The company's been around for a number of years, so since 18 the company was founded. And if you think back to that time period, there was an incredible amount of energy and attention on esports, which is a brand new phenomenon. It, in some ways it was like a spaceship that landed and everybody was trying to figure out what it meant and what happens. And do kids actually watch competitive esports just like they would watch an NFL game or a NHL game? And it's really interesting. I think if you look at the industry, there's been a massive amount of transformation. And so I think the fortunes of professional esports companies have ebbed and flowed. And I think that there's been a lot of calibration around how those organizations are thinking about going to market. Our approach is a little bit different from the perspective that what we're trying to do is we're actually trying to build what is akin to the ncaa, if you will. So creating the official body that organizes runs leagues and tournaments and actually runs state championships. And so something that's been absolutely integral for us is developing a partnership or a number of partnerships, I should say, with state athletic organizations and nfhs, which is a national organizing body for state associations. And so we are fortunate to run in 30 states the official state championships in the fall and in the spring for esports competition. And so what's really amazing is the same trophy that the 5A football team is hoisting in the state of Georgia or Arkansas or many other states, that exact same trophy is created for Mario or a number of other titles like League of Legends. And students are competing in exactly the same way. They're wearing their school colors, they're competing with one with as a team against other teams and competing for state championships. And so it's really come a long way. And that's frankly something I think that gives us a lot of passion, is giving students that opportunity to represent their schools and their communities. So many of us remember what that meant to us as young people competing as athletes. This is very similar. And the thing that we also like to think about is the fact that there's also some really strong intrinsic benefits to competing in esports and that students are building technology skills, they're building confidence and leadership, and it creates A really vibrant opportunity to not only build skills, but to help kids think about their future steps around what they're going to do with their careers.
- [14:25]
Alan Hart
Yeah, no, I love that. I love that. And it is a notion as kids. And I have a 16 year old daughter, so I can speak from experience. She spends most of her time on some sort of device and she does like basketball, so she is actually like physically doing sports too. But it's also so great to provide an avenue for that school pride, that school spirit, in a forum in which so many kids today are already on those devices and gaming and competing, even if just among friends circles. So it's pretty cool. And I love the connection to the school and to education.
- [15:04]
Brian Cooley
Absolutely. One of the stats that I absolutely love, I think I quote it on a daily basis as I'm talking to schools and partners and the like, is that 46% of the students who take part in our esports activities have never done anything extracurricular at a school before. And so it's really powerful from the perspective that it shows you that this is providing a new opportunity for students to get engaged in their schools, to have again, that pride of representing their school and their community. And when we think about coming out of the COVID experience where many students were isolated, not necessarily feeling connected to their schools and their communities, I think esports provided a really interesting opportunity to make that happen in a digital format. And so there's so many stories I know that many listeners will probably think about their. Their kids actually engaging virtually or obviously with a headset on, with, with friends and finding a sense of normalcy during the pandemic. And I think that has certainly continued. And we're seeing esports is now one of the fastest growing activities at schools in the United States. And so it's a really exciting time.
- [16:18]
Alan Hart
Yeah, no, it's awesome.
- [16:21]
eHarmony Ad
This podcast is brought to you by eHarmony, the dating app, to find someone you can be yourself with. Why doesn't eharmony allow copy and paste in first messages? Because you are unique and your conversations should reflect that. Eharmony wants you to find someone who will get you. How are you going to know who gets you if people send you the same generic conversation starters they message everyone else. Conversations that actually help you get to know each other. Imagine that. Get who gets you on eharmony? Sign up today.
- [16:51]
Brian Cooley
My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career day and said he was a big roas man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laugh at me to this day. Not everyone gets B2B, but with LinkedIn you'll be able to reach people who do. Get a hundred dollar credit on your next ad campaign. Go to LinkedIn.com results to claim your credit. That's LinkedIn.com results. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn, the place to be to.
- [17:24]
Alan Hart
You mentioned at least two titles already, but what type of esports do you guys focus on?
