Singapore – After two years as the head of creative for Southeast Asia and India at Ampverse, Robert Gaxiola has announced that he has co-founded PLAYBOOK XP, a creative consultancy firm based in Singapore, specialising in the gaming and esports space. Gaxiola, who is also the firm’s managing partner, co-founded the firm with Jenny Hall.
In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Gaxiola said that the firm aims to come to the pitching table with a gaming ecosystem solution first, and not some big budget TV commercial.
“Our people are real players and fans, you can’t fake this stuff, I am proud to say I have been playing since the golden age of video games. But what we have now is just too good to be true, especially for brands. And this is where the adman part of me kicks in,” he said.
Moreover, he notes that gaming plus creativity and data is their starting point, and their firm offers a range of services including strategic marketing campaigns, brand partnerships, IP development, esports event management, in-game items and content campaigns.
How PLAYBOOK XP stands out from other gaming consultancies
Gaxiola told MARKETECH APAC that what sets PLAYBOOK XP apart from others in the region is their unique blend of deep industry knowledge, innovative strategies, and a proven track record at the highest level.
“We understand too that the gaming landscape is constantly evolving and that means we must keep evolving too. We pride ourselves on our ability to stay ahead of the curve by offering creative solutions that resonate with both gamers and brands alike,” he said.
Moreover, he also noted that their sole purpose as a gaming consultancy is to help brands win in the gaming space, and that they create work that people can engage with and have fun. He understands that while the gaming market is enormous, and as mainstream this looks from the outside, it is highly nuanced within, and that they understand how it works.
“We are also different because we are giving our knowledge away. We want to share everything we know so our industry can develop. We are currently putting a lot of time into education and training. We are running a workshop at the SMU Academy here in Singapore in May. And we hope to have similar workshops in Manila and Jakarta through the M.A.D. School which is based in Singapore but conducts workshops and master classes in the region,” he added.
Carrying previous leadership experiences moving forward
Gaxiola was most recently with Ampverse, and also notes that his previous experiences with Goodby in San Francisco, and Ogilvy and Dentsu Singapore have provided invaluable insights into what brands can really do in the gaming space while staying on brand to deliver an ROI.
“I think we see a lot of bad fits out there, especially with the deployment of social media campaigns through KOLs. It can be entertaining, but it is far from lifting or serving a brand’s needs. People hate advertising, but players are open to cool stuff and experiences. Gaming is entertainment,” he said.
Gaxiola added, “We learned so much last year, my co-founder Jenny Hall reminds me daily about the importance of agility, creativity, and data-driven decision-making. She is buttoned-down and methodical approaching this stuff. Our learnings will continue to build our strategies at PLAYBOOK XP, and ultimately drive our campaigns with a measurable ROI.”
Challenges and opportunities in the APAC gaming market
For Gaxiola, the gaming industry in APAC faces both unique challenges and unparalleled opportunities. One challenge is navigating the diverse cultural landscape of the region while staying true to a client’s brand identity.
Moreover, he adds that as the industry continues to grow rapidly, competition among brands for the attention of gamers is fierce. However, with this growth comes immense opportunities for brands to engage through immersive experiences, innovative technologies, and meaningful partnerships.
“PLAYBOOK XP is poised to expand and improve in line with this evolution by continuously innovating our offerings, forging strategic partnerships with key players in the industry. We cannot do it alone, we need to find like-minded clients, publishers and platform partners to grow with,” he said.
He also understands that with APAC being the region with the highest number of gamers globally, they are also very diverse in needs. He added that brands need to think very carefully about who they want to target and how.
“Broadly speaking, you need to know your audience and ask yourself if it fits your brand. For some brands a shooting game is a bad idea and for others it can be a perfect fit. A PUBG player in one market is vastly different from a Dota player in another. We use strategies to target different kinds of players and engage with them in the right way,” he added.
Gaxiola also stated, “Our goal is to not only meet the needs of our clients but to exceed them by delivering unparalleled value and driving measurable results. I love this stuff, this isn’t even work to me, we just want to really dig in deep and start releasing some new projects for some great clients. I’m not delusional, I know it will be hard, but we still want to play.”
