Gaming Culture: Reshaping Marketing Strategies in 2024 and Beyond

Welcome to this week's edition of Strategic Marketing Insights. This week, we're diving into the dynamic realm of gaming culture and its profound impact on modern marketing strategies.?

From the evolution of gamer stereotypes to the strategic integration of gaming platforms by global brands, we're exploring how gaming is reshaping the marketing landscape.

Join us as we dissect the intersection of gaming and marketing, uncovering the stories behind iconic brands like McDonald's and their bold forays into the gaming world. Discover the opportunities and pitfalls that come with embracing gaming as a strategic asset in marketing.

From "Nerds" to "Cools": How Gamers from Generations Z and Alpha are Reshaping Marketing Strategies

Guest Post by álvaro Anto?anzas, Co-founder and COO at DeuSens

Generations Z and Alpha exemplify the profound impact that gaming has on new generations. In fact, 79% of Gen Z identify themselves as "gamers." This shift is not just technological – like the graphic quality found in the latest video games – but also a transformation in how video games are perceived and integrated into culture, creating new ways of interaction.

In the 90s and early 2000s, if you preferred staying home playing video games over the weekend, you were labeled a “nerd”: different, antisocial, and odd. In my case, I spent most of my days playing games from the Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Metal Gear Solid, Total War series… among others. Fortunately, I bonded well with my school friends who shared my hobbies, a friendship many of my generation missed. This background, along with my passion for the audiovisual world, allowed me to pursue my dream career.

Thanks to video games, I discovered Virtual Reality, leading me to establish DeuSens in 2014 as one of the first five pioneering startups developing VR in Spain. Over the years, DeuSens has evolved, embracing emerging technologies like Mixed Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and developing experiences in the Metaverse, becoming a tech development studio offering “Hyperexperiences” (as we named it) for the marketing, communication, and innovation teams of the most innovative brands in the world.

McDonald's, FNAC, L’Oréal... all these brands are heavily investing in reaching new generations through video games. Why? There are up to five types of gamers with different characteristics and motivations: whether they play solo or multiplayer, their platform preferences, level of professionalism, how much time they spend watching their favorite streamers, etc. But without delving too much into details, let's return to the generational gap between millennials, previous generations, and the new ones.

As I mentioned, there has been an evolution. The fully digital Generation Z finds in video games not just a source of disconnection or a hobby but also a way to socialize and interact. Nowadays, even if you are not a gamer, you have likely heard of Fortnite, have in mind some the most famous streamers, or if you are a parent with 13-17-year-old children, you probably see them spending considerable time around gaming (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo...). It's no longer odd for a teenager to spend time with friends playing online and chatting on Discord, making it a way to hang out on a Saturday afternoon. And the icing on the cake, increasingly for Gen Z or Alpha, being a gamer is being "cool".

McDonald’s: A case study for VR in Marketing

A prime example of this phenomenon is the McDonald’s case, one of the world’s largest and most recognized fast-food chains.

Read more..

Our expert team is experienced in helping marketing teams implement new technologies like AI into their strategies. Get in touch to find out how we can help you leverage these tools effectively.

At SK, we work with businesses across the world from start-ups to global corporations to solve their strategic marketing challenges. Our clients need support with delivering sales, launching businesses, entering new markets, developing content strategies, reinvigorating growth, investment journeys, search visibility, social strategy and many more challenges.

To discover how we’re helping businesses worldwide develop leading marketing strategies, contact us – we would be delighted to assist.