In this episode, Rebecca sits down with Dan Herz, Chief Revenue of Mission Control. Dan discusses how Mission Control is focused on creating experiences for the non-elite esports users, and how brands are engaging with users in these unique ways.
Here is the official episode breakdown:
1:24 – Dan discusses his history in esports and how his passion for fans and communities took him from the Denver Broncos to the world of esports.
5:42 – The discussion turns to Mission Control, and the unique experience it creates for the non-elite esports players to be part of a greater community within the esports world without having to be a pro.
8:16 – What does the journey look like for a user? The journey for a Mission Control player can look different in a couple of ways, however, everything goes through their app where they can join leagues, see stats, and everything else they’ll need to be part of a bigger community.
10:35 – Is this platform just for young people, or all ages adopting it? When it comes to the adaptability of the platform, just like all esports, the age ranges can vary. However, the first set of users were focused around college ages, and then moved to a younger user group.
12:11 – Considering Mission Control also does in-person events, does a pandemic, hurt or help their brand, and what changes are they seeing since March 2020
13:50 – With moving to only online, sponsorships need to get more creative, but with the experience of Mission Control, engagement becomes a crucial component, the focus turned to connecting with users vs. pure impression counts.
16:20 – Dan discusses Mission’s Control focus on helping their community be a safe space for gamers, and helping to create the best atmosphere for sponsors to join.
18:22 – Obviously esports isn’t just a brand for the US, but an international one, so how does this scale internationally? How do they continue to create a fun, safe space for those all over the world?
20:44 – Mission Control doesn’t just provide a play for people to connect, but they also offer prize opportunities, which also creates another opportunities for sponsors to connect with their users. Dan discusses how this works, and how brands can use prizes to engage further and provide more value to their users.
22:23 – When it comes to professional sports teams getting more involved with esports, there can be challenges in not being able to get first party data. Dan discusses how Mission Control can help them with this issue, and how they can with ownership of data.
26:18 – Dan discusses what Mission Control is doing to market their own brand, and the importance of partnerships and story telling in their marketing strategy.
27:27 – How is Mission Control engaging with their users? Dan discusses how it’s all about utilizing their brand partners to continue to build strong relationships.
29:52 – When it comes to adding new games, Dan discusses how there’s opportunity within the mobile space.
31:33 – How gaming and Mission Control are allowing for cross platform play.
Want to connect with Mission Control? Visit MissionControl.gg
Or connect with Dan directly at daniel {at} missioncontrol.gg.
To connect with Rebecca, visit: https://www.happywarrior.us/
And follow her on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/RLongawa
