Marketers have long known about the business potential hidden in the ever-growing market for online gaming. It is known that millions of people around the world play different types of online games. The wide range of games available, from single-player trivia, puzzles, sports, and casino games to multiplayer classics like backgammon and chess, to massive role-playing and strategy games like World of Warcraft and Lineage, appeal to a wide variety of players.
Recent surveys show that online gaming is not the exclusive territory of 25-35 year old men. More than 50% of women of the same age play online games on a regular basis, plus a decent percentage of older (and of course, younger) men and women who are also concerned with the world of internet gaming. For marketers, these numbers mean a unique opportunity to expose all kinds of products to millions of potential customers.
Marketers use a variety of online marketing techniques to approach the massive crowd of online players, including traditional advertisements and more creative and advanced types of online marketing tools. From chewing gum to cars to anti-depression drugs, it seems like everyone is seeking the attention of online gamers.
One of the most common ways to promote a brand is through online games. For example, the Chrysler Group, the owner of the Dodge brand, has an exclusive gaming website dedicated to racing games, in which the player can drive the latest models of the company, and if he plays well, the players are rewarded with a HEMI® Power Bonus. !
Online pool as a test case
Let’s say you want to play pool online. When you click on “pool online” on one of the Internet’s biggest search engines, you’ll find two major food manufacturers fighting for the chance to promote their brands on your virtual pool table.
The giant Wrigley’s chewing gum company is the sponsor of the popular gaming portal, known mainly for its online billiards games. Once you’ve entered the Candystand virtual pool room, you’ll be asked to customize your game from a selection of three layouts, each representing a different brand of gum, the logo of which runs across the entire pool table. Would you consider chewing on an icebreaker later?
You will face the same dilemma if you choose to play Nabisco World. However, if you choose the most popular option today, Yahoo! Pool, you won’t be able to escape the ads either; immediately after registering and before entering the desired game room, Yahoo! Games Sponsor Publications.
As you can see, today’s marketers have learned to take advantage of
(not necessarily in the negative sense) of the growing interest in online games. From industry moguls to small local businesses, most have come to the conclusion that online game marketing is much more effective and profitable than advertising campaigns.
