branded entertainment
vehicles of social entertainment with branded content, subset of content marketing, content seeks to capture attention and retain attention for prolonged period of time to do so by entertaining, original content, may be owned media
content marketing
basis for social publishing strategies utilizing relevant, high value information desired by target audience
aspects of social publishing is informing, of social entertainment is entertaining
social branded entertainment
branded entertainment that encourages audience interaction and shares
socially published content primary goal
express a point of view via information, may be used to build reputations, encourage positive WOM, and share
how brands ad value to social entertainment
by producing social entertainment venues or leveraging popular social entertainment venues to reach an audience
motivations for participation in play
power, identity, fantasy, and frivolity
makes play theory relevant
play as power
concept provides participants with competitive task
play as identity
concept provides symbolic benefits to participant in that the form of entertainment is self expressive, reveals affinities and interests, and provides for a sense of affiliation
mostly social music and film
play as fantasy
concept encourages participants to engage in creative, imaginative experiences
play as frivolity
concept provides for fun, plain and simple relaxing
social games
largest active area of social entertainment, multiplayer, competitive, goal oriented activity with defined rules of engagement and online connectivity among a community of players
high degree of stickiness, not likely to be multitasking, targeted audience
leaderboards
listing of the leaders in game competition
achievement badges
symbols awarded to show game levels achieved and shared with the community
friend/buddy list with chat
list of contacts with whom one plays and the ability to communicate within the game
gamer segments
casual or harcore
casual games
low barriers to entry, small amount of time, easy to learn, readily available online
played by casual gamers
value easy of use and immediate gradification
core games
larger time commitment, highly immersive, advanced skills necessary, online or may require specific hardware and software
played by hardcore gamers
value realism and challenge
game platform
hardware systems on which the game is played
game consoles, computers, portable devices
mode
the way the game world is experiences, the structure, single or mutliplayer, proximity, real time or turn based
milieu
visual nature of the game, such as fiction, fantasy, horror , and retro
genre
method of play, simulation, action, role playing, strategy
situation games
depict real world situations as acurately as possible
action games
avatar acts as a virtual prosthetic connecting the player and the environment, performative game
first person shooter and third person games
role playing games
players play as a character role with the goal of completing some mission, closely tied to milieu of fantasy
massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG)
RPG that encompasses the social aspects of gaming, ex. WOW
strategy games
games that involve expert play to organize and value variables in the game system, contextualize information from secondary sources outside
puzzle games
advergame
game that delivers a branded message, a form of branded entertainment, designed by the brand to reflect the brand's positioning statement, almost exclusively online, tend to be casual, exclusivity available, receptive players, metrics available
in game advertising
promotion within a game that another company develops and sells
1. display ads
display ads
integrated into a game's environment
static or dynamic
preroll, interlevel, postroll
static ads
ad that is hardcoded into the game to ensure all players view the advertising
dynamic ads
variable ads, change based on specified criteria
insertion technology
networks use this technology to place ads across multiple games in contracts
value exchange ads
ads that offer game related goods
product placement
placement of a branded item in an entertainment property
screen placements
visually incorporate the brand into the scenery, most common product placement
script placement
include verbal mentions of the brand's name and attributes in the plot
transactional advertising
ads reward players if they respond to a request, part product placement, part direct response advertising, and part sales promotion, for vitrual goods, currency, or codes
types of EA games advertising
1. traffic drivers
2. quests
3. store tabs
4. media integrations
brand immersive advertising
plot placement, brand actually incorporated into the story itself
product placements, in game experiences, game integration
key to success of advergame
quality of the game and congruence between the brand and game context
reskinned versions of existing games
game that is reprogrammed to contain brand logos or other sponsored images
game clutter
way too many games that compete for players' attention, compounded by time investment and available inventory
characteristics of games attractive to marketers
1. open to ad content, realism
2. benefit when assoc with successful game
3. identify with brands characters use, increase brand involvement
4. unobtrusive way to share message
5. targeting
6. measure promotional value
transference effect
when plaers love a game, some of these positive feelings rub off on the brands they encounter within it
congruence between brand and game is key
internalization
members of the target market accept the beliefs of an endorser as their own
characters in game can act as brand endorsers
meaning transfer model
consumers associate meaning with the endorser and then transfer the meaning to the brand in quation, character's attributes can be transferred to a brand characters use
counterarguing
spectators sit back and think of reasons why the advertising message on the screen does not apply to them
less likely because games are participatory
narrative transportation theory
even imagined interactivity can build positive brand attitude, mental stimulation through narrative storytelling encourages players to become lost in the story, they do not counterargue, more likely to form attitudes based on positive game feelings
alternate reality games (ARG)
cross media genre of interactive fiction using multiple delivery and communications media, social games, geographically dispersed, compete and collaborate, transmedia
most successful are brand sponsored
over time become a form of consumer fortified media
transmedia social game
games involve two or more different media
dark play ARG
games do not identify who is behind the effort, players play until mystery is solves or sponsorship is inadvertently discovered and leaked to the community
dark marketing
promotion that disguises the sponsoring brand
immersive fiction
players help direct how the story underlying the game develops
collective detective
need for team approach to solve the mystery
puppet masters
game writers
TINAG
this is not a game! credo
curtain
invisible line separating the players from the puppet masters
lurkers
follow the game but do not actively participate 5:1 to active players
rubberneckers
participate in forums but do not actively play 20:1 to active players
steganography
tactic of hiding messages within another medium
trail
reference index of the game including relevant sites, puzzles, in game characters, and other information
ARG pros
reach, publicity, long exposures, high engagement, brand sponsors welcome
ARG cons
effort, constant monitoring, risk in evolvement, resentment of new people, limited reach
social tv
technology that supports communication and social interaction in either the context of watching television or related to TV content
TV genome
result of identification of content in tv and ties to content in social media conversations, allows for media analysis and social media commentary