Xbox hiring reputation manager to uplift gaming brand

Microsoft is making an effort to turn Xbox's public image around, plotting out a team of marketers and specialists to help build up the gaming brand.

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Xbox is under new leadership under CEO Asha Sharma, and Microsoft is currently hiring for an interesting position that's centered around uplifting Xbox's reputation--it's actually right in the job title. The company has put out a job listing for a Senior Manager, Xbox Brand & Reputation that aims to better control the narrative around Xbox.

"Reporting to the Xbox Head of Brand and Platform Communications, you will partner closely with the Xbox comms and marketing teams as well as Xbox Leadership, Social Media, Public Affairs and engineering teams to drive storytelling to protect and elevate the Xbox brand," the post reads.

This section is important because it highlights one of Xbox's main weak points--reacting more proactively to narrative shifts around the brand. There seems to be a permanent cloud of confusion and suspicion around the Xbox brand, and this team wants to help clear things up with consistent messaging.

Getting ahead of rumors and misinformation, wherever possible, is important now more than ever as influencers amplify all news at a much more rapid rate than traditional news comms ever could.

"This is a high-impact role that will lead business-critical proactive and reactive work across gaming corporate issues as well as larger narratives including business momentum."

This listing comes a month after Microsoft put out two other job listings for two Xbox-related marketing positions. The group is rebuilding its image following the "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign, which seemed to damage the brand among enthusiast gamers.

So far, there seems to be a new refreshed enthusiasm within and around the Xbox brand. The new CEO seems willing to look at all parts of the business with a critical eye, and following the tough layoffs that disrupted many teams and projects, Microsoft apparently now has more ability to invest into its gaming ecosystem.

How exactly these investments will actually manifest remains unclear, yet there are reports that Microsoft is readying an ad-support Xbox cloud streaming option (which seems to be great news for MENA territories).

Microsoft is also readying its next-gen console PC hybrid, Project Helix, which has been re-confirmed to be a first-party Xbox console.