FaZe Clan’s Matt 'Bk' Augustin on Staying Curious and Hungry

Like many marketing leaders, Matt “Bk” Augustin started out in the agency world, working on just about everything imaginable—from Tinder to the NFL to Activision Blizzard. However, when “the Social Nerd” (as people have come to know him) had the unique opportunity to join revolutionary gaming brand FaZe Clan, it was something he couldn’t pass up. As Augustin puts it, he gets culture because he contributes to culture and loves using human truths to tell stories and inspire creativity. In his biggest role yet, he leads brand partnerships for FaZe, focused on collaborations that make sense and not just cents. What's the most innovative thing you recently worked on, or are currently working on? Every time I look up we're doing something new and innovative. I’m particularly stoked about our partnership with MoonPay, the leading global crypto payments infrastructure provider. This is a first-of-its-kind partnership where a gaming brand and crypto brand are joining forces to dominate in the web3 space. A decade ago, this opportunity never would've existed. What new or up-and-coming innovation are you most excited about and how do you think it will change the future of marketing? Web3. Over the years we've seen marketing slowly change as the consumer has gained more influence. Web3 and the metaverse are only going to amplify that. Putting the consumer first, rather than your brand simply screaming talking points at them, will change the way we view, consume, and create content. What’s one piece of work from your career you’re proudest of? Swipe Night from my time at 72andSunny. We took a platform (Tinder) and not only brought video to it for the first time but created an entire gaming experience that changed the way users matched and connected with one another. It was a choose-your-own-adventure film that you played and at the end, your decisions helped users make more meaningful connections. FaZe is so much more than gaming today; it’s become an empire. What is your criteria for choosing the right business opportunities for FaZe? Our team exists to ensure we enter only into partnerships that make sense and not just cents. It's about the three pillars: Content, Community, & Authenticity. We aren't here to simply be a marketing machine or ad agency for brands. It's about putting the fans first in everything we do. If it's not authentic and does not provide some degree of utility then it will not work and we walk. We aren't here to simply be a marketing machine or ad agency for brands. What’s one major setback or moment of failure you’ve had in your career and what did you learn from it? This is my first time sharing this publicly. I was fired from my very first corporate job, after only a month and a half. I had just signed a lease in Chicago and was coming from an unpaid internship, so you can imagine how painful that was. I learned that nothing is promised; if you're not willing to go hard each and every day it could all be gone in an instant. Give yourself a moment to grieve and react, then come back with a tenacity like never before. That mentality has gotten me through a lot of ups and downs. You have to hire for one thing and one thing only. What do you look for? Vibe. A lot of skills can be taught. If I feel like you have the right vibe—someone who can make our team and overall department better—let's chat. I've had countless opportunities thrown my way because of how I presented myself versus what I presented. What’s something most people don’t know about you? My dad was born and raised in Haiti, and my mom was born and raised in Guyana (not to be confused with Ghana). We moved around a lot as I grew up, which has influenced the way I continue to expand my network. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? The great Marcus Collins told me to stop focusing so much on the type of strategist and just be an amazing strategist. Yes, I'm a creative/brand strategist, but I got here because I focused on figuring out how to be the best strategist I could be. From there, I continue to fine-tune the rest. We should give the next generation of talent a platform to have their voices heard. What one question would you ask the marketing community and why? Why is it that as we get older and into more elevated roles we tend to forget about the curious and hungry person we once were? As people rise up, lead, and start calling the shots, I have seen some individuals in turn forget to give the newer/younger talent a voice. We should remember where each of us came from, and give the next generation of talent a platform to have their voices heard.