- [17:30]
Brian Cooley
So we're really fortunate to have some incredible partnerships with some of the biggest publishing houses. And so Electronic Arts Epic Games, which obviously Fortnite is such a massively popular game that they develop all of the Nintendo titles, including Mario Kart and Super Smash Brothers and the like out Activation. Blizzard is another partner that we work with. NBA and obviously NBA 2K in particular when we think about Electronic Arts, One of the new partnerships that we've actually developed is one with the National Football League. And so many of us have heard of the famous Madden game. And so that is one that students are competing on. And Rocket League is another produced by Psyonix, that is a massively popular game and that obviously is blending not only the idea of soccer, but soccer with cars. And so it really brings out a lot of creativity, a lot of competitive juices for the players who are taking part. And so for us it's not just about organizing that sort of 8 to 10 week schedule where you're playing a new team every few days, but it's also about creating opportunities for the casual gamer. Because another stat that I think is fascinating is 90% of teens now in the United States game at some level, about 10% or so are on an actual esports team. And so right there you've got this huge delta of 80% which we would term as casual gamers. And just because you don't necessarily play on the Valorant or the Mario Kart team at school doesn't mean that gaming is not something that you really enjoy and something that you have built community around. And so more and more you're going to see us producing a lot more tournaments and events. And so testament to that, in fact, in a couple weeks we're going to be launching our first national Madden Tournament. And the exciting part there is you not only have students playing, but it's actually a game that professional football players are playing on a daily basis. And so part of the dream for us is to bring those communities together, get kids yet closer to two professional athletes who are really competing at the highest levels, both from a gaming perspective. As well as what they're doing on field.
- [19:48]
Alan Hart
Yeah. Tell me a little bit more about how professional sports fits in and the partnerships that you're ultimately forging, if you will.
- [19:58]
Brian Cooley
Absolutely. So I mentioned, obviously, the partnership that we have with the National Football League and some of the other work that we've done in and around pro sports relates to the Premier League, which is obviously a massively successful and wild, wildly popular league based in. In the UK. And Electronic Arts has got a game, FC25, which just released over the past. This version released over the past few weeks. And in partnership with the Premier League and NBC, who's obviously the broadcaster here in the United States, we've actually developed a series of activations that are really focused on trying to get college students to really take part in, to build their knowledge and their engagement. And so I think, you know, for the NFL, for the Premier League, when they think about gaming, they really think about it as an opportunity to reach a new audience, an audience that is decidedly focused on gaming, and to use something that students are doing or youth are taking part in on a daily basis to create those unique opportunities to bring them closer to the game. And obviously one of the downstream effects is that you can create a unique opportunity for these young people to become fans for life. And so, even though those games are not played, regulation games for the Premier League are not played in the United States to date, there's opportunities for college students or high school students or even middle school students to deeply engage with the game, learn the dynamics, learn the personalities and things like that. So we expect over the next few months and couple of years that we're going to be doing a lot more in sports. Something that I think many of us think about quite a bit is Formula One, which is obviously just a massive amount of growth here in the United States. And what's really interesting is there's now three races that are in the United States, so more than any other country in the world. And so part of that, obviously, that popularity was driven by Drive to Survive the Netflix series, which really brought the excitement, the community, the dynamics of Formula One into, you know, living rooms and onto mobile devices. And that's how so many young fans of F1 have been minted. And so I think a lot of other leagues are really thinking about not only content, but then also how can a gaming experience bring you closer, how can it get you more excited, and how can it maybe lead you to want to go see the real thing in terms of going to the stadium, going to the field, and really taking part in that. So lots to be excited about there. And what we love is the idea of a student competing on the field, but then also competing. Competing in a gaming environment as well. I think that brings us a lot of excitement.
- [22:41]
Alan Hart
No, that's awesome. Now you guys also have a Special Olympics partnership and would love to hear what that program's like, how it's going, et cetera.
