What Sports video games have to teach us about brands..

This was the title and content of my university dissertation, finished May 2006, destined to sit proudly in a box in my bedroom to be forever forgotten about, or so I thought…
As EA announces its latest partnership with IKEA, a deal which will allow players of ‘The Sims’ to furnish their in-game homes with IKEA furniture, I thought I would blow the dust off the 12,000 word assignment and share my findings…

Remember, back then I would never have predicted the emergence or success of the Nintendo Wii console which has got gamers and non-gamers alike, gripped by its realistic play.
In order to comprehend the magnitude of what this console could do for in-game advertising and brand placement I must take you back to a time when the Wii did not exist and the only realism in game playing was creating virtual characters (avatars), and interacting with brands via a handheld controller.

My study was designed to understand the potential role for sports video games to be a persuasive device, looking specifically at their ability to educate consumers about brands and influence their purchase decisions. My findings suggested that by recreating virtual versions of oneself within the game (customising player clothing, changing physical appearance etc…) the gamer feels more involved in the game, it brings them closer to the decision making process and ultimately creates significant influential associations with the brands that are interacted with. These experiences subsequently reinforce the associations the gamer has with his/her favourite and/or hated brands in ‘real life.’ Often if the game is really lifelike or truly representative of reality the gamer can learn a lot about the brands/products within the game which they can subsequently transfer to their real life, and more importantly influence their purchase behaviour.

However, these results were seen from gamers who at the end of the day were sat on a sofa, almost motionless apart from the odd jump up in excitement or cowl in dismay, and the tap tapping of their fingers on the controller. The level of physical and emotional involvement was relatively small (in comparison to the Wii) yet still more significant than watching a film and the effect of brand exposure definitely more powerful.

Imagine then if you throw a Nintendo Wii into the mix and interact with the gamer on a level only previously experienced by those who have had opportunity to use virtual reality via a headset (think Michael Douglas in Disclosure). For a game like Wii Tennis, although you could sit down and wobble the Wii controller a little bit, you feel compelled to stand up, jump around and swing your arms and put all your effort into the action, just like running around on a real tennis court.
If one of the key conclusions from my research showed that involvement in the game is extremely important for influencing consumer attitudes about brands, what more powerful persuasive situation could you ask for, other than playing the game for real? Throw in some brands for them to ‘play’ with and the potential for advertising effectiveness is improved significantly.

So what does this mean for the future of brand placements? Well, I’m sure it won’t be long before everything within these games is branded and product endorsements are everywhere, and the consumer interacts with brands in the virtual domain just as much as in the real world. These engagements and low risk trials of products and brands within video games become significant channels for marketing activity and powerful persuasive environments. But the industry has to be careful; too much overt advertising can put gamers off and cause negative associations with the game (and brands within it).

The ultimate challenge which has hindered the growth of this potentially influential medium lies in measuring marketing effectiveness and ROI. I believe that until this issue is resolved only the big boys of the sports consumer good industry will invest heavily in this medium. Watch this space though, as a resolution cannot be far away…

Gamers Respond Well to In-Game Advertising, Brand Republic

Media: All About…In-Game Advertising, Brand Republic

IAB Guide to In-Game Advertising

Virtual IKEA furniture hits computer game

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