The Visionary Series: Hailey Geller
The Forbes 30 Under 30 Marketer for XBox and Gears of War is also an active advocate in making gaming more accessible to more people around the world
Hailey is an Integrated Marketing Communications Manager for Xbox’s blockbuster action franchise, Gears of War. Hailey’s work in making marketing messages and gaming more accessible is also an incredible passion of hers and an area where she will continue to make waves in the coming years as an ally. Along with working to launch and sustain various Gears games, she is also a Shorty Award winner and Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient.
Let’s hear from Hailey!
What do you do for your work?
I am an Integrated Marketing Comms manager on the Xbox brand and advertising team, which means that I’m a brand manager dedicated to Gears of War franchise. I got into the role as part of a post college rotation program, which began when I worked on the Microsoft global advertising creative team. At the end of that internship, you can earn an opportunity for a return offer. I was then able to enter the marketing rotational program in the marketing consumer business at Microsoft, joining the same team post-graduation. It’s been a lot of fun because in my rotations, I managed global creative campaigns in given regions. What’s nice about a rotational program like this one is that you get a formal onboarding buddy, mentors, and resources, which become especially helpful when you leave the program to apply for a post-rotational program role. I was lucky enough to get my first choice in role and help with shipping games on the Gears team.
How did you first come to be involved with the career you are in now?
I was previously a pre-med major, actually! When I decided that that wasn’t for me, I reflected and realized I still wanted the opportunity to flex both my creative and strategic mind. Originally, I was thinking about going to an agency, which is where most of my college peers went because our programs bred us to build a portfolio in college. I decided to go to the brand side instead. Not only did that make the most sense for my personal life, but as a marketer, you often have such a big play in who and what a brand or franchise is and where it can grow.
What are you most excited about in your space/industry?
The shift of people around the world to more people working from home has brought everyone closer to their audiences. We are doing more ethnographic research to show why and how people love a given brand or franchise, and how that’s changed as a result of the state of the world right now. People are forced to be even more digital than ever, more active on social, and more active on live services like video games — and let me tell you, the numbers really show this to an insane degree. It’s been fun to give fans and players a view into the development side because we have that opportunity to be even more of a part of their lives, and that transparency has become more important than ever. People in marketing and gaming are realizing that you don’t necessarily have to be in person to deliver news, like at in-person events.
You do a lot of work around accessibility. Can you talk about this in the context of what’s most transformative in the world of gaming?
It has been very inspiring to see Microsoft and Xbox ensure resources and opportunities on the development side when it comes to accessibility. By being vocal, it builds an immediate relationship with the people who identify as part of the disabled community, and we get their real life feedback as a result which is super helpful. Xbox being vocal in this space will take the entire industry to a new level by giving content creators, players, and press direct access to have their voice heard in a different way. 15% of people worldwide identify as disabled, and they want to play games! But they might not be able to.
I’m taking a class right now on inclusive design, and even the language in these definitions can really help shape the conversation. As some examples, the class defines accessibility as “the creation of products that help as many people can access as independently as possible”. It defines inclusive design as "designing for and with a wide range of people”. What’s impressive about these definitions is that they don’t have a "fix it" mentality or tone to them, a tone which on its own makes it more difficult for people with disabilities to interact with the world around them.
What got you into becoming a disability advocate in gaming and marketing?
My best friend Bryan has cerebral palsy, and I’m so lucky to have him as a best friend especially because the way he talks about his disability is different than what people may expect when they see him. He talks about it very casually and playfully. I constantly have in my head, “What would Bryan say about this? How would Bryan react?” He has helped me become an ally, and has taught me about being open, asking questions, and bringing no agenda while being curious and interested. Any way that I can be Bryan’s voice of reason at a table is important, especially being in marketing. It’s important to ask the right questions of yourself when putting together messaging, because it’s all about the delivery: How are you involving the community? How are you delivering these messages? You have to come off truly genuine and that you're looking to be better and do better.
When you think about the industry, what changes do you think will take longer than expected?
Cloud gaming, VR headsets, and of course thinking about how to make games accessible for people with disabilities, all of these innovations will no doubt change the way people play. It’ll take time, but we can make it so that billions of people one day soon identify as a gamer, even if they don't have access to play now. These innovations will not only help gaming become exciting, but it’ll make gaming as accessible to as many people as possible.
What’s been the most inspiring experience you’ve had on the path to get to where you are?
Once upon a time, you couldn’t necessarily be someone who brought their Wii into the sorority house or be captain of the cheer team while also having a minor in computer science. I'm definitely a triangle in this square hole. I had no idea I could do everything I love in this space in spite of being a casual gamer (I have definitely lived that Sims and Super Mario life!). When I went to the Gears esports event in Boston 2019, that was the first time I had been surrounded by so many fans in real life. Seeing them and meeting them was the best experience I could have asked for: they’re diverse, they’re trendy, and they’re super cool. Everyone’s identity with gaming has shifted with the norms; there is no such thing as a correct preconceived notion anymore when it comes to who you are, and that’s what’s exciting about where this space is going.