Another three reasons brands must engage video games audiences this year
Jess Pulo, senior account director at Five by Five Global, explores three things that are going to force brands to revisit video games as an engagement opportunity, even if they’ve been burned before.
Marketing teams must be bored of hearing how four out of five Aussies play video games and other statistics that make you feel like you’re missing an opportunity. There are plenty of brands who’ve stuck a toe in the water only to recoil in scolding failure. Whether lessons were learned is debatable – we certainly see brands repeat the same mistakes with face palming regularity. But this year, three things are going to force brands to revisit gaming, even if they’ve been burned before.
In April, gaming could well have its Barbie moment and dominate youth culture at a level that will surprise many. A Minecraft Movie promises to be faithfully based on the game in a way that will not only excite its 200M players, but attract new players young and old into the game. Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers and co will deepen mainstream appeal of an IP which already has positive parental equity based on its use in schools, creativity and lack of violence. It has more in common with game IPs like Super Mario Bros that have successfully transitioned to film than titles like Borderlands which were less successful.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Interesting points Jess. Gaming is mainstream, yet marketers still treat it as a niche. My experience is that marketers can’t look past their view of who a game player is and how to take a broader creative view in how to engage the market with this aspect of their life.