The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou #52 - Edward Newby-Robson: 20-Year AAA Marketer Breaks Down Game Branding 101
What actually is a game brand, and why do so many studios still get marketing wrong?
Today, I sit down with Edd Newby-Robson, a senior games industry marketing leader with 20+ years of experience across EA, Codemasters, Avalanche Studios, and iconic franchises like Need for Speed, Dirt, The Hunter: Call of the Wild, and more.
We break down what brand really means in games, why marketing should start at the beginning of development (not launch), and how studios can survive in a world where 18,000+ games launch every year on Steam.
Whether you’re an indie developer, AAA marketer, producer, or founder, this episode is a masterclass in modern game marketing, positioning, and brand strategy.
Connect with Edd:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardnr/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Never run out of LinkedIn content ideas again: https://idea.phokou.com/c/system
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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:08 What a “brand” actually means in games
06:13 Need for Speed: when players define your brand
10:04 Indie studios: brand mistakes to avoid
14:14 Logos vs brand attributes (and why visuals aren’t enough)
19:55 When should marketing start in game development?
22:31 How to check if your game idea has a real market
26:40 Why great games still fail commercially
28:12 Moving from marketing into production at EA
35:42 Who really owns P&L: marketing vs development
38:40 How marketers earn trust with developers
40:52 Overhyping games: Cyberpunk, No Man’s Sky & reality
45:48 Hiring great marketers (and avoiding bad hires)
52:19 Building community early: Discord & playtesting
56:37 Battlefield Labs & community-driven development
58:39 Avalanche’s Frontrunners program & early validation
01:02:15 Tips for beginners in games