- [22:51]
Brian Cooley
Sure. So Special Olympics is an absolutely incredible organization and we're really fortunate to be working with them for three years now, in fact. And what we do is we actually run a dedicated league for the Special Olympics and it's called the Unified Esports Program. And essentially what that does is it has teams that have students. The teams are comprised of students who have intellectual disabilities, and they are teaming with classmates and schoolmates that do not have intellectual disabilities. And so right there you have this incredible opportunity for students to be working together. And they're doing that as they're playing Mario Kart or they're playing Rocket League and they're competing against other schools and they're experiencing the joy that comes with, again, representing their school, getting to know their classmates. And the thing that I love about that is it also creates a really unique opportunity for students on both sides to really understand one another, to have a shared perspective and to compete together. And so lots of exciting things coming up with Special Olympics, we're thinking about ways that we can dramatically grow this. We probably are in about 120 schools right now, and our goal over the next several years is how do we make that 500 and then how do we really find unique ways to get professional athletes involved to really inspire the students who are taking part in that. And again, just a great organization. And I think it's one of those partnerships that brings us a tremendous amount of joy.
- [24:23]
Alan Hart
Yeah, that's awesome. It's awesome. We've talked about like a number of partnerships that you have, the types of titles that you're working with, and actually even like how like an NBC is trying to use this as a platform to help grow audience and community around sport. Almost seems like a stupid question to ask, but I'm going to ask it anyway at this point. Why should marketers, people listening to this show, care about esports and gaming? I'm teeing you up for a big smash.
- [24:57]
Brian Cooley
Absolutely. No, I appreciate the question. And frankly, that's why personally I'm in this space and why I was so attracted to this space. It's part of the reason why we're incredibly fortunate to have some great funders behind our mission and our focus. And so folks like NEA and Battery and Science Ventures and Elysian Park, Adidas, Samsung and a number of other folks who come from the sports world or the technology world. And I think what those folks see, and certainly what we see, is that gaming is a massive phenomenon. I think we're, as marketers, we're now at this really interesting point where we've got Gen Z and Gen Alpha 14 and below, the two biggest generations ever. And what's really fascinating is again, 90% of teams in the US game. So this is something that they're doing on a daily basis. And if you think about it, it is not just the younger generations, it's millennials as well. And as these generations age, gaming provides such an incredible immersion opportunity. And I think it's happening at the same time that these younger generations are really starting to tune out traditional marketing tactics and mechanisms to engage. So linear TV viewership is way down. And I think that gaming provides an incredible opportunity to engage with young people in the environment that they prefer. And I know we'll talk a lot about sort of ways that you can be authentic there and ways to think about it, but if gaming is not on the radar of a marketing team or a CMO at this point, then I think they're really missing a massive opportunity because it is only continuing to grow and it provides again, so many opportunities for really rich engagement, to build loyalty, to build awareness, and then also really to think about building trust with consumers of the future, if you will.
- [26:52]
Alan Hart
And to your point, these are consumers of the future. They're also future employees of these companies. And I think the easiest way to make friends in life, and I think this applies to this is to be with each other, doing something fun, right? Having a great meal or going to something together. This is a platform to do just that with this whole new generation.
- [27:19]
Brian Cooley
So that's exactly right. And even though that is a different way that people are convening and creating community amongst themselves than what we experienced 20 or 30 years ago, it's something that we need to take a look at and we need to embrace and need to understand that not every sports fan is necessarily going to go to the baseball game or the football game, they may find other ways to really engage with that community. And in many cases, it can be done through gaming. And I think we all still find it remarkable that tens of thousands of students will, or young people will go watch a live esports competition. And when you ask them, it's really in their minds, no different than going and watching a baseball game or watching a volleyball game or whatever. It may be a basketball game, if you will.
- [28:08]
Alan Hart
Yeah, no, I love it. I love it. It's been fascinating. Get to know your business a little bit better and this like space that you play in, one of the things we love to do is get to know you, the person behind the topics, even better. And my favorite question to ask everyone on the show is, has there been an experience of your past that defines or makes up who you are today?
