Social Entertainment Chapter Seven

Learning Objectives What are the characteristics of social games and gamer segments? How can social media marketers use social games to meet branding objectives? Why are social games an effective tool for marketing? What are the characteristics of alternate reality games (ARGs)? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using alternate reality games as a marketing communications channel?

Social Entertainment Zone Social entertainment zone is among the fastest growing areas of social media Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Tuten, T., & Solomon, M. (2013). Social Media Marketing. Boston: Pearson.

Social Games Augmented reality (AR) - a form of technology that enables the overlay of digital images and information over a real (physical) environment QR Code - a two-dimensional bar code that can be read using a webcam or mobile device equipped with a code reader QR = Quick Response Social Game - a multiplayer, competitive, goal-oriented activity with defined rules of engagement and online connectivity among a community of players Key elements: leaderboards, achievement badges, friend (buddy) lists

Gamer Segments Casual games - low barriers-to-entry; require only a small amount of time per session, are easy to learn, and are readily available online Core games - require extended lengths of time per gameplay session (90 minutes or several hours), are highly immersive, and demand advanced skills for ongoing play; may be available online or may have specific hardware and software requirements Image Sources: http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/sledgehammer-games-to-develop-2014-call-of-duty-release http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bejeweled

Gamer Segments 67% of American households play computer and video games Average gamer is 34 years old with 12 years of gaming experience eMarketer estimated that 40 million people played social games in the U.S. in 2010 Games exhibit a high degree of stickiness Gamers spend more time gaming online than they do on the Internet in all other activities except social networking Image Source: http://spotlight.education.uconn.edu/2013/well-designed-video-games-can-enhance-problem-solving-skills-and-make-learning-more-effective/

Gamer Segments Games meet all of the criteria for viable market segmentation: The market is substantial, reachable, and measurable The gaming demographic has broadened so that games are now considered viable vehicles to reach women and older consumers as well as young males Gamers spend sufficient, dedicated time with games to achieve valuable ad impressions

How We Categorize Social Games Game Platforms Game platform - the hardware systems on which the game is played Game consoles - interactive, electronic devices used to display video games (ex. Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360) Computers (ex. online games) Portable devices (ex. Sony PSP, Nintendo DS) Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Tuten, T., & Solomon, M. (2013). Social Media Marketing. Boston: Pearson.

How We Categorize Social Games Mode and Milieu Mode - the way the game world is experienced (single/multiplayer, close/virtual proximity, real-time/turn-based) Milieu - the visual nature of the game (science fiction, fantasy, horror, and retro) Image Source: http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/08/04/and-the-most-popular-video-game-developer-in-japan-is/

How We Categorize Social Games Genres Genre - the method of play Simulation games - attempt to depict real-world situations as accurately as possible (ex. racing/flight simulations) Action games First-person shooters (FPS) - “see” the game as the avatar does Third-person games Role-playing games (RPGs) - the players play a character role with the goal of completing some mission, closely tied to the milieu of fantasy MMORPGs - massive multiplayer online role-playing games Strategy games - involve expert play to organize and value variables in the game system; may involve contextualizing information available from secondary resources Puzzle games

Game-Based Marketing Advergame - a game that delivers a branded message In-Game Advertising - promotion within a game that another company develops and sells Display ads - integrated in a game's environment as billboards, movie posters, and store fronts, or simply as ad space within the game screen Image Source: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/695860/in-game-advertising-spending-to-hit-1-billion-in-2014/

Game-Based Marketing In-Game Advertising Static ads - hard-coded in into the game and ensure that all players view the advertising Dynamic ads - variable; change based on specific criteria, offer a high degree of control and real-time measurements Image Source: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/home/microsofts_shutting_down_its_-game_advertising_division

Product Placement Product placement - the placement of a branded item in an entertainment property such as a television program, movie, or game Screen placement - incorporate the brand into what’s happening on the show Image Source: http://www.marketing4food.com/Product-Placement-Alimentos-Cine-TV/

Product Placement Script placement - verbal mentions of the brand’s name and attributes in the plot Transactional advertising - rewards players if they respond to a request; part product placement, part direct response advertising, and part sales promotion Rewards: virtual goods (which players can use in the game or offer as gifts to friends), currency (used to advance in the game), codes (used to unlock prizes and limited-access player experiences)

Brand Integration In-game immersive advertising - interactive product placements, branded in game experiences, and game integration between the game and the brand Plot placement - involves situations in which the brand is actually incorporated into the story in a substantive manner (film industry)

