Do you remember that old Facebook game ‘Texas Holdem Poker’, where your friends would challenge you to a game that took place between each others’ profiles? Since then we have advanced to other social Facebook games such as the most famous one, Farmville. And, thanks to Foursquare, we have now been introduced to the ultimate social game that is played on mobile devices between users in the offline and online worlds. As traction has been gaining in participation on these platforms, gaming is starting to integrate itself into marketing as a means to enhance the customer experience. This has been coined as the basis of game based marketing in social media.
The core of game based marketing is that a consumer utilizes a social media platform to participate in honor of the brand and is incentivized by badges, points, status levels, etc. However the most appealing part for consumers is the aspect of competition amongst peers as part of the process. Foursquare has already partnered with four luxury brands by creating special campaigns where brands set tasks (in this case check-in requirements) for participants and reward them with limited edition branded badges. Also of note on Facebook is the recently launched Marc Jacobs gaming campaign for the new BANG fragrance. As opposed to Foursquare where participants receive badges for special check-ins, the BANG campaign works on a basis that participants pass around branded content to their peers as a means to earn points.
Game based marketing will only become more prominent. It is highly important to note that the game based formula is all about the consumer interacting with the brand and spreading branded content amongst peers by receiving rewards. Social gaming is moving the marketing model away from brands simply talking about themselves in a two-dimensional way, to now becoming a platform for the consumer to talk about himself or herself. This is particularly important to keep in mind when reaching out to GEN Y .
Whether it is points or badges, an audience has the ability to earn these kudos from brands as a means to show off amongst their peers. As Gen Y is the most exposed and susceptible to this sort of marketing, in a few years as they become more prominent consumers, more luxury brands will need to adopt a different formula as a means to connect and engage.
Written by: Agata Seidel
All articles are copy-edited by Gina Conforti
