A New Wave in Advertising Promotions
Companies and organizations seeking a unique venue for marketing their products or messages might want to look seriously into the video games venue which in a sense have just the opposite reach process of traditional media advertising.
AN UPSIDE-DOWN PENETRATION MODEL
Consider first the model upon which traditional media are based. Print and broadcast media are quick to offer the maximum exposure instantly with sharply diminishing returns as time progresses away from the date of introduction. However, the ability to produce the promised exposure instantly make these media the venue of choice for most marketers.
In very similar fashion to the instant market penetration afforded by traditional media the internet, through high-traffic sites, offers similar instant results for those willing and able to pay for the cost of that exposure which like traditional media advertising can be graphically presented as a pyramid... wide at the base and narrowing with each move upward in time.
On the other hand, like many of the exposure models being played out on the internet through websites, blogs, and articles whose presence is magnified as search engines find them presents an inverted penetration model in which the initial exposure starts almost unnoticeably then increases over time.
Most marketers would tend to steer clear of any models which represent more of a seed-planting approach rather than a megaphone to get their message out but when one considers the cost and ultimate potential of a somewhat viral-marketing process over a one-way ad-to-consumer process, the idea of video games as a marketing tool can be a unique way to cultivate a new audience with the potential to grow rather than diminish over time.
AN OPPORTUNITY - OLD AND NEW
The idea of giving out video games, or any freebie for that matter, is certainly nothing new in the promotions and advertising area. But what makes the concept novel is today's technology to incorporate one's message within the game interface itself rather than on the cover or accompanying literature that often gets tossed in the first place.
Unlike most advertising items... frisbees, pens, bags, and the whole spectrum of products on which is based the enormous specialty items industry, video games truly connect with the consumer while providing an opportunity to present a message that will definitely be seen and heard. The very nature of a game which involves getting others to participate, allows for a type of viral-marketing in which users pass on the message carrying venue from one to another a process that lends itself to increasing reach over time.
So when you really think about it there's nothing new about giving out a free game... it's a practice as old as promotions itself. But to give out something that folks will share with others is definitely something the marketing world can stand a bit more of!
SO, WHY NOW?
Game developers until now have had to invest major amounts in the development of games possessing the level of playability and graphics sufficient to appeal to the average players. However, like everything else in the digital field, game development software and programming-savvy types have burgeoned to create a very good amount of product on the market. This new technological venue combined with the cost-effectiveness of producing and delivering CDs and DVDs to target markets have literally created a new option for advertisers to disseminate messages to recipients more likely to keep and utilize the promotional piece.
Most of us have received complimentary CDs with an advertiser's name on the cover. But beyond that, once the CD was being enjoyed (if played at all!) there was absolutely no reference to the benefactor of the "free gift!" By their very nature, games are intended to be played and, given a good enough game, they will be played over and over. By personalizing the game - placing messages that emerge on certain events during the course of play, advertisers now have a means to stay in front of their intended audience... over and over.
A CASE IN POINT
The "Waikiki Surf Challenge" is a recent offering of a surfing video game created for play on computers. Personalized messages can be placed via banners at the open and close of the game as well as in the background that appears in between the rise and fall of the waves. Even more impactive is a talking surfer (using the customer's provided face) that comes out speaking every time a wipeout occurs. Just imagine on every wipeout, the president of Allstate appears saying "aren't you glad you're covered by Allstate?"
Using a game to put out one's message might be a little trickier than opting for the traditional media but if you're looking for a unique way to position yourself in your market, take a look at the horizon. Your wave might just be rolling in!
The author, Richard Young, is the creator of Hawaiibeachcombers.com and a marketing consultant in Hawaii. This article follows the recent launching of VideoSurfHawaii.com, a distributor of personalized surfing video games for personal use and advertising/promotional purposes.
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
Added: July 7, 2008
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