This week, we are joined by Justin Varghese to talk about esports, marketing, and partnerships. 

Justin is in charge of Sales and Marketing Partnerships at Panda. He is an event speaker, esports broadcaster and evangelist, taco aficionado, and a dear friend.

He shared a holistic view of the esports ecosystem, developed through his vast experience in the industry. Justin gives his thoughts on the struggle of esports teams to generate revenue from partnerships and how they address the issue at Panda. We also talk about the different strategies to attract sponsors, including the tricky ones and their effects on the audience. In addition, we talk about the Fighting Gaming Community (FGC), and Justin explains why he thinks FGC is the bedrock of esports. 

Resources:

Visit Panda’s website: https://www.panda.gg/

Connect with Justin on social media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jvarg1990/details/experience/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jvarg1990

Full Episode Breakdown:

3:29 – Justin talks about his work at Panda and why he considers Panda’s approach to esports unique.

7:51 – Justin describes what attracted him to Panda, and they can expand on the creative side of things when thinking of esports.

11:21 – Justin and John talk about the business 101 lessons Panda’s positioning in the market teaches.

17:22 – Justin talks about the marketing strategies used at Panda and why strategies with “bad data” are doomed to fail. 

22:19 – Justin talks about FGC (Fighting Game Community), the birthplace of esports, in his opinion. 

25:25 – Justin explains why the FGC is unique.

30:29 – Justin talks about what he believes are effective strategies for brands to have impactful experiences with esports teams and in competitive gaming venues.

35:16 – John and Justin talk about political correctness, trash talk, and “keeping things real” in esports. 

37:01 – Many things can be improved in the industry, but the price shouldn’t be paid with its personality. 

42:01 – Justin talks about recognizing the right time to pivot in partnerships.

47:13 – John and Justin discuss the massive difference between live and online esports events and how they can provide value to the users. 

50:12 – Justin shares his final thoughts on marketing and partnerships for brands and players.