From Media Vendor to Entertainment Partner

The Gaming Division of one of the largest multinational technology companies knew that to sustain growth, they needed to change the nature of their conversations with advertisers. While they held a dominant market position, their relationships were often stuck in a transactional loop. They saw an opportunity to shift this culture and become recognised consultative entertainment partners.

A key driver for this transformation was the need to unlock non-endemic sales. To win over brands outside the traditional gaming space, the team had to move beyond technical specs and instead articulate the unique, high-impact value of their ecosystem to a broader business audience. Sellers and account managers needed the confidence to slow down, ask the right questions, and co-create bespoke solutions that connected to the challenges brands were trying to solve.

To deliver on this vision, the Learning & Development team partnered with True & North to deliver our Client-centred Thinking programme to teams in North America and EMEA. The goal was to provide sellers and account managers with a repeatable, intuitive toolkit to move beyond transactional brief-handling and toward high-value, upstream client conversations.

The programme turned consultative best practices into repeatable steps, enabling the team to:

• Uncover deeper insights through scalable client research and meeting preparation.

• Lead with curiosity by designing and asking powerful questions.

• Articulate unique value using narrative structures that resonate with non-endemic brands.

• Co-create solutions in real-time conversations to ensure greater client buy-in.

Working directly on live deals, the team transitioned from standard product pitching to value-based discussions. This shift was designed to qualify the pipeline more effectively and close deals faster, with significantly more potential for long-term strategic upside.