Gamescom Congress 2025 was held on August 21, 2025, as part of the larger Gamescom 2025 event in Cologne, Germany, which ran from August 19 to August 24, 2025. Gamescom is a massive public video game trade fair for gamers to experience the latest and greatest in games and hardware, while Gamescom Congress is an adjacent and affiliated professional conference for experts to discuss the broader social and economic impact of gaming.
One of the sessions at Gamecom Congress 2025, “Press Play – Why Every Company Needs a Gaming Strategy,” by Bastian Bergmann, the co-founder and COO of Solsten and author of the book, “Press Play” and Erika Wykes-Sneyd, General Manager & Global VP, adidas, focused on how brands can use the gaming audience to create personalized customer experiences.
Bastian Bergmann opened with a truth bomb: Gaming isn’t a subculture anymore, it’s the culture. With 3.5 billion players worldwide, gaming has eclipsed music, film, and television. It’s not just entertainment; it’s infrastructure. And yet, many companies still treat it like a novelty.
He urged brands to stop asking ‘Should we be in gaming?’ and start asking ‘How do we show up authentically?’ Gaming is where people build identity, community, and loyalty. It’s where brands can move from passive advertising to active, interactive storytelling.
Then, Erika Wykes-Sneyd stepped in to deepen the perspective about this cultural shift. She shared her experience leading Adidas into gaming and Web3, emphasizing that brands must earn their place. It’s about listening, not logos. Erika’s mantra: “Don’t just play the game. Understand the players.”
Together, they argued that gaming is no longer a vertical. It’s a horizontal layer across every industry. From fashion to finance, brands must learn to speak the language of play. Because in gaming, relevance can’t really be bought so much as built.
Explore the entire 31-minute video from Gamescom Congress 2025 talk to learn more about Bastian Bergmann and Erika Wykes-Sneyd’s perspectives and why, if you’re a business, “pressing play” is the way to go.
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