Podcast Summary: The Digital Executive – Matt Edelman on Why Engagement Drives Trust (Ep 1185)

Release Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Brian (Coruzant Technologies)
Guest: Matt Edelman – Chairman, CEO & President, Super League

Main Theme

This episode centers on how engagement in digital media—especially interactive and gaming experiences—builds trust among modern audiences. Matt Edelman shares insights drawn from two decades in digital and traditional media, exploring shifts in trust, strategies for growth in startups versus large enterprises, the role of data in monetization, and Super League’s move toward owning high-engagement gaming assets.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shift of Trust: Institutions to Communities

[01:50 – 03:52]

• Trust no longer lies in institutions, but in communities and personalities.

  • “Trust has shifted from institutions to communities. People believe personalities and the peers that are connected to that personality... because those people... engage with you as a consumer of content, as opposed to the monologues that have existed in linear content channels for decades.”
    — Matt Edelman, 01:54

• Active Engagement = Higher Trust & Retention

  • “Active engagement causes almost an imprint on your brain that passive engagement does not. As soon as you are actively involved in something, you pay more attention to it, you remember it, and you can’t help but start to trust what you remember.” — Matt Edelman, 02:38

• Interactive (“playable”) media leaves a stronger impression than passive content.

  • “Playable ads leave a lasting impression because you are engaging with the ad. It is no different from engagement causing today’s consumers to trust information compared to content that is just delivered to them passively.” — Matt Edelman, 03:33

2. Startups vs. Large Enterprises: Growth and Risk Management

[04:52 – 06:15]

• Speed & Focus in Startups vs. Calculated Risks in Corporations

  • “In startups, speed and focus keep you alive and are the keys to progress and success. Whereas in big companies, the risk is moving too slowly... Whereas speed is a survival requirement in a startup, inside a big company you have to... be more disciplined around where you take those risks.” — Matt Edelman, 04:56

• Change Advocacy is Slower in Large Organizations

  • “Inside of a big company, you need to help influence how decisions are made and push for change, but recognize... the pace has to be pulled back a bit.” — Matt Edelman, 06:06

3. Monetization Opportunities in Digital Content

[06:54 – 09:15]

• Data Is the Most Valuable Asset

  • “The most important asset in terms of monetization today is data. It is data about the consumer or the audience that you are trying to capture, appeal to, and create as a loyal participant in your business... If you don’t have the right message for the right audience, you are likely to lose them and... not get a particularly strong outcome.” — Matt Edelman, 06:56

• Fragmented Reach, Unified by Understanding Play

  • “Four out of five people under the age of 45 play video games, but very few identify as gamers... The psychology of play drives consumer reactions to content and experiences in a profound way that runs across all marketing channels.” — Matt Edelman, 08:16

• Brands Overlook Gaming as a Marketing Channel

  • Many budget controllers still see gaming as “a smaller niche experimental space,” missing broader opportunities for audience engagement. — Matt Edelman, 08:08

4. Super League’s Strategy: Ownership of Engaged Gaming Assets

[10:20 – 13:10]

• Strategic Shift Toward Asset Ownership

  • Super League now has three main business areas:
    • Tech & Data Function
    • Advertising & Marketing Solutions
    • Strategic Assets (including partnerships and equity in games like Hide or Die)

• Why Own High-Engagement Assets?

  • “Creator economy assets in the gaming sector... are under leveraged from a brand partnerships standpoint relative to how many consumers they engage and how much time consumers spend there, but... are otherwise reliable revenue generators.” — Matt Edelman, 10:48

• Platform Discovery & Revenue

  • “If you create something promising... you have a way to be discovered in most of these platforms based on how they surface strong content... As a result, the revenue that these assets can generate tends to become meaningful in success.” — Matt Edelman, 11:34

• Data and Brand Partnerships Create a Win-Win

  • “We can help those owners of those assets make more money by bringing more brand partnerships to their community, but also benefit as an owner based on the revenue that they generate.” — Matt Edelman, 12:52

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trust & Engagement:

  • “Essentially that’s why interactive media, playable media, is so significant and meaningful in our business.”
    — Matt Edelman, 03:13

• On Risk Mindset:

  • “Each decision inside of a startup can really move the needle and you want that to happen fast. Inside of a big company... recognize when that’s going to take extra time.” — Matt Edelman, 06:01

• Underestimated Opportunity:

  • “When gaming comes up as a marketing channel, most of the people who control the budgets think of it as a smaller niche experimental space. What we believe is that the psychology of play drives consumer reactions... in a profound way.” — Matt Edelman, 08:04 & 08:16

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:50: Trust in content: shifting from institutions to communities
• 02:20: The effect of active versus passive engagement on trust
• 04:52: Risk and growth differences: startups vs. large enterprises
• 06:54: Data’s central role in content monetization strategy
• 08:05: Gaming as an underestimated, mainstream channel
• 10:20: Super League’s strategic shift—owning creator economy assets
• 11:30: Discovery and monetization dynamics of gaming platforms
• 12:50: Driving value with data, brand partnerships, and ownership

Takeaway

Matt Edelman’s conversation underscores how interactive engagement—particularly in gaming—creates trust, sticks in consumers’ minds, and is critical for modern monetization strategies. By owning assets with high audience engagement, companies not only enhance profitability but also drive meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships in the burgeoning creator economy.