Game Theory
The advent of social media set off a chain reaction that hasundoubtedly changed the landscape for businesses and marketers forever. One subset of social media that has seen exponential growth over the last few years is the concept known as social
gaming. For those of you that do not know, social gaming is a category that includes any games that incorporate social interaction, which are usually found within social media sites such as Facebook and on smart devices.
By far, themost popular social game in the world is FarmVille. With 100 million users, the social gaming giant has access to over 10% of all Facebook users. On the smart device front, puzzle games like Zuma Blitz and Words With Friends have become household names on iPhones, iPads, and Androids alike. Although these games have many different selling points, they all have one thing in common: the social aspect. In today’s technologically advanced world, we no longer have to play games alone. The social gaming environment that becomes a form of entertainment for consumers translates into big bucks for businesses
and marketers.
More and more companies are seeing the enormous potential in social gaming advertising. Lady Gaga recently released several songs from her album exclusively on Farmville prior to its official release date. This marketing maneuver brought hundreds of thousands of non-Farmville users to the Farm, in hopes of hearing the new tracks. It was a win-win situation for marketers at both Gaga’s and Farmville’s camps. Snoop Dogg and Guns N’ Roses have used similar marketing tactics, with popular social game Mafia Wars.
Social gaming is not just profitable for musicians, though. National and local advertisers alike plaster their ads throughout many popular games on mobile devices. Employing geographic targeting technology, marketers place specific ads on Zuma Blitz and Words With Friends that advertise geographically relevant businesses, such as local car dealerships and restaurants. Social gaming is not for everyone–Goldman Sachs should probably not put out ads on Farmville looking for new employees. But for those companies that do fit the social gaming mold, the potential for exposure and new business is huge.