MARKETING IN A GAMING WORLD

Marketers grab your controls!

Why Gaming? Traditional Media over saturated Need to be where consumers are With surge in Social gaming more

consumers using this platform – no longer niche (or ‘nerdy’)

Game consoles now more portable – phones, ipads

Innovative & impressive Reaches target directly & encourages

relationship development via continuous exposure & interaction

Social Gaming

 Playing games as a way of social interaction, as opposed to playing games in solitude

No longer restricted to card games or board games

Can include RPGs – Second Life, Sims Social Network games – Hotel City,

Restaurant City, Sims Social Multi-Player Video games – FIFA,

Battlefield, CoD

Who’s Playing?

Game console not restricted to PS or Xbox – laptop/phone

Mainly secondary & tertiary students as well as working professionals

These are real people playing either as themselves, or the version of themselves they would prefer to be – RPGs

Time of play - anytime

What Are They Playing?

How to Utilize Social Gaming Space?Much like Facebook brand pages and Twitter corporate accounts, social gaming has become a much-desired “Brandstand.”  In marketers’ eyes, social gaming is less about consumers growing virtual crops and more about growing consumer impressions and advertisers’ bottom lines.  Game developers such as Zynga and Cie Games are opening up to advertisers in big ways —  even making advertisers’ products critical components of gameplay.  Shrewd marketers recognize the potential in social gaming engagement, game developers see the value to consumers and media companies see dollar signs, it’s an advertising platform in the making.

Virtual goods are estimated to be $3.0+ billion business and the relationships established now will be critical to the share of an estimated $6-$7.9 billion industry by 2013 and 2015, respectively.  While a distinction exists between the “virtual goods” market and social game advertising, game developers such as Zynga are ramping up brand integration into their products and virtual offerings – in effect blending the two avenues into one.  Platforms such as Facebook have addressed social gaming growth as well by offering new features and making games feel less intrusive (in other words, less like spam).  Furthermore, Yahoo, Myspace and Google have all made large plays in preparation for the social gaming turf wars.  Social games will soon reach far beyond the Facebook platform and integrate even further onto consumers’ mobile devices, creating an explosive engagement channel that will reach a far greater audience in the future.  Now is the time for brands to cultivate these consumers and test the waters.  The payoff could be much more tangible than virtual currency or digital crops.

Bryan Bartlett, Marketing Analyst, NM Incite – US

How to Utilize Social Gaming Space?

AdvertisingIntegration

Examples of Brand Integration

Examples of Brand Integration

Examples of Brand Integration: Virtual Goods

EDUCATION

Examples of Brand

Integration within

1. My Audience doesn’t play video games

2. Virtual worlds are not for Serious companies

3. Its always about Capitalism4. Social Games are a Fad

1. My Audience doesn’t play video games

2. Virtual worlds are not for Serious companies

3. Its always about Capitalism

Social Netowking +1 Social gaming +2 Games are addictive and engaging Data points toward continued growth

and increasing popularity

4. Social Games are a Fad

Bottom Line

Consumers are glued to their gaming devices for countless hours of each day

Less time spent on traditional media Too much clutter Need for Direct Hit Social interaction allows for discussion

on brands Everyday virtual use can trickle into real

life usage

Thank You!