Esports and Gaming Marketing Veterans Launch Bright Up Agency

Bright Up Co-Founders Dominic Müller (left) and Marco Niemann (right) - Credit: Bright Up Agency

Esports and gaming marketing veterans Dominic Müller 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 “redefine the balance between results-oriented and values-oriented approaches prevailing in sales circles.”

Dominic Müller’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, Müller 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 – the parent company of influencer marketing agency INSTINCT3, esports team Eintracht Spandau, creative studio Z1MT, and merchandise joint-venture BRAV3 – which is taking care of administrative tasks and sharing expertise.

Additionally, Müller and Niemann will be supported by Laurin Hußmann – senior commercial manager at INSTINCT3 – who joins as head of rightsholder management. Just like Müller, Hußmann was part of SPORTFIVE’s esports team (2020 – 2022). Before joining SPORTFIVE, Hußmann launched his career holding several positions at Legardère Sports’ esports department (2018 – 2020).

The new agency’s close ties to the I3 universe are reflected in its partners at launch, including Eintracht Spandau, INSTINCT3, Maximilian “Hand of Blood” Knabe – popular German influencer and co-founder of I3 Holding, and Z1MT. Additionally, Bright Up’s founders were able to tap into their network and attracted Freaks 4U Gaming, Shikenso Analytics, TakeTV, MYI Entertainment, and gamescomLAN as launch partners.

Bright Up’s strategy for acquiring additional partners includes “acting 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.”

Discussing the current state of the esports industry and the rationale behind launching a new marketing agency at this time, Dominic Müller stated, “In 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.”