From Players to Creators - How Gamers are Shaping the Creator Economy - Full Panel
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00:00Angelique Hernandez, VP and Portfolio Lead for Havas Play.
00:04And Angelique is the second Angelique to take the stage today,
00:07because my colleague Angelique Jackson, who works for Variety, was up here.
00:10So it's a double Angelique day. That's going to be a good day.
00:12Amazing. I have to meet her.
00:14Yes, definitely.
00:15And next to Angelique is Jarell Thompson, VP of Gaming for Havas Play.
00:19And only one Jarell, hopefully today.
00:22Thank you both for coming.
00:24Yeah, definitely.
00:26Although we could have Jarell, at one of our events, we could have Jarell James,
00:29and then we'd have a double.
00:31Anyway, thank you for coming.
00:32And I love your suit game.
00:34It's just awesome.
00:36Let's start with sort of the 30,000 foot view and talk about what Havas Play is
00:41and what specifically in the area of marketing and branding and fan connections,
00:46really where you plug in uniquely.
00:48Because it's a very interesting story.
00:50And you're really starting to come out and talk about it now.
00:53Yeah, for sure.
00:53So we are a specialized division of Havas Media Network.
00:57And we really live and breathe and focus on building brand consumer experiences
01:05at the intersection of entertainment culture
01:09and connecting the brand to that audience or whoever we're trying to speak to
01:14in a way that's incredibly authentic
01:16and also in a way that the brand has the equity to even play in that space, pun intended.
01:25Um, um, so, and we really, really, truly embody, um, authenticity and really drive home to all
01:34our brands and our clients that that is, that is key.
01:37Um, and you really have to, you have to have the equity to play in that space, in that intersection
01:41of culture and have something to say and, and contribute to that, to that space.
01:46And, and obviously I know the big part of Havas play is really understanding and having, you know,
01:51mainstream, the world's marketer understand that if you want to reach Gen Z, you better know gaming.
01:59Like, it's just those two things are, are, those, those lines are absolutely, you know, crossing now.
02:05And you just, and it, and it's a hard thing for people that are in traditional Hollywood, traditional TV and film.
02:12It's a hard thing to kind of really wrap your head around.
02:14But Jarell, I know you've spent a lot of time in this community and especially, especially that Gen Z
02:19and, and what's coming after, just how, can you talk about just what you found that is so important
02:24to reach people through that combination of gaming and social media creators that you are really focused on?
02:29Yeah, and when we think of, again, like showing up meaningful and making sure that brands are connected
02:37to audiences in ways that make sense to the community, when we think of Gen Z, one, Gen Z,
02:43when we think of like their behaviors in gaming, it's a major part of their day.
02:47When we think of like the, their, their entire like media consumption, gaming is a big part of them.
02:52But aside from just playing video games, it's all about the media.
02:56Like when we look at The Last of Us, like gaming is taking over different aspects of pop culture.
03:03So we think of how do you talk to Gen Z?
03:06Part of that is really understanding how are you talking to them through gaming as a medium
03:11and how are you talking to them in not only a meaningful way, but in a way that provides tangible value
03:16and in a way that's authentic.
03:19How, how, let's get sort of deep here.
03:22Are you, are you focused on like in-game placements, activities?
03:26So when people are active, actively in the, in the act, in the, you know, business of playing
03:31or, or e-sports where people are watching other, that kind of gaming or a little bit of both,
03:37where's the, where's the real focus for you in terms of that brand connection that you're talking about?
03:42I was going to say we do it all, but no.
03:45No, that's actually a great question.
03:46And I think a misconception today is that like gaming, the whole gaming ecosystem is just the gameplay.
03:54There's people watching Twitch creators.
03:55When you look at the likes of like a Kai Sinat, like he's transcended the likes of just playing video games on Twitch,
04:01but he's a celebrity.
04:03You see, I Show Speed is showing up in China.
04:05He's like an ambassador for them.
04:06There's ways that you can align with content.
04:09Like you can partner with the likes of like an IGN or like different sites.
04:13There's also in-game.
04:15In-game is also really big.
04:16You see, there was a major partnership between Disney and Epic Games.
04:20They're going to see Disney IP and Disney characters in Fortnite for the foreseeable future
04:25as they try and turn that into the Disney digital parks of the future.
04:30So in terms of-
04:31Gameify Disney is a, is a very big push.
04:33Can I ask you, is there a premium though for anything that as the person is actually playing,
04:38is that, is that a premium over watching an e-sports or watching something on Twitch?
04:43If you, if you can reach somebody while they're engaged in gameplay, just as a matter of curiosity.
04:49Yeah.
04:49In-game is actually a very compelling space to reach gamers.
04:54And I think that's why you see a lot of brands really tapping into and really leaning into the space
05:00and creating these custom environments and with the likes of like a Fortnite, a Roblox, or a Minecraft to reach them.
