Gaming As a Media Channel?
By Matthew Arnold
Product placement and in-game advertising is fast becoming a powerful medium through which you brand can be advertised. The gaming industry has been growing extremely quickly worldwide with games like Grand Theft Auto 4 breaking many release records. The increase in growth in the gaming industry has been helped by the new generation of console games namely, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 and the Nintendo Wii. These platforms allow a broader range of gamers than traditional PC gaming did. The Nintendo Wii specifically has managed to encourage non-gamers to play and have successfully achieved their goal of involving the whole family.
So gaming is booming, more gamers equals a large audience who give their full attention for long spans of time. Every marketers dream. There is a problem though, is advertising in gaming perceived positively or negatively? What does in-game advertising say about your brand?
There are two different opinions here, the first of which see your brand positively. Seeing in-game advertisements on TV's, billboards, delivery trucks etc... can add to a game's realism. Creating an environment that is similar to the real world (often an objective of game designers.) Your brand can also be associated with innovation and have an aspect of "coolness."
So what about the dark side? Well advertising is often seen by skeptical consumers as clutter, an attempt by the company to force their way into your personal space. There is no permission granted and therefore no choice for the consumer. Many gamers see gaming as a form of escapism, a way to leave the harsh reality of their daily lives and relax in a fantasy world. Seeing adverts everywhere in a game will therefore negatively damage your brand in the minds of these consumers.
So what should companies do? I believe that in-game advertising follows the same rules as other media channels; creativity is key! The best way to get your advert appreciated in an environment like this is to make sure that it is unique and quirky and is designed to suit the environment it is placed in. Having content/a message that gamers would be interested in would cast a positive light on your brand and allow you to reap the benefits of this excellent audience.
| For examples of in-game advertising check out: http://www.egamemarketing.com/examples.html Matthew Arnold |
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