To counter intense gamer backlash against AI, Razer's CEO strategically repositions the company's investment. He frames AI not as a tool for creating generative content 'slop,' but as a backend solution to improve game quality through better QA and bug squashing.

Unlike software, marketing physical hardware demands a significant focus on in-person experiences like trade shows and partner events. Customers need to physically touch and interact with the product to understand its differentiation, something a spec sheet cannot convey. This fundamentally shifts the marketing mix away from purely digital channels.

Instead of a generic conference happy hour, Harris Kenny organized a sponsored, invite-only laser tag event. This unconventional approach generated significant buzz, attracted a highly targeted "if you know, you know" audience, and reinforced the brand's unique identity in a stodgy enterprise sales space.

Razer's product development eschews financial projections for a simple, passion-driven metric. A concept becomes a product if the internal team thinks it's cool and wants to use it themselves, fostering a culture of building genuinely desirable items.

Razer's strategy of taking paid reservations for 'concept' products like Project Eva creates commercial commitment before critical features, specs, and safety protocols are finalized. This blurs the line between market testing and an actual product launch, managing expectations through ambiguity.

Committing to a major trade show a year in advance created a high-stakes deadline. This financial and reputational risk forced the team to professionalize, develop new products, and create a marketing plan around the event. The event wasn't just a sales channel; it was a catalyst for focused growth.

Top-tier event programmers, like those at CES, prioritize finding the best speakers and deepest experts in a field, then build the program around them. To get selected, focus on establishing and proving your authentic, deep expertise in one specific niche, rather than just pitching a topic.

The prevailing AI theme at CES has shifted dramatically. Gone are the days of quirky, standalone AI gadgets from small players. This year is dominated by major product line announcements from giants like NVIDIA and Amazon, indicating the AI industry is maturing from a phase of novelty to a more serious era of defining and owning entire product categories.

In-person events create a powerful, hard-to-replicate competitive moat. While rivals can easily copy your digital products or content with AI, they cannot replicate the unique community, experience, and brand loyalty fostered by well-executed IRL gatherings.