by Regina Nisita, Account Supervisor, Affect Strategies
Many of us can admit to spending some time in any given day on our computers, mobile devices or consoles playing games. Some gamers prefer online single-player games, while others seek out communities within their gaming worlds, while still others like to gather with a group of friends in their homes for fierce game challenges. So, of these, who are the social gamers and how is social gaming changing the gaming and marketing landscape?
Today kicked off the first day of Social Media Week 2011. I had the opportunity to attend a panel in New York City, “How Social Dynamics are Reshaping Gaming.” The panel consisted of:
- Josh Shabtai, Emerging Media Strategist, JWT
- Keith Katz, VP of Marketing, Open Feint
- Bill Clifford, VP, Global Ad Sales, Wild Tangent
- Manny Anekal, Director of Brand Advertising, Zynga Games
- Moderator: Nick Parish, North American Editor, Contagious Magazine
The discussion immediately launched into defining a social game. There are some differing opinions about what truly makes a social game versus a regular game, especially since many people will say that most multi-player games, whether video or board, are inherently social. A few definitions were offered by the panelists that helped to frame the discussion: any game that builds an online community; gaming regardless of time, space and geographic location; and games where “friends” can help each other reach specific achievements in game play. For the purpose of the panel, the discussion focused mainly on multi-player online games, whether played on a mobile device, console or computer.
Social games have seen an influx in popularity over the past few years, especially with games like Farmville and Mafia Wars on Facebook. So how has this popularity changed the face of gaming and, as a result, marketing? Here are some insights from the panel:
- Immediate feedback from the gaming community: According to the panel, one aspect of social gaming that has had a great impact on the gaming industry has been the availability of immediate feedback. Instead of waiting weeks to hear player feedback, social games have the ability to provide real time feedback immediately after launch. This not only gives consumers a voice in suggesting fixes for game play but it also give developers the opportunity to change game play, sometimes within hours.
- Changes to KPI to meet social gaming structure: Instead of using the old ways to measure success (for example, click-through rates), new KPIs must be used that make more sense in the social gaming world and can measure the interactive nature of games. The panel suggested a few including engagement time, share-through rate and like rate. As with any campaign, brand marketers must determine first what the campaign’s goals are before starting any social game campaign. Without knowing what you want to measure and what you are basing the success of the campaign on, it is very easy to fall back into old habits which may not demonstrate the true success of the campaign.
- As always, product placement/branding must feel organic: Manny Anekal from Zynga Games mentioned that, more and more, brands need to go to where its audience is, not build a game for its audience. Part of the reason for this is gamers, casual or not, do not like product placement that does not naturally tie into the game play or storyline. Instead of building a game that does not have anything to do with your brand, figure out where your audience is and make sure the product is a good fit for the game. One example, Farmer’s Insurance in Farmville. Also, don’t advertise your brand just for the sake of advertising. Keith Katz, VP of marketing at Open Feint brought up a good point. Gamers want rewards. The best way to make them notice your brand? Tie the brand into a game reward or plot point. This way, the gamer is forced to recognize the brand.
As marketers, we are always looking for new ways to reach out target audiences. Keep an eye on social gaming. It could be the next big boom in marketing.
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