Big Ad Agencies Misfire With Gamers Due To Insuffcient Expertise

Network advertising agencies have made a play to add gaming and esports to their offering over the past three years but they are missing the mark… Why? Because they fundamentally don’t understand the audience.

It is no secret that gaming is flourishing. It’s a cultural juggernaut driven by innovation and the passion of its communities. Gaming has long been the biggest entertainment sector globally, with new game launches outpacing even the biggest movie releases.?

But it was only during the pandemic gaming boom that the big network advertising agencies started paying attention.?

Was that a cynical attempt to jump on the gaming bandwagon and cash-in? It’s hard to say, but I do know that traditional advertising agencies rushed in without the experience, people, or deep cultural understanding of gamers required to communicate effectively with the audience.?

Instead, they relied on outdated archetypes and superficial demographic models, producing campaigns lacking in authenticity or impact.?

This approach can only backfire on brands who want to connect with gamers.?

Gaming is a culture not a channel?

Gamers can spot inauthenticity from a mile away and will meet it with fierce scorn and criticism.? Generic messaging and creative will not only fail but can actually cause long-lasting brand damage.?

Trust is the ultimate currency and it has to be earned. Brands can’t just buy their way in and expect to be welcome.?

Start with throwing out the tired stereotypes. The true power of gaming lies in its universal appeal. Everybody is a gamer now.?

Which also means there is no single ‘gamer’ audience you can blast with a loudhailer.?

From casual players to hardcore enthusiasts, every type of person finds joy in play. But their motivations, language, cultural reference points and sensitivities vary wildly across different platforms and communities.?

Gamers are highly diverse and it’s vital to have a nuanced understanding of the different segments you wish to reach.?

Gamers are often tribal, loyal and deeply protective of their communities, too. That’s why you can’t just blunder into a space, fake it and hope for the best. You will be found out!?

The proliferation of gaming niches means that standard demographic segmentation doesn’t work. You need the values and mindsets ‘unlock’ provided by psychographic segmentation to understand how to build rapport with each audience type.?

That insight provides the throughline for culturally embedded creatives to translate your message into the specific voices that will resonate with each segment and community.?

Collaboration is king?

From dedicated platforms and broadcast channels to monetization engines, virtual economies and stores, the gaming ecosystem is unique.?

This is not a transactional environment where consumers passively buy from brands. It is a co-created, collaborative world where User-Generated Content (UGC) has an integral impact on the product itself. Gamers want to have a say in the virtual worlds they care so much about. They want to be involved in shaping the games that they love. That generosity and willingness to contribute means that gamers expect much in return. The relationship needs to be nurtured as a dialogue precisely because it’s not purely consumptive. It’s complex, emotional and deeply intertwined.?

That brings us to the most values-driven audiences of all: Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Brands have rightly identified gaming as a long-term play that can build loyalty with these groups.?

However, success can only be achieved by adding real value through authentic experiences which surprise and delight gamers.?

Slapping a logo on some maps or an esports team isn’t going to cut it.?

Only a specialist, gaming native agency has the expertise to align your brand with the culture and values of your target audience.?

That means an agency capable of building relationships the right way too. Both between the brand and audience, but also the brand and potential partners who can help you get closer to gamers.?

We’re able to do that because we’re immersed and trusted within the industry. We know who to talk to, who can make things happen, and how to avoid the audience-souring blunders that can set a brand back for years.?

Ultimately, there’s no getting away from it. Specialist agencies have the deep knowledge and fantastic relationships which network agencies can’t buy.?

Drop me a line if you’d like to speak more about this topic and gaming strategy.

www.dialectinc.com