- [28:30]
Brian Cooley
Yeah, it's such a great question and it's an interesting one. And for me, I think my experiences, I think working in education technology over the past 15 years, hard to point to one specific experience, but I think about how much joy I had in terms of being connected to education in the United States. And I think that, first of all, massive amount of respect from me and many of the people that I've worked with for teachers, for schools, the mission that they take on, the amount of pressure that they face, the budget cuts and that sort of thing. And I think that I'm inspired every time and I go into a school and I've had the great fortune of probably traveling to and meeting with superintendents and principals and teachers and probably 300 plus schools over the years. And I think that that inspires me. And what inspires me yet more is finding ways to get the private sector deeply engaged in supporting education. It's all of our responsibility to find ways to do that. And again, a massive amount of respect for those in the teaching profession. There's not an investment that could be more important in my mind than finding ways to create new skill building opportunities for young people. It really is incumbent upon all of us to lift up these schools, to lift up these communities. We think about how much is changing in terms of artificial intelligence, how jobs are morphing dramatically, and there's never been a better time to really think about ways that all of us can get involved and how we can use technology to be a real lever in terms of helping young people prepare to be successful in life and to be leaders in their communities. And so that's really, I think, the thing that's given me a lot of inspiration.
- [30:16]
Alan Hart
Love it. If you're starting this journey all over again, what advice would you give your younger self?
- [30:22]
Brian Cooley
Yeah, another great question. So, you know, as I reflect upon so many of the experience I've been fortunate to have, I think a couple things. One is, and I guess if I were to just put it on the proverbial bumper sticker, I would say, behold the power of relationships. And I think that is so critical in the world that we live in today. It's so easy to send a text or an email or to a quick zoom. And I think that developing relationships is so important. It still is the fundamental framework that partnerships are built on. Working with people that you trust, that you have faith in, that bring you joy and bring you. That bring enthusiasm. I think I've learned how critical even the light moments are. So humor in the workplace. So many of us no longer work in a traditional workplace. And I think it's really important as a young person to think about networking and to think about continuing those relationships. I've got so many great examples of people that I've worked with 15 or 20 years ago that have joined new companies that I've been with as colleagues or even people as they've migrated through different organizations where we find ways to do partners to create partnerships and new opportunities together. And so relationships are so critical. The earlier you can get started, the better. And then the second thing is an adage, which is always show up. And I think it's really important, especially as I've mentioned in this digital age to take that extra step, Leave the office, get onto an airplane, go to an event, engage with people, and really try to find value in every opportunity. I think whenever I've employed that or my colleagues have employed it, you always find value in going that extra step and having one more conversation with somebody at a trade show or an event, or frankly, just getting on the road. Because at the end of the day, there's not a lot of important things that happen in the office. All the excitement, I think, is outside the office, and you got to go find it and embrace it.
- [32:19]
Alan Hart
I love it. I don't know if you're trying to learn something today yourself or you think there's a topic or something marketers need to learn more about, but curious to see what you're thinking.
- [32:31]
Brian Cooley
Yeah, it's interesting. And I would imagine that artificial intelligence is a massive focus for so many people who work in marketing or really any business for that matter. And so I think within that, the thing I'm really interested in is the limitations of AI and maybe the overalliance that marketers have on it. So I think there's a couple interesting trends right now. Everybody's trying to use AI to create better targeting to write your emails. And I think we all wake up every day with four or five or maybe even 10 emails coming from companies that are saying, we've got a better way to create leads for you and we're using AI to do it. And I think one of the things that slightly concerns me is I think that marketers are getting lazier and I think they're relying too much on this sort of almighty solution that is going to, without any sort of human interaction, is going to go find you the leads. And I think that you think about that. Plus the proliferation of SDRs, so many phone calls, even text messages now, calls are now coming onto your cell phone on a Saturday afternoon from somebody who's, who's interested in selling you something. And so I think it's incumbent upon marketers to understand how AI can be leveraged for good. I do not believe personally that AI is going to be the answer to finding more ways to connect with people. I firmly believe that personal interaction, creativity, ingenuity, doing your homework and really presenting something that is novel, creative, fun is the way that you're going to get in front of buyers.
- [34:09]
Alan Hart
Yeah, that's interesting. I tend to agree with you and I think there's a lot to figure out in that space. And to your point, it's a cautionary tale. I. And you're right, like we could be way over reliant and become lazy. And then in the process, your notion about the SDRs, we don't want to just do that. Right. Like, we have to be better than that.
- [34:33]
Brian Cooley
Absolutely.
- [34:34]
Alan Hart
Are there any trends or subcultures that you're following? You think other people should take notice of?
