Gamers are underestimated branding target group
Video game players represent a large, as yet untapped market for marketing. This is according to a study by the marketing agency Media Chain.
According to the report, brands are not addressing the target group of gamers enough, even though they make up an important part of social media users. "The time gamers spend on traditional media is getting shorter, they are now investing more time in content on social media," says Tom Sweeney, Director of Gaming at Media Chain. Brands need to focus more on these channels and learn the language of gamers.
To explore the brand affinity and social media usage of gamers, Media Chain surveyed 2027 video gamers in the UK. It turned out that YouTube and Facebook are the most popular platforms for the gaming community. According to the researchers, gamers consume more content than other target groups. They would watch videos on social networks 43 percent longer than other users.
However, despite their strong presence on social media, a third of respondents do not feel addressed by brands. More than half (55%) complain that brands promote products that are not relevant to them. A third believe that brands do not understand gaming culture. Half consider the language used by brands to address them to be clichéd and embarrassing.
According to the study, gamers would be a promising target group, especially due to their strong social media activity. For 78% of respondents, platforms such as Facebook and YouTube are the main source of gaming news. 33% are even active on social networks at the same time as playing games. A third of respondents talk about product purchases, while 57 percent consult social media before making a purchase. Respondents are actually tolerant of branding: 58% want brands to support gaming content on social media that they see regularly. However, advertising must not interrupt the videos, 62 percent of gamers use an ad blocker.
"To be attractive to gamers, brands need to focus more on social content. They can either create it themselves or support a producer who already has access to the audience. It's never going to be as cheap as it is now because supply is outstripping demand," explains Sweeney. However, this will change as soon as brands realize the potential of gamers as a target group. (pte)
