Dan Pantumsinchai: “Gaming Audiences Can No Longer Be Ignored”
“Modern gaming culture was born in Japan and many innovations in gaming often spark here in APAC before spreading to other countries,” says Dan Pantumsinchai, dentsu’s newly appointed managing director of gaming for Asia Pacific. “Whether it’s mobile free to play, esports and pro gaming ecosystems, or even web3/crypto trends, gaming is so strongly ingrained in the APAC culture, and I believe this leadership trend will continue.”
With over 15 years of experience driving success for world renowned gaming brands, Dan joins from Google where he played a pivotal role in driving revenue growth for top mobile gaming partners. At dentsu, he will be focused on further enhancing the company's commitment to immersive digital experiences and innovating brand engagement and impact in the gaming industry.
“The APAC region couldn’t be more diverse in terms of people and markets. However, the love of gaming among APAC users and consumers is pretty much universal,” he shares. “I want to see dentsu become the most trusted partner in the gaming ecosystem. There are so many different opportunities within the ever-growing gaming space and I believe that we have the right people and capabilities to help all sorts of businesses thrive.”
In this interview with LBB’s Sunna Coleman, Dan discusses the numerous opportunities that lie within the gaming market, which brands are seeing enormous success in this space and why gamer consumers can’t be ignored.
LBB> Congratulations on your latest appointment, Dan! You have an impressive background having driven global success across premium console, PC, and mobile free-to-play (F2P) games. I’d love to hear about where your passion for gaming first came from.
Dan> My first gaming memories were playing ‘Super Mario Bros.’ and ‘Duck Hunt’ on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) when I was in first grade. From the first time I held a controller I was hooked on the medium and owned pretty much every major console and handheld that was released afterwards (I believe we were one of the few households that owned an Atari Jaguar). Like any other kid growing up in the 1990s and 2000s, SNES and PlayStation games were seminal experiences for me. Among them, ‘Street Fighter’ and ‘Final Fantasy’ were some of my favourites. The mix of creativity and interactivity is what makes gaming so unique to this day and what always keeps me coming back.
LBB> Why is the gaming market such an exciting space for brands right now?
Dan> We’ve reached the point where young kids who grew up playing games are now working adults – like myself. There have been generations now of youth going through console and gaming cycles to where it’s no longer a niche pastime, but the dominant force in entertainment culture today. For brands who are looking to reach these passionate and engaged users, gaming is where it’s at.
Consumers want brands who understand their hobby – not just at a surface level but can truly resonate with the culture that has been built around gaming. You can see all sorts of brand and media opportunities in gaming right now, but users are very adept at understanding which brands ‘get it’ and which brands don’t.
I love the work that Chipotle is doing in the fighting game space. They recently sponsored EVO 2024, which is the largest fighting game tournament in the world. Their integrations with the event, from video content, to onsite executions, felt very natural and authentic to the gaming culture. And the fans knew it, loved it, and showed their appreciation. When the Chipotle ad ran on the jumbotron during the finals, the entire arena crowd roared with delight and applause. That is the kind of consumer equity that brands dream of when they talk about getting involved in the gaming space.
LBB> What would you like to see more brands do in this space?
Dan> I would like to see brands take more chances with different types of games and audiences. There are so many different types of games and the audience profiles for each can be very different. Understanding who your target audience is and ensuring that you work with the right game is very important.
Brands should be open to learning about gaming communities and ‘meeting consumers where they are’. Understand that traditional ways to reach users are waning and that these digital experiences are where people are increasingly flocking to. Finding a good partner who can help navigate the space with you is equally important.
LBB> What opportunities lie in the near future?
Dan> Just to rattle off a few:
- Gaming will continue to grow, with APAC leading the way in terms of users, revenue and innovation.
- Multiplatform gaming will become the norm, as publishers and developers try to make their games available to the widest possible audiences in all possible form factors, while simultaneously leveraging their gaming IP across other transmedia properties.
- Influencers and content creators will become an even more important part of the marketing funnel, leading to closer integrations between game companies and personalities.
LBB> What are the current challenges in gaming marketing?
Dan> From a brand perspective, it can be difficult for brands to understand how best to tap into the gaming audience in an authentic way that resonates with them. One great example of how we solved this was our collaboration with KFC on their ‘Re:Store’ campaign. They were looking for a way to connect with younger users, so we partnered with them to create a full-service virtual dining experience for gen z, which was hosted on China’s most popular platform for young people, QQ.
Using Unreal Engine 4, the KFC Re:Store combined traditional Chinese craft, cutting-edge technology and deep platform understanding. Custom avatars and merchandise, tailor made furniture and a virtual pet made the experience more engaging as players could dance, play and hang out with friends. There was even a virtual Colonel Sanders they could interact with!
The results speak for themselves with over 19 million visitors, 4.3 billion interactions and 850 million chats with Colonel Sanders over five weeks. Additionally, 4 million burgers were sold in a week, leading to real-world sales uplift. This is just one example of how we can help brands overcome their challenges through the power of gaming.
LBB> What do you believe makes dentsu a leader in this space?
Dan> We are a connector between endemic gaming clients and non-endemic brands who are looking to tap into the space. Our heritage as a Japanese company allows us to have strong connections with many IP holders in the Japanese gaming ecosystem but we also have the global reach to be able to export that advantage. When it comes to gaming, I don’t think there is a more uniquely positioned company than us to lead on gaming initiatives and I’m excited to bring those projects to life in the months and years to come.
LBB> What one key message would you like to get across to brands right now?
Dan> Your customers are probably gamers in some way, shape or form. Whether they play on their consoles, PCs, or mobile devices; whether they enjoy souls-like action games or match three games; whether they play at home alone or online with friends – gaming is so broad and ubiquitous that it can’t be ignored as a way to engage with users. Find the right gaming audiences and tap into them to grow your business.
LBB> Any final words?
Dan> Gaming has come such a long way from its humble origins and now we live in a time where it is more popular than ever. With IP becoming more and more important in today’s crowded entertainment space, I look forward to seeing even more gaming IPs brought to life in other forms of media and entertainment. Now is the perfect time for brands to figure out how they want to fit in.
