Why Brands Should Contribute to Gaming, Not Just Run Ads on It
“Marketing follows consumer attention, and data tells us that people are spending more time gaming to the point where it rivals or exceeds traditional channels.”
Max Bass is GALE’s director of emerging connections, tasked with identifying untapped or underutilised channels for the agency’s clients to live and tell their stories. A big part of that role involves pinpointing opportunities in gaming - a mainstream space for consumers but, to him, something that brands are just beginning to experiment with.
Gaming is a sensitive space though, awash with opportunities for clients to come across as crass invaders into tight knit, savvy communities. But under Max’s guidance, GALE is on somewhat of a roll with deftly – and effectively – integrating clients such as milk brand MilkPEP and frozen sweet treat Bomb Pop into games like Fortnite and Roblox.
To find out more about how and to pick his brains more generally on gaming and advertising, LBB’s Addison Capper chatted with Max.
LBB> You are director of emerging connections at GALE. How do you define 'emerging connections' and how does that definition influence what you do?
Max> I define ‘emerging connections’ as non-conventional marketing channels, and the specific channels/platforms can be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the client. How I define it influences what I do because it requires me to dig in with client partners to understand their goals and challenges. Then, I develop custom recommendations that help educate them about the emerging and relevant spaces. So, the ideas and the approach are empathetic to their current situation.
‘Emerging’ doesn’t necessarily pertain to the platform being new to consumers; it’s more about it being a relatively untapped or underutilised channel for brand storytelling. For example, I’m doing a lot of work in gaming right now, which is a mainstream space for consumers but a space that many brands are only just now beginning to explore.
LBB> Gamers are proud of the circles they operate in. What do brands need to keep in mind to avoid just flat-out annoying gamers instead of building affinity towards their brand?
Max> Brands must understand who they’re marketing to, where they’re showing up, and what gamers are doing in those spaces. Then, the right approach is to identify ways to add value to their experience through rich content experiences. Gaming is an immersive entertainment experience that brands should contribute to rather than treating as just another channel to run ads on.
LBB> Advertising to gen z and gen alpha is a challenge that few brands and agencies have figured out just yet. What influence do you feel gaming should have here?
Max> Research from multiple sources tells us that more than 90% of gen z and gen alpha are gaming. It is one of, if not the, primary places where these generations spend their leisure and entertainment time.
This is not to say that every brand needs its own game or Discord community. Gaming culture encompasses live streams, on-demand content, equipment, memes, acronyms, and more. Gaming creators are multi-dimensional people who influence beyond just what games to play. Brands can make gamers feel seen and deliver value by understanding gaming trends, language, and lifestyle, and by incorporating gaming culture (and potentially gaming personalities) into their marketing materials.
Creating engaging and scalable marketing experiences in and around gaming isn’t easy – and not every partner can deliver the impact their sales materials claim they can – but the opportunity is undeniable. Again, marketing follows attention, and younger people are immersed across various game titles and gaming digital spaces.
LBB> Which gaming projects from GALE are you particularly proud of any why? Can you tell us a bit about the process of how these projects came to involve gaming, and what the creative process was like?
Max> We’ve found effective ways to bring our brands to life in gaming spaces that have both resonated with the communities we’ve tapped into and delivered results for our brand partners.
For MilkPEP, we were one of the first brands to build a custom Fortnite game in Epic’s new Unreal Engine Fortnite (UEFN) platform. We launched the game at VidCon with a creator tournament and drove people to our new Discord channel, where we’re currently consulting our community about the type of game experience they want us to build next.
Our platform idea is that Milk-made games will be made with the community and for the community. We’re thrilled to be underway in building a platform that spans multiple games, making gamers the next group of Milk athletes. Our most recent research results indicate that our campaign is significantly impacting message recall and increasing positive attitudes towards milk.
For Bomb Pop, we integrated into a popular Roblox game called ‘Restaurant Tycoon 2’ for two weeks. In the game, players create their own restaurant, sell various menu items to visiting customers, and level up their restaurant through good service and earnings from completed orders (and tips)! For our activation, virtual Bomb Pops were added to menus throughout the game, and we were able to sell over 48 million Roblox Bomb Pops during our two-week activation.
LBB> Content creators within certain circles of gaming hold real power when it comes to affinity towards certain causes. What are your thoughts on how brands can work with creators in gaming?
Max> I don’t think it’s any different than a modern influencer marketing approach. In this context, ‘modern’ means a collaborative and true partnership-based approach because modern creators operate as businesses, serving as CEOs/CMOs of their own brands and being content and platform experts. Brands should identify opportunities to integrate creators into the planning and ideation process, as well as find ways to be nimble and reactive to trends.
LBB> At Cannes Lions this year, someone said to me they thought that 'gaming would be the AI of Cannes 2024'. What are your thoughts on that prediction?
Max> My first thought is that gaming is FAR more mainstream than AI. I say this as someone who has been fascinated by experimenting with AI (see emerging connections). But gaming is already in the majority of American households and is ubiquitous across entire generations. If this is the case, I think it’s indicative of the significant upside and opportunities that still exist in the space despite the fact that consumer attention has been there at scale for years. This isn’t the case with AI just yet.
Gaming is something that’s actually being engaged with and used on a large scale, whereas AI is predominately being talked about at scale and used in more niche spaces.
LBB> What is your own prediction for the future of gaming and brands?
Max> Measurement solutions for in-game activations will be a big unlock for a lot of marketers interested in promoting brands in gaming. While it’s valuable to understand plays, average play time, and brand interactions, being able to demonstrate the impact on brand affinity will encourage increased investment and consistency in this space. There’s ample opportunity to be more broadly available and to offer more nuanced and specific insights. For example, what is the brand value of 48 million Bomb Pops sold in Roblox?
