Rule #6: it’s Good to Play Games with Your Customers

Going through this chapter the first quote that really stands out and represents the entire essence of the chapter is the quote at the very end by Mike Benson.

Paraphrased it states: “…you’ve also got to be aware of what the consumer will and will not accept. They know when they’re being sold”…”there’s an audience out there than can appreciate real creativity, and that will accept and buy an advertiser’s product if it’s done right. But if you don’t do it right, they’re going to write you off – fast.” Using this statement as a guide and going back through the rule we can come up with three types of branding that are common in games.

The first and strongest example that presents the least amount of risk to brand degradation but moderate brand recognition would be when a brand is inserted into a game previously unrelated to the brand. The game could stand alone and the branding within the game only makes the gamine experience more realistic and enriching. It borders more on advertising than total branding. Examples include billboards and signs within a game, or branded clothing which enhances the experience with realistic detail in this virtual world.

The second example that presents more risk but much higher brand recognition is when the game is produced by a company with a primary goal of branding. The game itself starts with a strong brand name and uses that name to promote and/or extenuate the experience around it. Two popular examples in the chapter are Burger King’s Xbox 360 game Big Bumpin and Dairy Queen’s DQ Tycoon. Both are successful but both risky in terms of cost vs. acceptance. Movies and television shows have utilized gaming to enhance the experience and promote an upcoming event, especially action and children movies. We believe that media has much more of a chance of success in this area. Do you agree or disagree with this assumption?

The third example is when example two does not turn out as planned. This happens when the branding itself becomes way too strong in a game that is not so good to begin with. They oversell and under perform. The end result is a commercial that went into overkill that eventually pushes everyone away and hurts the brand itself. When that negative connectivity is attached it could be very difficult for the company to release itself from the game image. Are there any games you can think of that have oversold and underperformed to the detriment of the company and the brand that developed it?

Letting Go Of The Reins

User Generated Content can be be scary but with risk comes a lot of potential reward. One of the things covered in Chapter 5: "Want control? Give it away," are some of the ways that companies have tried to control user generated content from simply being prepared for the negative along with the good to tailoring contest and campaigns to make them more appealing to the real targeted audience instead of the semi professional videographer. There are contests where people are post straight to online communities and ones where the organization is acting as a middleman sifting through all the submissions in-house. So the question remains: As marketers how much can you control user generated content? And how much should you?

Rule #5: Want Control? Give It Away

In chapter five Mathieson discusses the advantages and potential pitfalls of user-generated content. Using examples such as Heinz Ketchup’s Top This campaign and Coca Cola’s “Essence of Coke”, a compelling argument to the efficacy of allowing consumers to create content is made.

Key Takeaways:

Embrace Risk, But Ensure Reward

Encourage users to participate in content generation, however make sure that safeguards are in place to protect brand reputation. Mathieson uses the example of Chevrolet’s UCG website meant to promote the Chevy Tahoe. Users were allowed to create the commentary for a short commercial. The commercials were then open to all viewers. Hilarity ensued as rogue users created anti-suv clips (click here to jump to a consumerist.com article about this, replete with the original parody ad vids)

A more effective campaign was employed by Doritos, named “Free Doritos”. Users were encouraged to create commercials, which were then carefully vetted before receiving online showtime. Here's the 2009 winning ad

What would incentivize you to participate in one of these contests, other than money (you greedy scoundrels!)

It’s Not Consumer-Created If It Comes From A Pro

When allowing open, public participation in a UCG campaign, professional consumers (artist, videographers, production specialists) can essentially usurp these campaigns, which may be construed as unfair to the average consumer.

In your opinion, does professional involvement serve to motivate or discourage amateur participation?

Don’t Think User-Generated, Think User-Personalized

By narrowing the parameters in which content is generated, it becomes more of a personalization process. Mathieson uses the example of Jones Soda allowing users to create custom soda labels to order, and submitting pictures that may be used as a label for one of their products.

If you could personalize any product, what would it be?

Rule #6, Post 1 SURVEY

Class,

Just to reinforce or dispute Rule #6, please take this quick single question survey on survey monkey. We will share the results on Thursday during class. Thanks!

The beginning of Rule #6 goes on about "The Lost Experience," an interactive online scavenger hunt like game. Using other brands and their websites you fish around the internet looking for clues to solve the presented mysteries. According to the book "Collectively, the efforts have helped Lost grow its viewer base in both first-run broadcast and now in syndication - polishing its reputation as one of television's most innovative shows and securing its place in the annals of broadcast history."

Our question is this "If you were a Lost fan, did you become a weekly regular due to the Lost Experience or any of the other ABC sponsored online games, or did they enhance your whole experience...or something else?"

Follow this link to the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FVQWHGX

Thanks,

Team Rule #6

Rule #3, Post 4--Lesson #7 Don't just talk, listen

Read through this blog about the Old Spice Man commercials.

Old Spice capitalized on listening to customers through YouTube. Do you agree with the blog author that this can no longer be done now that Old Spice paved the way with this method? What are some other ways we can spark conversation through listening to customers? And, by listening to them, are we actually sparking conversation or just joining conversation that's already there?

Rule #3, Post 3--Lessons #5&6 Make social apps useful and mobile

Are you a user of Fourthsquare? If yes, tell us what you think? Does it work for you? If not, what are the limitations of 'going mobile', and are there still ways to spark conversation in this field? Are there other apps you can't live without?

Rule #3, Post 2--Lesson 4 Keep it Real

One point Mathieson tries to make clear is that we should be authentic in our attempts at sparking conversation. Do you agree or disagree? Also in light of this, what do you think about the notion that many celebrities are paid upwards of $10,000 per tweet by Ad.ly? Do you think this will be an effective marketing platform in the future? Do you have examples that worked or did not work?