Brand Integration Advergames Game itself is a form of branded entertainment Almost exclusively available online Tend to be more casual rather than core games Goal = spread a branded message “Reskinned” versions of existing games - reprogrammed to contain brand logos/other sponsored images Not intended to make money Lack technical and sophistication Image Source: http://wellgames.com/partnership-game.html

The Bottom Line: Why Do Social Games Work for Marketers? Social games have huge potential for marketers Social games make it possible to finely target users because most games attract a distinct type of player Relatively inexpensive to use the social game medium to advertise Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7cFJqEcDEI

The Bottom Line: Why Do Social Games Work for Marketers? Brand exclusivity is available where a sponsor is the sole advertiser in a gaming environment Metrics are available to measure how well the game works to attract players Image Source: http://www.totalmarketexposure.com/coca-cola-olympic-advertising-campaign/

The Bottom Line: Why Do Social Games Work for Marketers? Negatives of social game advertising game clutter: there are too many games out that compete for a player’s attention problem because of the time investment involved in playing a game available inventory for in-game advertising

The Bottom Line: Why Do Social Games Work for Marketers? Key characteristics of games that make advertising in social games attractive to marketers gamers are open to advertising content in games brands benefit when they associate with a successful game Transference Effect: when players love a game, some of the positive feelings rub off on the brands they encounter within it Internalization: occurs when members of the target market accept the beliefs of an endorser as their own Meaning Transfer Model: states that consumers associate meaning with the endorser & then transfer the meaning to the brand in question Image Source: http://alwaysinfo.co.uk/images/i/use-social-gaming/0

The Bottom Line: Why Do Social Games Work for Marketers? Key characteristics of games that make advertising in social games attractive to marketers (continued) players identify with the brands their characters use this increases their brand involvement Image Source: http://stryvemarketing.com/social-gaming-why-and-how-to-use-it/

The Bottom Line: Why Do Social Games Work for Marketers? Key characteristics of games that make advertising in social games attractive to marketers (continued) branding within a game’s story is an unobtrusive way to share a brand’s core message marketers can measure a game’s promotional value Counterarguing: when spectators become actors, they are less likely to sit back & think of reasons why the advertising message (on the screen) doesn’t apply to them Image Source: http://kierstenkosko.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/in-game-advertising-is-raising-the-bar-for-marketers/

The Bottom Line: Why Do Social Games Work for Marketers? Narrative Transportation Theory explains how imagined interactivity can build positive brand attitudes proposes that mental stimulation through narrative storytelling encourages players to become lost in the story once immersed in the plot, players are distracted from the advertising embedded in the game & do not counterargue against those messages results in players forming attitudes toward the brand simply based on the positive feelings the story evokes

The Bottom Line: Why Do Social Games Work for Marketers? Image Sources: http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/137459-In-Game-Advertising-Product-Placement-in-Games http://www.brandnewgame.nl/category/ingame-advertising/

Alternate Reality Games: A Transmedia Genre Unfiction.com defines an alternate reality game as a “cross-media genre of interactive fiction using multiple delivery & communications media, including TV, radio, newspapers, Internet, email, SMS, telephone, voicemail, & postal service” Image Source: http://www.ourmanstarr.com/rokkus-radio.html

Alternate Reality Games: A Transmedia Genre Transmedia Social Games: games that involve two or more different media (ARGs are transmedia social games) Image Source: http://allthingsd.com/20121115/google-launches-ingress-a-worldwide-mobile-alternate-reality-game/

Alternate Reality Games: A Transmedia Genre Characteristics of ARGs begin with a scripted scenario; are based on a fictional story characters, events, places, & plot are imagined & explored by the game writers (known as puppet masters) Characteristics of ARGs strategy/puzzle games collective detective: acknowledges the need for a team approach to solve the mystery Image Sources: http://guides.gamepressure.com/destiny/guide.asp?ID=25722 http://thegamershub.net/2012/11/new-bungie-game-concept-art-and-details-leak/destiny-what-is-the-story/

Alternate Reality Games: A Transmedia Genre Characteristics of ARGs players collaborate to unravel the meanings of clues but also compete to be the first to solve layers of the mystery

Alternate Reality Games: A Transmedia Genre The Vocabulary of ARGs

Alternate Reality Games: A Transmedia Genre The Marketing Value of ARGs

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Brand-Sponsored ARGs

Chapter Summary