05:07And on that note too, I had mentioned about how we are also really focused on ensuring
05:13that our brands have the equity to play in that space.
05:16And so for, from an in-game-
05:17It doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.
05:19Right.
05:19So from an in-game perspective, as a brand, you have to be incredibly cautious that you're not interrupting
05:26their experience, interrupting their game, or even, I mean, you can show up as a brand,
05:33you have no equity to be there, and the gamer's like, why, why are they here?
05:36And then that in and of itself interrupts their gaming, like their, their play.
05:42And so the gamer's already turned off by it, right?
05:45That's not the kind of brand association you want.
05:47Exactly.
05:49Yeah.
05:49Interesting.
05:50And then tell, how do social media creators kind of plug into this?
05:55Because as I understand, they can almost become ambassadors for games that, and communities
06:00that then create their own little mini ecosystems.
06:05Yeah.
06:05I'll, I'll take from a, from a really macro perspective.
06:08I think Gerald mentioned this before.
06:10You have gaming creators now that, you know, they don't do, they don't just play, right?
06:17It's not that people are going to them to watch their Twitch streams.
06:21Now their Twitch streams are inclusive of so many other interests.
06:26Again, a game, we've been saying this for years.
06:29Gamers aren't a monolith, right?
06:31They just don't play games.
06:33Like, they love music.
06:35They're at the epicenter of fashion and music and other trends.
06:38And so you have these followers and they've created this, this fandom that their followers
06:45look to them for all of their content.
06:47You have celebrities coming into their streams like Kevin Hart that just, you know, sit in
06:53the house all day.
06:54And it's hours and hours of content that are compelling because they have galvanized this
07:00community around them that want to follow them and want to pay attention.
07:05I got to believe though, in all of this, there are brand safety issues.
07:09How do you, you knew that, you knew that question was coming.
07:12How do you weigh who to partner with?
07:14Do you, do you sometimes have to take flyers and, and then just monitor how things are going?
07:19Yeah.
07:19I think a lot of that has to do with, we at Havas Play, we have a really in-depth process
07:24where we vet through creators.
07:26We have a lot of systems in place where we like do a lot of digging.
07:28We make sure that we're connecting the right brands to the right creators and we're doing
07:33our due diligence to ensure that like they're brand safe or if they're, they're relevant
07:37for the brand.
07:38Cause honestly, there are some, you know, some brands might make sense for certain creators
07:43who may be a little bit edgy, might be a little bit risque, but for some, they're like
07:48for financial brands that we work with, we need to make sure that like we honestly match
07:53with everyone who is the most brand safe and, you know, make sense and it's for the right
07:57audience.
07:59Yeah.
08:00And, and obviously anything can happen.
08:02Creators are their own sort of boss, right?
08:05Do you have to warn your clients?
08:07Okay.
08:08Sometimes you might have to take a deep breath.
08:10Yes.
08:11Oh, the education always has to happen at the beginning, at the middle, at the end.
08:16It's constant education.
08:17Um, but you know, it's, we hold hands and we get through it together.
08:22But a lot of that process that we sort of employ upfront minimizes that.
08:27But again, you always have to be prepared.
08:29Anything can happen from a macro perspective in culture, in anything, um, that incentivizes
08:35a creator just to say something, say their POV, uh, that may not align with brand.
08:41And so, you know, you take care of it in that regard too.
08:43And, and to Angie's point, I think we're at a more mature phase in the creator economy.
08:48I think, again, in this, in 2025, a lot of creators understand the importance of them
08:54being brand safe entities to help represent these brands.
08:57And not only are they just creators, they're not just me, the streamer, they're representing
09:02the brands like on behalf of them as a business partner.
09:06And there's a certain level of decorum and a certain way that they need to carry themselves
09:11that is important for not only them, but also for the, the, the clients that they represent.
09:16Do you have a, for instance, for me of a, of a brand that really had an effective, uh,
09:21an effective placement or an effective partnership that moved the needle for them all the way
09:25down to selling whatever goods or services they were trying to market?
09:31We had a very interesting one.
09:33Um, this is for a major tire company, um, in partnership with a major film studio.
09:39Um, but-
09:40Gamer's got to drive, right?
09:41Yeah.
09:42So we were promoting, uh, a film.
09:45So think Fast and the Furious, but less emphasis on family and more connected to a really, um,
09:50popular video game.
09:52Context clues.
09:53Yeah.
09:54And they were up against headwinds from Barbenheimer, basically.
09:59And they were very nervous about, um, galvanizing the gamer community to come and check out the movie.
10:06Again, considering all of the different, you know, um, challenges they were up against.
10:10So they, what they tasked us with was coming up with a really, um, immersive plan, tapping into basically the star of the film.
10:20To do content, to really reach out to gamers and really talk to them and get them excited and hype them up about the film.
10:27And honestly, like, it, it was such a huge success in getting the gaming, the gamers excited.
