Both GE and Dodge have recently turned to play, with both brands launching games to engage consumers. For GE, Wonderground is all about urban scavenger hunts, while Dodge has developed Defiance, a hybrid games/TV series featuring storylines which co-exist in a TV drama series and in an online game. We’ve asked our Campaigns Panel what they make of such branded gaming.
“There is a lot of noise about Defiance and how it has true transmedia qualities baked into the production schedule,” says Lawrence Weber, head of digital at Karmarama. “It’s not clear whether Dodge is going to be integrated into the storytelling, or whether this a just a clever piece of package media buying across the whole Defiance property.
“The GE game is a stand alone piece and it’s a beautifully produced piece of entertainment, it’s engaging, encourages exploration and – crucially for GE – reinforces the themes of technology and innovation.”
“Games have always been a natural fit with entertainment properties and their partners,” says Jackson Collins, planning director, Grey New York. “ Now they can provide brands with a means to turn two-screen viewing behaviour to their advantage by offering games that play out on both screens. Instead of watching the show and playing the game independently, just imagine watching a Dodge Charger speeding off your TV screen straight into the game you’re playing on your tablet.”
Elyse Bellamy, senior creative designer, Say Media, says the GE Wonderground game seems to really embody the potential of gaming and brand relationships, targeting an audience interested in the evolution of technology, tailoring it regionally and alluding to GE in theme without causing the user to feel advertised to.
“I think typically with these kinds of projects, and as evidenced somewhat by the Dodge Defiance execution, the danger is a lack of alignment between players’ interests and brands’ marketing objectives. As cool as Defiance may be, its audience will likely be science fiction fans rather than car enthusiasts, thus the specificity of the Charger references run the risk of distracting – rather than intriguing – the majority of users.
As games are meant to be immersive experiences (and most of their value to advertisers relies on this) the better integrated brand messaging is, the greater the connection users will feel to both the game and the sponsor, she adds.
“In the past, a brand might badge a game with its logo, but now, as is the case we see here with Dodge and GE, they are going much further to develop themes and characters that draw in the target audience,” says Age Sluis, director of advertising, Europe, Spil Games.
Dodge’s Defiance works because it addresses the increased convergence between TV and online gaming, and the benefits this brings to brands who are able to communicate with players via multiple touch points, he adds. “The most successful branded games are ones that offer longevity as they most likely result in loyal brand advocates. By custom co-branding the game and its in-game advertising and promotions across television and online channels, players are most likely to immerse themselves within it.”
He adds that GE’s Wonderground is less of a traditional game and more a form of infotainment, and, unlike Defiance, the game focuses less on actual product placement and more on becoming an integral part of everyday life – in the form of a city guide – while generating brand awareness. “Again, what I like about this game is the fact that GE has grasped value in having a game that can be accessed via a range of devices.”
GE’s Wonderground is less of a traditional game and more a form of infotainment. Unlike Defiance, the game itself focuses less on actual product placement and more on becoming an integral part of everyday life (in the form of a city guide), whilst generating brand awareness. “Again, what I like about this game is the fact that GE has grasped value in having a game that can be accessed via a range of devices. And this is where I see the future of online gaming. Successful games will be ones that a player can put down on a desktop and pick up again later on their smartphone or TV screen. The games of the future will be user centric rather than device centric.”
There must be a purpose to the collaboration and a benefit to the end user, the consumer, says Fred Richards, worldwide creative director of consumer branding at The Brand Union in New York. “If it is all fizz and bang with no actual payoff, then consumers are left feeling cheated, used, or worse yet, confused as to why they spent their time playing the game. There is, however, a huge upside if the collaboration actually delivers on the promise and the unmet consumer need. If there is something to be learned and value to be added for deeper understanding of the subject and brand halo effect, then it is a wonderful venture.”
There’s a caveat, though. “Content has to lead the way, not the latest trick or trend with some exciting visual effect that doesn’t load properly,” Richards adds. “Technology should be invisible, seamless, and intuitive to the consumer. The end result should be satisfaction and immediate ‘blogging value, to family and other digital friends and connections.”
Originally posted May 22, Brand-e.biz