This document discusses how marketers can utilize social gaming platforms. It notes that traditional media is oversaturated, so marketers need to engage consumers where they are spending more time - on social games. Social gaming allows for social interaction through games on various platforms like phones and tablets. It is no longer niche and includes various genres that people of different demographics enjoy. The document discusses how game developers are opening up to advertisers by integrating their products into gameplay. It provides examples of how brands can be integrated either through virtual goods or placements within games. It argues that social gaming is an emerging advertising channel that marketers should engage with now to build relationships as the industry is estimated to be worth billions in the coming years.

1. MARKETING IN A GAMING
WORLD
Marketers grab your controls!

2. Why Gaming?
 Traditional Media over saturated
 Need to be where consumers are
 With surge in Social gaming more consumers
using this platform – no longer niche (or ‘nerdy’)
 Game consoles now more portable – phones, ipads
 Innovative & impressive
 Reaches target directly & encourages
relationship development via continuous
exposure & interaction

3. Social Gaming
 Playing games as a way of social
interaction, as opposed to playing games in
solitude
 No longer restricted to card games or board
games
 Can include
 RPGs – Second Life, Sims
 Social Network games – Hotel City, Restaurant
City, Sims Social
 Multi-Player Video games – FIFA, Battlefield, CoD

4. Who’s Playing?
 Game console not restricted to PS or Xbox –
laptop/phone
 Mainly secondary & tertiary students as well
as working professionals
 These are real people playing either as
themselves, or the version of themselves they
would prefer to be – RPGs
 Time of play - anytime

5. What Are They Playing?

6. How to Utilize Social Gaming Space?
Much like Facebook brand pages and Twitter corporate accounts, social gaming has become a
much-desired “Brandstand.” In marketers’ eyes, social gaming is less about consumers growing
virtual crops and more about growing consumer impressions and advertisers’ bottom
lines. Game developers such as Zynga and Cie Games are opening up to advertisers in big ways
— even making advertisers’ products critical components of gameplay. Shrewd marketers
recognize the potential in social gaming engagement, game developers see the value to
consumers and media companies see dollar signs, it’s an advertising platform in the making.
Virtual goods are estimated to be $3.0+ billion business and the relationships established now
will be critical to the share of an estimated $6-$7.9 billion industry by 2013 and 2015,
respectively. While a distinction exists between the “virtual goods” market and social game
advertising, game developers such as Zynga are ramping up brand integration into their
products and virtual offerings – in effect blending the two avenues into one. Platforms such as
Facebook have addressed social gaming growth as well by offering new features and making
games feel less intrusive (in other words, less like spam). Furthermore, Yahoo, Myspace and
Google have all made large plays in preparation for the social gaming turf wars. Social games
will soon reach far beyond the Facebook platform and integrate even further onto consumers’
mobile devices, creating an explosive engagement channel that will reach a far greater audience
in the future. Now is the time for brands to cultivate these consumers and test the waters. The
payoff could be much more tangible than virtual currency or digital crops.
Bryan Bartlett, Marketing Analyst, NM Incite – US

7. How to Utilize Social Gaming Space?
Integrati
Advertising
on

8. Examples of Brand Integration

9. Examples of
Brand Integration

10. Examples of Brand Integration: Virtual Goods

11. Examples of Brand
Integration within
EDUCATION

12. 1. My Audience doesn’t play video games
2. Virtual worlds are not for Serious companies
3. Its always about Capitalism
4. Social Games are a Fad

13. 1. My Audience doesn’t play video games

14. 2. Virtual worlds are not
for Serious companies

15. 3. Its always about Capitalism

16. 4. Social Games are a Fad
 Social Netowking +1
 Social gaming +2
 Games are addictive and engaging
 Data points toward continued growth and
increasing popularity

17. Bottom Line
 Consumers are glued to their gaming devices
for countless hours of each day
 Less time spent on traditional media
 Too much clutter
 Need for Direct Hit
 Social interaction allows for discussion on
brands
 Everyday virtual use can trickle into real life
usage

18. Thank You!