Daniel Herz, Chief Revenue Office of Mission Control, is a seasoned veteran in the Esports and Video Game Industry, and is focused on helping brands and companies reach consumers in these industries.

In this episode of the DLC Drop Podcast, Daniel sits down with John to talk about the gold rush of esports, and why brands have to be extremely cautious when trying to get in on the action. They also discuss the struggle that brands face when partnering with the esports and gaming industries, and the crucial foundation to any successful partnership in these industries, plus so much more!

To learn more about Mission Control, visit: MissionControl.gg

To follow John on Twitter: https://twitter.com/J0hnDavids0n

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:10 – John’s story of how he and Daniel met.

3:50 – Daniel’s story of he and John met.

5:45 – The evolution of the Game Stop’s Gaming Center, and how the relationships really started to come together.

7:25 – The infamous text, and it how it all helped to mesh sponsorships with companies like NASCAR.

14:05 – Daniel’s view of what makes a great partnership in gaming and esports, and the true simplicity of it.

16:30 – How Daniel worked a deal with the US Army, and the unique approach they took to make the partnership work.

20:25 – The gold rush of esports, and why companies have to be so careful when spending money in the esports world.

23:57 – Why being able to check the box of ‘working with esports’ isn’t enough. The relationship needs to make sense.

27:34 – The struggle of data and numbers in esports.

29:56 – The foundation to any partnership should be defining ROI, and understand what is attainable ROI.

32:52- Daniel shares how he came to find Mission Control, and what they do as a company.

36:45 – The value in serving the recreational side.

40:26 – The success story for the Special Olympics, and how they utilized this community well.

43:48 – What it’s like going from a league to a platform that works with gamers of all levels.

49:23 – The argument of true live and die fans with traditional sports, and how gaming can help deepen relationships.

54:47 – The importance of focusing on building a brand vs just focusing on winning.

56:43 – What’s the next thing for esports, and how we’re just seeing the start of the ‘explosion’ of this industry.