- [34:39]
Brian Cooley
One of those trends that is really pervasive, obviously in the world that we live in, which is gaming, is this concept and certainly many other sectors, the idea of content creators and influencers, or streamers, if you will. And when you think about the traditional marketing mix that a company might consider as they go to market with a solution with product that has changed so dramatically. So you think about now that your core target audience, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, they're not watching tv, they're probably not looking at billboards, they're more thinking about integrations into gaming. And one of the things that has been absolutely remarkable to me is seeing the massive appeal that some of these creators have. So you think about, there are creators for Madden, there are creators for FC25, there are creators for pretty much every video game, and then there's creators specific to certain sectors or regions and things like that. And what's remarkable is that in no time at all, these people can generate 2 million, 3 million Instagram followers. They can Dr. In a single session, tens of thousands of viewers that are right in the target market of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. And so that phenomenon, to me, how quickly it is matured is absolutely fascinating. We're doing a lot of testing, a lot of work in that regard. And obviously there's some things that you need to be really thoughtful about in terms of the sort of Personas of these influencers. Are they true to your brand and how you're taking a lot of risk as you think about going to market with an influencer who may be anywhere from 17 years old to 23 years old, who's got an incredible amount of followership and that sort of thing. But that is something that I think every marketer is taking a look at right now. And also the thing is, where is it going? How vital will this remain? Is it continuing to morph? And a lot of people are thinking about how do I get more involved in Twitch? What am I thinking about in terms of video game integrations and things like that? So therein lies tons of interesting trends, I think.
- [36:48]
Alan Hart
Yeah, no, for sure, for sure. Last question for you. What do you think is the largest opportunity or threat facing marketers today?
- [36:55]
Brian Cooley
We've chatted a little bit about this in terms of these two new generations, which, again, are the largest generations the world has ever seen, Gen Z and Gen Alpha. And they are not tuning into traditional marketing tactics. And it is really incumbent, I think, for CMOs and marketing teams in general to think differently, to potentially think about throwing out a lot of those elements of the traditional marketing playbook and thinking about ways that in a digital age, how can you use things like gaming to create unique experiences, bring people closer to brands or in the case of a sports league, to athletes, and create those authentic experiences where young people are really engaging. And I think a lot of brands are thinking really hard about how do we stay relevant. Whether you're selling deodorant or a sports drink or you're selling an automobile, you need to find ways to be relevant with an audience that is dramatically different than it ever has been. And it's a phenomenal time to be a marketer. I think what it takes, though, is a very astute approach. And I think it takes being surrounded by younger people who can really to help shape that playbook that is going to be successful in the future.
- [38:14]
Alan Hart
I love it. Brian, thank you so much for coming on the show. It's been an enlightening conversation and very important topics that we've covered.
- [38:22]
Brian Cooley
Alan, thank you so much. I love the series and really excited to be on here and can't wait to hear more perspectives from fellow CMOs. So thanks so much for having me.
- [38:33]
Alan Hart
Awesome. Hi, it's Alan again. Marketing Today was created and produced by me with post production support from Sam Robertson. If you're new to Marketing Today, please feel free to write us a review on itunes or your favorite listening platform. Don't forget to subscribe on marketingtodaypodcast.com and tell your friends and colleagues about the show. I love hearing from listeners. You can contact me atmarketing today podcast.com there. You'll also find complete show notes and links to what was discussed in the episode today and you can search our archives hi, I'm Alan Hart and this is Marketing Today.
- [39:12]
eHarmony Ad
Over the past 75 years, more than 10,000 chemicals have entered our food supply, but the EU allows just 300 additives. At Thrive Market, we prioritize quality, banning over 1,000 ingredients found in conventional grocery stores. Our Healthy Swap Scanner helps you find better versions of your pantry essentials without the junk dyes or fillers, and everything is delivered right to your doorstep. So shop at a grocery store that actually cares about your health. @thrivemarket.com get started for 30% off your first order and a free $60 gift.
- [39:42]
Brian Cooley
My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for Career Day and said he was a big roas man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laugh at me to this day. Not everyone gets B2B, but with LinkedIn you'll be able to reach people who do get $100 credit on your next ad campaign. Go to LinkedIn.com results to claim your credit. That's LinkedIn.com results. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn the place to be to be.