THE ROLE OF PLAY
IN ENGAGING THE
YOUTH MARKET

London Digital Week
24th September,
Shoreditch House
70 clients, friends and competitors
came together to discuss the role of
play in engaging the youth market

Agenda:
The Business Opportunity
Youth - who are they?
Marketing should be ‘An Inside Out’ approach
What’s the role of play?
Designing a playful experience
Play personalities
Apparently vs Genuinely playful brands

Interaction

Speakers
Tim Johan
Co-Founder of Playgroup Strategist
Ageing snowboarder Ski jumping champion (honestly!)
Jelly Baby lover Sushi monster
Lifelong West Ham fan Keen sailor

Jamie Graeme
Liverpool FC fanatic Loves ham sandwiches
Indie music geek and trees
Hates milk
Can’t stand diving
in football

Participants

We asked ourselves
How can brands develop valuable
relationships with young people?
And will this become the blueprint for
new marketing?

Discussions

The following slides are extracts from
two of the many topics discussed...

Topic #1
We are becoming
increasingly anti-marketing..

...its focus is on
persuasion...

...its goal is to present a convincing
argument that you lack something

In contrast, the act of play is
inherently rewarding...

Play creates a closer bond
between the user and brands...

...because play helps form
relationships at a higher level
than a normal brand to
customer transaction

Traditional marketing takes
an ‘outside in’ approach...

IMAGE?
NO CONVICTION, FOLLOWING

In contrast, we believe
play requires an ‘inside
out’ approach

Topic #2
Why Play?

“ The true object
of all human life
is play”
G K Chesterton, Author

The Oppertunity

Your brand will be an enabler
of creativity, fulfillment and
happiness

Intensivly and utterly absorbed
The user is utterly absorbed

Your Goal?
To create an environment where
you can unlock play behaviour...
What is the goal?
Text

Your Goal?
...which makes people
open to new ideas,
What is the goal?
Text
perspectives, impulses

Your Goal?
You can then build
strong social bonds...
What is the goal?
Text

Your Goal?
...you now have
a Brand Advocate
What is the goal?
Text

www.playgroup.com