How to Incorporate Gaming into Your Brand (Game On Expo)
Recorded live at Game On Expo, this panel features returning guests Daphne Greene and Emily Grieve as we explore how gaming influences branding from visual style and culture to personal identity. Even if you’re not a gamer, we break down what makes a brand feel authentic and be used in fresh, unexpected ways.
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Michael Zimmerlich: So we’re here on the last day of Game On Expo, and we’re talking about incorporating gaming into your brand. I’m actually really excited about this topic because, honestly, I never thought gaming would be part of what I do professionally—and now it is! I’m joined by two incredible panelists. Let’s start with introductions.
Emily Grieve: I don’t know why you picked the person who wasn’t holding the mic, but okay. I’ll go first.
Michael Zimmerlich: I always start at the end—total autopilot at this point. Go ahead.
Emily Grieve: My name’s Emily. I’m a Twitch streamer, and I also sing in a band. There’s a lot of overlap between the gaming community and what I do, both on my stream and with my music project.
Daphne Greene: And I’m Daphne Greene. I’m also a musician—my main project is Daphne and the Glitches, but I also play in Fairy Bones and a project called Ghost Moone. Outside of that, I do audio engineering, content creation, and streaming.
Michael Zimmerlich: And I’m Michael Zimmerlich. I’ll be moderating today’s discussion.
Let’s start with a big one—how would you define branding?
Daphne Greene: Branding is something you can really have fun with. I think of it as identity—how you present yourself to your fans, your followers, or even someone casually encountering your work for the first time. They should instantly get a feel for who you are and what you’re about.
Michael Zimmerlich: Emily, want to jump in?
Emily Grieve: Yeah, I totally agree. I’ve actually been going through a rebrand lately—figuring out how to present my online presence more cohesively. I do a lot of different things, so I created an umbrella identity—EmsleyGG—to bring it all together. Whether someone sees me at a Pokémon tournament or streaming on Twitch, it’s all part of that brand.
Michael Zimmerlich: What’s interesting is how all of us incorporate gaming differently. In some cases, it’s front and center. In others, it’s a more subtle layer.
Daphne Greene: Absolutely. For example, I integrate a gamer aesthetic into my band’s visuals. Just like artists go through eras, I like to do the same. Right now, we’re in our “retro game” era—with NES-style pixel art and an overall 8-bit vibe.
Emily Grieve: Not to take that away from you, but I think color is also a huge part of branding. People don’t always realize how powerful it is to have a consistent color scheme. For me, it’s black, pink, and white—it shows up in everything I do.
Michael Zimmerlich: Totally agree. Our mutual friend Moira, who’s a fantastic graphic designer, always emphasizes that too. Color consistency builds familiarity. With my podcast, everything—from logos to social posts—follows the same visual identity.
Emily Grieve: If you don’t mind me jumping in again—I’ve got a question for someone here in the audience. You’re exploring branding and you’re starting to pivot from film to gaming content. What got you interested in making that shift?
Audience Member: Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with our audience. We’re seeing more engagement on our gaming content than on film, and the overlap just keeps growing.
Emily Grieve: That’s awesome—and really smart. You're recognizing the shift in your audience and evolving your content with it. That’s such an important part of branding.
Michael Zimmerlich: Yeah, it really is. Marvel Rivals is another big one in this space.
Emily Grieve: Definitely. And of course, you’ve got games like Overwatch and Fortnite—they’re all incredibly vibrant and stylized. And those visuals become part of your personal aesthetic if you’re building a brand around them.
Michael Zimmerlich: Right. A lot of those games, especially the more colorful first-person shooters, create a very distinct vibe that you can build on as a creator.
Emily Grieve: Exactly. And let’s be honest—I’m inconsistent with streaming, but branding-wise, I make sure people still recognize me even when I’m not live every day. Consistency doesn’t always mean schedule—it means presence.
Michael Zimmerlich: And even with that, Emily’s done an amazing job. I’ve learned a lot from watching how she’s grown her channel.
Emily Grieve: Thank you! I can definitely share some logistics of branding a stream if that helps anyone.
Michael Zimmerlich: Please—take it away.
Emily Grieve: So, first thing: pick a key color. One color you can tie everything back to. You can build a palette later, but that one color should be unmistakably you.
Michael Zimmerlich: And your name on Twitch is EmsleyGG, right?
Emily Grieve: Yeah, and that’s where it started—but I realized I needed a more professional email too. The original username was taken, so I went with a Gmail that includes “business” just so I could use it across my projects.
Michael Zimmerlich: That’s smart. For example, my Twitch handle used to be NeoTheOne15—a long time ago—but now it’s Omelette Prevail. That brand is more aligned with my creative work now.
Emily Grieve: Exactly. And once you figure out the branding structure—whether that’s for a stream or a band—you want to think about how it carries across everything. From how you design your overlays to your social handles and even your merch.
Michael Zimmerlich: Daphne, I’d love to bring you in here—because you do a lot with visual design, especially with pixel art and video content. How have you approached content creation and branding?
Daphne Greene: For me, it’s been kind of an evolution. I started way back when I was in a band called Statues of Cats in Los Angeles. And now I try to bring all my creative skills together—music, visuals, even coding—to build cohesive experiences.
Michael Zimmerlich: You also learned how to code, right?
Daphne Greene: Yeah. That’s been a challenge, but also really fun. I love designing the pixel art, and now I can actually turn that into playable moments or interactive elements that match my aesthetic.
Emily Grieve: And speaking of design, even what you wear can become part of your brand. I know streamers who always wear the same kind of hat, and it becomes one of their channel redeems—like, “What color beanie is it today?”
Daphne Greene: Exactly. For me, it’s hair and makeup—I go super bold with both. It's become part of how people recognize me.
Michael Zimmerlich: And honestly, you two are spot on. I keep consistently hitting the table apparently—that’s my brand!
Daphne Greene: (laughs) Table tapping. Got it.
Emily Grieve: Sorry to whoever’s editing this later!
Michael Zimmerlich: Moira is our post-production lead, and they’re probably going to curse us out for the extra editing work.
Emily Grieve: But it’s true—consistency matters, even in silly ways. It builds familiarity and makes you memorable.
Michael Zimmerlich: It’s the same idea when it comes to pitching your brand. When you go to someone and ask for support—whether it’s sponsorship or collaboration—you need to have something consistent to present.
Emily Grieve: And never forget: it’s okay to ask for things. But also understand your own value. You’re a creator. You bring something to the table.
Michael Zimmerlich: That’s so important. Know your worth. And also know when you’re okay with exposure versus when you need to push for compensation.
Emily Grieve: Right. There’s no shame in taking exposure if it helps your goals—but also don’t be afraid to say, “Hey, I deserve to be paid for this.”
Michael Zimmerlich: We’ve got a few minutes left. Any last thoughts before we wrap?
Emily Grieve: Just that this has been such a great convo. I’m glad we got to dive into all these perspectives.
Michael Zimmerlich: Same here. This kind of creative discussion is exactly why I do what I do. Thanks to both of you—and to everyone here—for joining us.