3 minute read
Video Games - the Secret to Moving Brands
By Gary Ma, COO, Epik www.epik.gg
Video Games: The Secret Sauce to Moving Any Brand Forward
The gaming industry is exploding, with opportunities not to be missed...
Gaming isn’t for kids. Video games are the most exciting tool to move brands forward by solidifying its fanbase and unlock new revenue. And in today’s rapidly evolving world of entertainment, where everyone is competing over consumers’ attention, every brand must reconsider how
and where they engage their fans and prospective customers. Video games are the secret sauce for standing out. Video games have changed a lot in recent years, and so have the gamers. There are new and massively popular games today that cater to every age group, genre and interest imaginable, from battling zombies to managing a sports club or even operating a farm. With such diversity, any brand or IP can find the perfect fit and audience. And, importantly, gamers today are skewing older and have greater buying power than ever before. The gaming industry is also exploding in popularity, so these collaborations present a unique opportunity to reach to new consumers that are hard to find anywhere else. There are already more than 2.6B mobile gamers worldwide, and this number will only continue to grow. That’s not to mention gamers on console, PC and other platforms. For brands and IP owners, this presents endless possibilities for in-game collaborations that drive excitement and engage desirable audiences, with experiences ranging from in-game concerts and interactive social events to branded merchandise, accessories, rewards, and NFTs that can be collected, traded and more. Equally important, consumers are far more engaged when gaming than on any other platform, and it’s easy to see why. The quality of games is increasing exponentially by the year, creating more immersive and memorable experiences that gamers love and crave. The graphics and action sequences of today’s AAA titles could easily pass as a scene from a blockbuster film. But unlike watching movies and TV shows, gamers don’t passively observe a video game. Instead, they are part of the excitement and experience, and have a vested interest and emotional connection to the games they play. Think about it. Gamers must invest time, energy and effort into their favorite digital worlds, and as a result, take great pride in what they’ve created. If you’re a gamer, you surely understand just how powerful this emotional bond can be – it’s no different than how an artist or carpenter takes pride in their work. So, it’s easy to understand why gamers have strong emotional ties to not only the games they play, but also the brands they experience and engage with in game. It’s the fastest route to establishing brand affinity, which is
the holy grail for every brand. There’s simply a different textual feel with video games that cannot be recreated with an ad during the Super Bowl, no matter how great the spot is. And as games continue to evolve, we’re now seeing a fundamental shift in the gaming economy, where decentralized environments are paving the way for a new dynamic between gamers, developers and brands, such
as play-to-earn games. Mainstream adoption of NFTs has given players real ownership over what they help create and acquire in game – whether it’s virtual land or the hottest new pair of (digital) Adidas merch. This means that, for the first time, players have true ownership over the digital merchandise they acquire and can then take these items with them wherever they go – whether its another game or into the metaverse.
