Play Strategist

About us

Based in the heart of London, New York and LA Once Upon a Time is an integrated marketing agency that builds brands and creates end-to-end campaigns for our clients. We know how to speak to the people that can’t wait to indulge in movies, drinks, music, and destinations. We’re much more than an external agency, we’re part of our clients’ teams.

From procurement, to creative, to production, to media, we handle it all, because modern marketers want more of the tangible. We conceive it. We design it. We make it. We place it.

As experts, we get directly to the point. We sweat the small stuff and the big stuff, across sector and craft, to deliver more of the world-class content everyone loves.

Key Responsibilities

• Gaming Strategy: Shape and define strategic approaches for gaming brands, platforms, and publishers, aligning with key commercial objectives.
• Partnership Development: Identify and develop high-value partnerships across gaming ecosystems, including publishers, platforms, esports organisations, influencers, and content creators.
• Audience Representation: Deeply understand gaming communities, player behaviours, and cultural trends, ensuring insights translate into impactful brand strategies.
• Competitive Positioning: Build and apply evidenced theories to give gaming clients a commercial advantage in their category.
• Collaboration: Work closely with client service and creative and planning teams to ensure gaming strategies inform creative campaigns and activation\’s.
• Industry Intelligence: Continuously track and analyse gaming market trends, emerging platforms, and competitor movements.
• Stakeholder Communication: Clearly articulate and present strategic insights, opportunities, and commercial pathways to internal teams and clients.

Skills & Expertise

• Deep Gaming Knowledge: Strong understanding of gaming ecosystems, player motivations, and industry dynamics (essential).
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to craft and implement commercially driven, audience-centric strategies.
• Partnership & Business Development: Experience in forging partnerships with gaming brands, publishers, and content platforms.
• Data & Insights: Ability to leverage audience analytics, market research, and performance data to shape strategies.
• Storytelling & Communication: Strong presentation and storytelling skills, translating insights into compelling narratives.
• Creative & Brand Collaboration: Experience working with creative teams to bring strategic insights to life in impactful ways.
• Understanding of Emerging Tech: Awareness of innovations in gaming and gaming communications

Success Metrics

• Market Impact: Contribution to increased brand engagement, sales, and market share for gaming clients.
• Partnership Success: Effectiveness of gaming partnerships in driving audience growth and brand visibility.
• Innovation & Differentiation: Ability to craft unique strategies that set brands apart in the gaming landscape.
• Client Satisfaction: Positive feedback and long-term strategic alignment with gaming and partnership clients.
• Cultural Relevance: Strength of audience representation in gaming strategies, ensuring authentic brand connections with gaming communities.

Ideal Background

• Experience in gaming communications from a creative or media strategy point of view, brand planning, or business development within gaming, esports, or entertainment.
• Previous experience working with gaming publishers, platforms, esports teams, or gaming brands.
• Strong knowledge of gaming culture, player psychology, and market trends.
• Experience in a creative, media, or advertising agency is preferred.