Esports and gaming marketing veterans Dominic Mรผller and Marco Niemann have announced the launch of Bright Up Agency on Thursday. Backed by the support of I3 Holding and fueled by its founders’ deep-rooted industry expertise and connections, Bright Up is dedicated to establishing robust long-term partnerships that add value to all parties, including the community. It strives to โredefine the balance between results-oriented and values-oriented approaches prevailing in sales circles.โ
Dominic Mรผller’s most recent role was senior director global partnerships esports & gaming at global sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE. In addition to his six-year tenure at SPORTFIVE, Mรผller previously held positions at Riot Games Berlin (2014 – 2017) and gaming hardware and software company Razer (2011 – 2014), where he focused on gaming events and esports sponsorships.
Marco Niemann has recently led the global partnerships team at Berlin-based esports organization G2 Esports and is part of the advisory board at esports and gaming intelligence firm Shikenso Analytics. Previously Niemann held leading and management roles in the sponsorship team of esports tournament organizer ESL (2013 – 2018), and the commercial department of the esports and gaming marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming (2018 – 2023).
The two managing directors and founders of Bright Up Agency are supported by I3 Holding โ the parent company of influencer marketing agency INSTINCT3, esports team Eintracht Spandau, creative studio Z1MT, and merchandise joint-venture BRAV3 โ which is taking care of administrative tasks and sharing expertise.
Additionally, Mรผller and Niemann will be supported by Laurin Huรmann โ senior commercial manager at INSTINCT3 โ who joins as head of rightsholder management. Just like Mรผller, Huรmann was part of SPORTFIVEโs esports team (2020 – 2022). Before joining SPORTFIVE, Huรmann launched his career holding several positions at Legardรจre Sportsโ esports department (2018 – 2020).
The new agencyโs close ties to the I3 universe are reflected in its partners at launch, including Eintracht Spandau, INSTINCT3, Maximilian โHand of Bloodโ Knabe โ popular German influencer and co-founder of I3 Holding, and Z1MT. Additionally, Bright Upโs founders were able to tap into their network and attracted Freaks 4U Gaming, Shikenso Analytics, TakeTV, MYI Entertainment, and gamescomLAN as launch partners.
Bright Upโs strategy for acquiring additional partners includes โacting as intermediaries between rights holders in the entertainment, gaming, and esport worlds on one side, and both endemic and non-endemic brands on the other. Dedication to traditional marketing work, emphasizing a commitment to principles that ensure objectivity. For instance, the agency aims to open up to selected rights holders for non-exclusive marketing deals, to provide brands with transparent and independent advice.โ
Discussing the current state of the esports industry and the rationale behind launching a new marketing agency at this time, Dominic Mรผller stated, โIn recent months, there has been extensive talk about the so-called esports winter, and there may be some who consider the timing for founding a sales & marketing agency as exceptionally poor. I am convinced of the absolute opposite; never before has there been so many opportunities.โ