Businesses Betting Big on Engagement through Gaming
As the gaming industry continues to grow and diversify, there is a great opportunity for businesses to advance their branding in new and innovative ways.
According to some recent statistics researched by Software Entertainment Association:
- The average gamer is 30 years old and has been playing for 12 years. Sixty-eight percent of gamers are 18 years of age or older.
- Forty-seven percent of all players are women and women over 18 years of age are one of the industry's fastest growing demographics.
- As the video game playing population expands and diversifies, in-game advertisements and advergames are increasing as well. Massive, Inc., a creator of dynamic video game advertisements, estimates the in-game advertising market could grow to $1 billion globally by 2014.
A report by Newzoo indicates that the total number of Americans that play games on their smartphones, tablets or iPod Touches has now surpassed the 100 million mark, a year-over-year increase of 35 percent. In Europe, there has been a growth of 15 percent, for a total of 70 million gamers across seven key territories. Men slightly outnumber women in the U.S. (52 percent), as well as in key European countries (55 percent). Furthermore, the share of in-game spending continues to rise to 90 percent in the U.S. and 79 percent in Europe.
As marketing costs increase, it is becoming ever more important to be judicious about the types of audiences you attract and how you retain them. The more they interact with games, the more opportunities there are for in-game advertising or other engagement methods. Here are some ways companies are using gaming to "click" with their audiences.
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