With less than a year under its belt, eUnited has quickly shaken up the competitive ranks, including the team’s recent win at the CWL Atlanta Open. Under the watchful eyes of franchise co-founders Adam Stein and Jamie Daquino, Since launching with a CS:GO team last August, eUnited now boasts representation in Overwatch, League of Legends, Gears of War, Call of Duty, and Smite. Cynopsis eSports asked Stein and Daquino about their team’s launch and rise up the charts, building the brand and their interest in the upcoming Overwatch League.
Stein on forming eUnited: Our foray into esports was driven because we felt we could build a brand that we felt could really be one of the first organizations that really bridged the gap between hardcore gamers and casual fans who were just getting into esports by acquiring a number of teams across a number of titles. We’d focus on doing business the right way and over time we’d be able to build a brand that connects with different audiences. That’s one reason why we focused on an accessible name like eUnited.
Daquino on esports as an investment opportunity: We started looking at the industry and the growth potential, we thought it was an incredibly exciting space to be in. It was a chance to own a pro sports team and get into an area with huge upside. We recognized it as an opportunity to build a business from the ground floor up and when you combine that with the notion that we have always wanted to be in the sports world, owning teams that can actually be competitive and win titles, it was a great marriage to combine all of our skillsets. One of the things that got us excited about the space was that it was vibrant and filled with passionate fans and we felt like we could surround ourselves with bright folks to make a powerful combination for eUnited.
Stein on building a brand: For us, the first thing was to make sure we did two things: the first was to build teams that win and we are fortunate that we have found super-motivated and talented gamers that can be successful in the field of play. Beyond that, we have focused on getting all those guys all the tools they need to be successful. We don’t want to squabble over whether they need a new computer. We want to follow up with what we say we are going to do. The other thing is to make sure that every chance that we get, we get out there to promote the eUnited brand, not only through Twitter, our website, etc., as well as through smart content about this up and coming hot brand.
Daquino on the role of players in marketing: We are trying to develop a culture where the success of the organization is something that everybody participates in. While we encourage players to be out there with their own personal brand, we also want them actively out there promoting the organization. What we’ve seen happen is that our League of Legends guys will be at their house, tweeting about our Call of Duty team playing across the country, communicating how proud they are.
Stein on Overwatch League: It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of esports in general and want to acquire a team and a championship in almost every single esport or game. But for us, each title serves a different purpose. An important focus at eUnited is to have a stake in League of Legends and Overwatch. Those are the two dominant games and being a part of the upcoming Overwatch League is vital to us. We think, much like a lot of other wonderful organizations, that we want the opportunity to be a part of that. A lot remains to be seen as to how that plays out but we are actively pursuing a slot in that league.
