Jasmin Oestreicher: Berlin attracts talent from around the world

Interview with Jasmin Oestreicher, CEO of INSTINCT3

INSTINCT3 is a successful creative agency and specialized on influencers and games. Known for influencers like HandOfBlood as well as for exciting projects such as their esports team Eintracht Spandau and the Influencer Darts World Championship, they manage to bring excitement to people not only in their home district Berlin-Spandau, but throughout all of Germany and even internationally. Jasmin Oestreicher, CEO of INSTINCT3, reflects on a successful year 2024, the versatility of her team and gives an outlook on the near future.

Jasmin Oestreicher: Stepping into the CEO position has been both an honor and incredibly demanding. I set high expectations not just for myself but also for my work and the teams around me. When I started, I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility— “I owe my team a place where they can thrive, trust one another, and grow.” While that’s a vision most leaders share, achieving it fully is often easier said than done, especially when measured against my own high standards.

I’ve learned a lot about patience and about recognizing that I don’t have to carry the responsibility of our business alone. I’m lucky to be surrounded by an amazing team of talented individuals. Our leads, in particular, have been instrumental in managing the weight of daily operations while shaping a shared future perspective for the company we all believe in.

Balancing the demands of daily business with the need to be visionary and resilient was something I wasn’t fully prepared for—especially the impact it would have on my sense of empathy. As a compassionate leader, it was difficult for me to adjust to the fact that making final decisions—ones that affect everyone differently—is my responsibility. It’s not often talked about, but the role comes with a certain loss of empathy at times because you can’t please everyone. My decisions impact 48 people, and while it brings me so much joy to see them thrive and succeed, the fear of failing them is something that’s always on my mind.

The team developed a strategy with our influencer HandOfBlood after witnessing the first successful cases of expanding into other business areas in 2023. This led to the creation of several new products and brands we’re proud to call our own. For example, our malt beer brand “Knabe Malz” has become highly successful in the regional DACH market, and the “Influencer Darts World Championship” debuted in the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin, hosting 1,500 live guests. We plan to build on this success, leveraging the insights gained from these ventures to further expand into selected business areas in 2025 and beyond.

It’s essential to both solidify our existing business and expand into areas that feel authentic and meaningful to us. I firmly believe there are strong synergies between our creative drive for excellence, our ability to build successful brands, and the principles of ecological growth and stability. Ultimately, diversifying income streams is a strategy designed to help our artists become less dependent on singular revenue sources, such as platform income or traditional sponsorship deals.

I am particularly excited for our publishing business and see a lot of potential in the expertise we bring to the table. Besides our knowledge within the creator ecosystem, we offer creative and project realization expertise to plan and execute dedicated marketing campaigns for our published games. And it matters to me personally. I come from the publishing side and reconnecting with developers and studios to enable them to make their games successful is incredibly rewarding.

We are extremely versatile in our planning and execution. Adjusting to an ever-changing landscape whether it be in dedicated projects or from a holistic business perspective. If we see an opportunity, we are not afraid to divert from the usual path or the path we previously set for us. This can be both a blessing and a curse – on one hand it might be one of the reasons why we are so successful, on the other hand it can be demanding and cost a lot of energy to go the extra mile and take risks. Making decisions that offer the right amount of balance is crucial to use this versatility.

One standout perk is our 1,000 m² office, which, over the past two years, has transformed into a welcoming, homey space. This is largely thanks to our colleagues increasingly choosing to work here, recognizing the value of in-person collaboration over fully remote setups.

Our E-Sports division, Eintracht Spandau, has also had a significant cultural impact. Fans don’t just identify with the team—they see Spandau as a hub for public viewings and fan gatherings. A great example is the EU Masters finale in League of Legends, where our team and fan club organized a public viewing for 400 people at Spandau’s open-air cinema within just 24 hours. Fans traveled up to 800 km to celebrate our team’s victory.

This event perfectly illustrates how gaming and local communities can connect in meaningful ways. The trust and support we’ve earned from Spandau’s local authorities mean a lot to us—and yes, even the Mayor of Spandau joined in the celebration that day!

Berlin is a hub for creatives, and gaming is no exception. The city attracts talent from around the world, fostering collaboration between developers, marketers, and content creators. For agencies like ours, this creates incredible opportunities. I believe the market will continue to grow, especially as gaming merges with other entertainment sectors like music or live event experiences.

On the downside, the market contractions we’re experiencing in our daily business are a challenge that likely won’t resolve by 2025. Major game releases are becoming less frequent, marketing budgets are shrinking, and smaller studios are struggling without secure federal funding or alternative investment sources.

That said, few things strengthen an industry like a crisis. It pushes us to forge new bonds and synergies that can fortify the gaming sector. Events like gamescom LAN, Caggtus, Polaris, and of course, gamescom itself, provide clear evidence that gaming has firmly established itself as part of our culture and holds a significant position in society. This is something we’ve noticed firsthand—I don’t think my colleagues and I have ever been invited to as many forums to explain gaming culture as we have in 2024. And that’s a great sign of progress.

I want to solidify the foundation we’ve built in terms of diversification while continuing to innovate. This means scaling successful projects and products we already own, while also exploring new ways to utilize our strengths. My ultimate vision is to grow INSTINCT3 into a multi-dimensional powerhouse that remains agile, creative, and ahead of the curve by building brands with creators.