‘Advergames’, the innovative evolution in online content and business advertising, have begun reshaping branding strategies in a fun, interactive manner. Well-known examples include Chipotle’s Burrito Builder and Hyundai’s Mobility Adventure among others who utilize games to increase brand awareness and customer engagement.
Roblox, a platform boasting around 77 million daily players, primarily under 16 years, serves as a perfect stage for branded games. The interaction on these advergames provides a hands-on experience for players, showcasing product customizability and diverse options in an engaging way.
Light on the topic is thrown by Yusuf Öç, an associate professor of marketing at Bayes Business School.
Advergames: Redefining online brand strategies
His research findings suggest that interactive ads involving tactile or screen movements, like in advergames, significantly impact consumer decisions and purchase intent. The interactive element leads to users feeling more engaged and connected with the brand, which in turn results in a higher likelihood of making a purchase.
The Roblox platform has not only made branding fun but also provides development tools for users with varying levels of computer literacy to create and share their games. This has catapulted Roblox into becoming an attractive platform for corporate advertisers like Walmart, McDonald’s, and Gucci, to name a few, for creating branded games aimed at the young audience.
Robert Jan van Dormael, Vice-President of Marketing Consumer Audio at a branch of Samsung, foresees the potential of advergames in molding cutting-edge audio solutions for immersive experiences. He believes Roblox, given its popularity among younger demographics, can amplify the company’s brand visibility and foster engagement.
In conclusion, advergames with their creative mix of entertainment and product promotion, have marked a significant shift in online marketing and advertising fields, marking an era where consumers can interact and help shape their own advertising experience in novel, fun ways.
