Giulia Zecchini: How ESL FACEIT Group Help Brands to Activate within Gen-Z's Greatest Interest

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Giulia Zecchini, Commercial
Partnerships Strategy Director at ESL FACEIT Group. 


Starting her career in data and analysis at Nielson, working
first on FMCG brands such as Mars, before switching into sports,
Giulia has retained a passion for transforming data into
actionable, commercially focused insights.


This has shone through in her roles that have followed, at both
Formula 1 and with ESL FACEIT Group, one of the leading companies
in the worlds of both gaming and esports - where she works with
global brands to help them to reach the sought-after Gen-Z and
millennial gaming audience through exciting and cutting edge
partnerships.


It’s not all about data though. Giulia is someone also with her
finger firmly on the pulse of culture, something demonstrated
through her presenting and hosting work for FIBA, sitting on the
Equity Diversity & Inclusion committee at Basketball England,
and through her co-founding of Sneaker Sisterhood, the largest
female sneaker community in Europe.


We talk about the intersection of sport, gaming, music, fashion,
and culture, as well as the need to balance data with emotion and
feeling, in what is one of the widest ranging conversations that
I’ve had to date on the podcast - a credit to Giulia’s breath of
both expertise and interest.


Time Stamps


2:00 - Impact of COVID on Formula 1


4:00 - eSports vs. Gaming


13:00 - Athletes as Content Creators


18:00 - How DHL Authentically Activated in eSports


21:00 - Boosting Basketball's Popularity in the UK


29:00 - Founding Sneaker Sisterhood


32:00 - Exploring the Cultural Crossover of Sport and Streetwear


40:00 - The Opportunity for Digital Merchandise


45:00 - The Comic-Con of Gaming


Additional Links


Saudi-backed Savvy buys ESL and FACEIT for 'US$1.5bn'


DHL Case Study: Employer of Choice: Reaching and recruiting the
unreachables with eSports


Connect with Giulia on LinkedIn - Here


Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here