Jamie Norris is the contracted marketing director who’s taking E-Blue into the North American gaming furniture and gears market.
”As a digital marketer and long time entrepreneur I was thrilled to be tasked with such an opportunity. Being a digital nomad and being able to work anywhere there is wifi” Jamie just couldn’t say no to this opportunity.
E-Blue is a 16x award winning gaming furniture and gaming gears company with deep roots and history in Asia, but is ready to take on the North American market.
Being the only company with 3 distinct product channels, Jamie feels that no one can compete with E-Blue Gaming. We have gaming furniture such as gaming desks and gaming chairs, but we also design and make our own line of gaming gears like keyboards, mice and headsets. And more tech and designs in the pipeline.
“What I’m most excited about though is the pro eSport arenas and gaming cafes that we are launching across North America” – Says Jamie
With nearly 200 already in Asia, we’re primped to redefine the cyber cafe in a big way that the US has not yet seen. Being charge of marketing I’m most thrilled to find and work with new talent and hope to sponsor some great gaming personalities.
In your own words what do you do?
I handle everything from Social Media Management, Paid Marketing Campaigns, Brand Partner Outreach, and E-commerce sales
What led you to your current role?
I’ve been an Entrepreneur since 2004. I built my own e-com store for skateboard gear and that started a hunger and drive for knowledge to build an internet empire.
Since then, I’ve done everything from E-commerce, Domain Flipping, Affiliate Marketing, Website Flipping, Local City Directories, and partnering in a Domino’s Pizza Franchise.
Along the way I spent thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars learning about Digital Marketing and business. It’s an obsession. So I started a side business doing Digital Marketing for people which lead to being contracted by E-Blue to handle their North American expansion.
Could you walk us through your process of developing your business?
E-Blue is only just expanding into the North American market. We have many retailers and distributors in place, but we as a company haven’t had a presence here yet. That’s where I come in. We are building our headquarters in Arizona and have our distribution center in Los Angles.
Now that these areas are in place, I am focusing heavily on brand awareness and partner out reach campaigns, such as working with social media influencers.
We are also rolling out our third product channel which is esport arenas / gaming cafes.
This is a huge part of our expansion plans and laying down a solid foundation within the gaming communities across America.
Did you encounter any particular difficulties in the beginning?
I’m pretty new to the company but I can say that learning on the go is a little intimidating.
Not that the role itself is scary, in fact I absolutely love it but rather the fact I am learning about distribution and logistics on the fly. As a marketer, this excites me a great deal.
What is your long term plan?
My long term plan is to turn E-Blue into a house hold name. To be the go to brand of choice for gamers and Entrepreneurs across north America.
That might seem like a large task, but with the things we have in the pipe line, licensing deals and technology being designed, I believe it’s way more than achievable.
Could you share with us some industry insights?
The global gaming industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.
With over 25 billion coming from the US in 2016 alone, the room for growth and advancement is endless.
A new growth sector in the gaming market place is eSports. People from the ages of 15-39 who game and play competitively are a huge part of our plans.
This demographic of people enjoy leaving the house and playing in groups of people at designated locations and events.
Getting the consumer out of their home and into real world locations to continue with their fun and spending habits is the next industry evolution.
What are some important lessons you’ve learnt about business?
I’ve met many people along the way who tried and failed to start a business. They give up on their dream at the first failure. Seeing it happen so many times I realize that entrepreneurship can’t be taught. You can’t take a class on business and all of sudden be a business person.
Entrepreneurial spirit is something you’re born with. You have a deep desire to learn, to overcome, to help others, to create, to inspire, to achieve and also to fail.
Because as an entrepreneur it’s simply a lesson and not a failure. If you don’t have that something burning inside of you, don’t try to start a business.
Any tips for achieving success?
In the 12+ years I’ve been an entrepreneur, I failed many times. I lost money, I lost friends and sometimes felt like I was losing my mind. But I never gave up, I didn’t let negative people tell me what I could and couldn’t do and I built a strong network of like minded people around myself. I continued to invest in myself, to continue reading new books and developing my skill set. I think that’s the key to my success and it could be the key to anyone elses. – Don’t give up, always trust yourself, always pursue new knowledge and surround yourself with the type of people you want to be like. It’s those people that keep you grounded and help keep your vision in place.
Connect
www.e-bluegaming.com
www.facebook.com/e-blueinternational