10:33We had people on streams and Twitch saying, I saw the movie two and three times.
10:37And it resulted in 12 years time spent with all of the video content that we did.
10:43And we think like a decade worth of time spent watching the videos.
10:47And we only did about six videos.
10:49So.
10:50You must have loved that report, sending in that report.
10:53Here we gave you.
10:54With pleasure.
10:55But given that, given that so much of this activity, if not almost every bit of it is digital, you can really track right down.
11:02You can probably track the activity right down to, did they go into the showroom and buy the truck or buy the tires or.
11:09Yeah.
11:10It's got to be really enlightening and really fascinating.
11:13Yeah.
11:14Back end measurement that we had that allowed us to see like where, like some of the regions that, you know, were viewing the content the most.
11:22And I think as we went on throughout the campaign, we started to learn and we started to iterate.
11:27And it allowed us to tailor the content more so that we were garnering more engagement and becoming smarter towards the end of it.
11:34What was the timeframe for this?
11:36Was this, was this play out over weeks, over months?
11:39Yeah, it was eight weeks.
11:41That's a lot.
11:43That's a lot.
11:44One thing I know as we're wrapping up here, I know very important to you is women, both women gaming, women creators.
11:50And, and just in the last couple of months, I've been to conferences and events and seeing that like social media has become a entrepreneurial engine for women.
12:01And, and, and women that would not, you wouldn't think might not be in a position to launch a company.
12:05But so many things are coming out of kitchens and living rooms and garages and it's just, it's just fascinating.
12:11What are you finding is about brands that want to reach young women?
12:15And how is this like, how is this boon that social media has created for people to do direct to consumer marketing?
12:21Like how, how has that changed the game for big brands that want to reach those people?
12:25Yeah, actually we were, we were talking about this, uh, the other day.
12:29Um, now creators more than ever, um, have a lot of power.
12:35Uh, they have a lot of buying power within their, their followers, right?
12:39You can galvanize their followers, uh, to purchase.
12:42Uh, but they also have a lot more control over their careers.
12:45Uh, they have a lot more control over where they even make money.
12:48Right.
12:49Apropos of our previous guest to read.
12:51I mean, it is, you know, it's a little different, but, but still media, media, media.
12:56Yeah.
12:57Um, and they don't necessarily have to have a brand partnership, right?
13:01They, they can make money on their own.
13:03There are all these platforms now that allow them to do that.
13:06Uh, you also have companies, whether they're brands or even social platforms that turn to them.
13:13Because now not only are they experts in their, what their audience likes to see and hear and talk about, they're also experts on the platform themselves.
13:24Like the, the creators know how to use TikTok and Instagram.
13:28They know the algorithm.
13:30They know they're tapped into their content so, so much that they understand what's going to move the needle.
13:36And so now it's almost like their resume is gigantic, right?
13:41And so that gives them the power to say, you know what?
13:44Your brand doesn't align with my values.
13:46Uh, your brand doesn't probably speak to my audience.
13:49And so they have a lot more power to sort of say no, not sort of say no.
13:53Um, and so it's, it's something to contend with, but nothing that, that is a detriment.
14:00I think it actually, it's, it benefits us.
14:03It benefits brands because then you really know that once you pick a creator and that creator picks you back,
14:10that's probably going to be the start of a beautiful relationship that we would want to continue, right?
14:15It's not a flash in the pan.
14:17Um, we always want brands to continue that relationship with the creators that they, they choose.
14:22They're all little mini marketers on their own, by definition of what they do.
14:26Here in our waning seconds, what are you excited about?
14:29Whether something in gaming or, or a functionality or a capability coming to Havas play?
14:34What, what's exciting?
14:35What are you looking forward to in the rest of this year?
14:37Oh, that was a, that was a.
14:39Loaded.
14:40And I, and I fronted it to him.
14:42I'm like, you take that JT first.
14:43Um, we're super excited about our gaming capabilities.
14:46Uh, I think as Angie alluded to earlier, um, again, what we pride ourselves on at Havas play is about being meaningful.
14:54And I, I made a comment earlier this month about like, there, there's so many entryways for brands and clients to enter into gaming.
15:03And you need a spirit guide to help you find, you know, where those appropriate entry points are and to match you with some of the appropriate tactics so that you're showing up authentically.
15:14You're providing tangible value because gamers are a very discerning audience and they smell bullshit from a mile away.
15:20So you need someone who is an expert, who is also very immersed and well-versed in the community to help guide these clients and to help match them with, you know, what are the right opportunities?
15:30And we're the right, um, points where we can like match you with your business goals and also show up cool and a relevant brand.
15:37It's such a huge medium.
15:38And we, as you, as we started talking about, it's also converging with a lot of traditional media.
15:42It's an interesting time.
15:43Thank you both for being here and sharing all this.
15:45Thank you so much, guys.