5 advantages of using games as a marketing technique

Did you know that games are the most popular app category? It’s true! And it’s not just because of Pokémon Go in 2016; it’s been years since the games lead as the category with the most downloads. However, although they’re the user’s preference, few companies recognize the potential of this type of app as a technique to promote their company.

In fact, we have to admit that this is not our idea; a few years ago, the Chipotle international restaurant chain achieved a huge success with the launch of a game to promote its sustainability initiatives, and even before that, there were already the so-called “advergames”- video games created to advertise-, then focused on computers and game consoles. But despite the continued growth of games as apps, the promotional potential remains largely unexplored.

Therefore, we present below the 5 great advantages of creating a game for marketing purposes:

1. Extremely high engagement. Engagement is one of the most important marketing metrics, as it allows us to understand to what extent users are involved with your brand. While most apps hold users an average of less than 1 minute, a game manages to hold them, on average, between 3 and 10 minutes- which means much more time attached to your brand and subsequently more retention of it.
2. High quality content. I’m sure you already know that content is the most important component of digital media and that there’s nothing that users value most. This content is not necessarily textual or audiovisual; games are high-quality and highly valued content by users- particularly if the audience is younger and more technologically oriented.
3. Interactive Brand Storytelling. Before we explain the importance of Brand Storytelling; it turns out that a good game can be Storytelling, one in which the user is not a passive participant, but an active part of the story to be told. In other words, the benefits of Storytelling are multiplied exponentially because they allow the user to engage directly with your brand.
4. Better message retention. This is a consequence of a great game, created specifically thinking about its message; the already mentioned case of Chipotle is a quintessential example, since the game conveys the message so well that the brand was completely linked to the notion of sustainability. If you're trying to convey a strong and unforgettable message, a game is an effective way to do so.
5. Loyalty through entertainment. Don’t neglect the fun factor- thanks to it, you can turn curious people into costumers, and costumers into fans. Games, by nature, generate immense loyalty and even create communities around them; now, just imagine the impact of a game based on your brand. Suddenly, you have a legion of highly faithful followers, not only to your game, but especially to your brand.

Of course all these advantages only apple if you create a really, really good game- and to create a simple imitation of another popular game isn’t enough! You need to have creative and innovative ideas, develop well-tuned gameplay, and ensure that the game makes sense to your brand. Fortunately, our team is up for that challenge! Contact us and discover firsthand the effect of a game as a business promotion tool.