Although the esports industry has been around for the last 20 plus years and exploded in the US over the previous four years, Dan Ciccone believes that the audience has always been there. He also believes that most brands struggle to get into the industry because they focus only on data and engagement and ignore awareness. 

Dan Ciccone is the Founder and CEO of STACKED ENTERTAINMENT, a gaming agency specializing in property representation and content development in esports and gaming. He facilitated $45 plus million in transactions and represented properties like OpTic Gaming, Splyce, Esports Awards, Dexerto.com, GameTrailers, and Major League Gaming in the esports events field. 

In this episode, we talk about Dan’s journey in the industry, from his beginnings at The Weather Channel to his first esports event. Dan talks about the intricate relationship between business people who don’t understand gaming and gamers who don’t understand business. We also analyze the way brands approach the gaming space and the “slapping a logo” tactic that never works. 

You can visit the STACKED ENTERTAINMENT website: https://www.stackedent.com/

or connect with Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danciccone/

Full Episode Breakdown:

2:40 – About Dan’s background, his journey into the industry, and how he started working with marketing almost by accident.

5:39 – Dan talks about his work at IGN Entertainment, the biggest esports events producer at the time.

9:49 – Dan remembers how his experience at IGN helped him learn and connect with people like Hector Rodriguez from OpTic Gaming.

15:51 – John and Dan talk about the “amateurism” of certain parts of the gaming space when dealing with the industry’s business side.

19:13 – Dan brilliantly breaks down the relationship between sponsors in the industry and how advertising in the past was more intelligent, creating ads as part of the content and not as an annoying interruption. 

22:48 – Dan explains the growth of esports and gaming and compares the industry with UFC’s and NASCAR’s explosion. 

27:33 – The slapping a logo approach. Dan talks about what some brands seem to misinterpret when approaching the gaming space. 

32:03 – John and Dan discuss how the gaming industry tends to react when a sponsor approaches them.

37:13 – Dan explains what happens when brands approach the scene offering value.

41:58 – The forgiving community. Dan speaks about the effect of brands owning their mistakes and sticking with them.

46:36 – Reaching the gaming community is not hard; it is specific. John and Dan comment on the difference between analyzing data and observing behavior.

51:31 – John and Dan talk about the Esports Certification. 

56:35 – A community way ahead of its time. Dan and John talk about diversity and inclusion in the gaming community.