MKT 380 Introduction to Social Media Marketing

Week 8

Chapter Objectives

• Describe the characteristics of social games and gamer segments

• Explain how social media marketers use social games for branding and promotion

• Discuss why social games are an effective marketing tool• Describe the characteristics of alternative reality games• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using

alternative reality games as marketing tools

Social Games

A social game is defined as a multiplayer, competitive, goal-oriented activity with defined rules of engagement and online connectivity among a community of players. Most social games include a few key elements:

• Leaderboards: a listing of the leaders in the game competition

• Achievement badges: symbols awarded to show game levels achieved and shared to the community

• Friend (buddy) lists with chat: a list of contacts with whom one plays and the ability to communicate within the game

Gamer Segments

Traditionally, gamers have been categorized either as casual or hardcore.

• Casual games (played by casual players) require only a small amount of time, are easy to learn and are readily available

• Core games (played by hardcore players) require a great time investment, are highly immersive and demand advanced skill

Gamer SegmentsGaming is not limited to male teens, as once believed

• 67 percent of households play computer games• 60 percent male overall• 55 percent female for casual social games

How We Categorize Social Games

Game design is built upon several layers, including

• platform, • mode, • milieu, and genre

Platforms

A platform refers to the hardware systems on which the game is played.

Mode and MilieuMode refers to the way the game world is experienced.

Milieu describes the visual nature of the game such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and retro.

Genres• The genre of a game refers to the method of play. Popular

genres include:• Simulation games attempt to depict real-world situations as

accurately as possible.• Action games are performative in that the player chooses an

action that the game then executes.• Role-playing games (RPGs) are games in which the players

play a character role with the goal of completing some mission.• Strategy games are those that involve expert play to organize

and value variables in the game system.

Game-Based MarketingIn-game advertising is promotion within a game that another company develops and sells. Marketers can choose from among three general methods for in-game advertising.

• Display ads• Static ads• Dynamic ads

Product PlacementA product placement is the placement of a branded item in an entertainment property such as a television program, movie, or game.

• Also includes:

• Screen placements

• Script placements

• Transactional advertising

Click here to explore this well-developed case study on Mafia Wars’ Public Enemies Week

Brand Integration

In-game immersive advertising opportunities include interactive product placements, branded in-game experiences, and game integration between the game and the brand.

Advergames

Advergaming

The game itself is a form of branded entertainment. It is designed by the brand to reflect the brand’s positioning statement.

Why Do Games Work for Marketers?There are some key characteristics of games—in addition to cost and ease of targeting—that make this domain especially attractive to marketers going forward.

• Gamers are open to advertising content in games• Brands benefit when they associate with a successful game• Players identify with the brands their characters use,

increasing brand involvement• 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

Click here to learn in depth about the Lost Ring ARG sponsored by McDonald’s

Alternate Reality Games: A Transmedia Genre

An alternate reality game (ARG) is “a cross-media genre of interactive fiction using multiple delivery and communications media, including television, radio, newspapers, Internet, email, SMS, telephone, voicemail, and postal service.”

Since ARGs involve two or more different media, they are also known as transmedia social games.

Characteristics of ARGs• ARGs are based on a fictional story. • ARGs are strategy/puzzle games. • ARGS offer clues on multiple platforms.• The story and characters are fictional, but the game space is

not. • Players collaborate to unravel the meanings of the clues offered

but they also compete to be the first to solve layers of the mystery.

• The story unfolds, but typically not in a linear fashion. • ARGs are organic; the story may not unfold as initially

conceived. • Players rely on the Internet, and especially social communities

including forums, as the hub of communication.• Players desire to share information with each other and for the

story to be followed by observers.

The Vocabulary of ARGs• Puppet master: The authors, architects, and managers of the

story and its scenarios and puzzles.• Curtain: The invisible line separating the players from the puppet

masters.• Rabbit hole: The clue or site that initiates the game.• Collective detective: A term that captures the notion of

collaboration among a team of geographically dispersed players who work together to flesh out the story.

• Lurkers and rubberneckers: Lurkers follow the game but do not actively participate; rubberneckers participate in forums but do not actively play

• Steganography: The tactic of hiding messages within another medium so that the message is undetectable for those who do not know to look for it.

• Trail: A reference index of the game including relevant sites, puzzles, in-game characters, and other information.

The Marketing Value of ARGs

The most successful ARGs in terms of participation are brand-sponsored.

The key is to ensure a high level of congruence between the game and the brand.

Many of the games do not identify the sponsor who is behind the effort.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Brand-Sponsored ARG

• ARG effectiveness measures are similar to those used for other social media approaches. Specifically:• Number of active players• Number of lurkers and rubberneckers• Rate of player registration • Number of player messages generated• Traffic at sites affiliated with the ARG• Number of forum postings • Average play time• Media impressions made through ARG generated publicity