Mobile gaming with strategic approach could be 'Manna' for brands

Lack of creativity and long-term strategy seem to plague the mobile gaming biz in the country, which is more skewed towards native ads and user friendly apps

e4m by Abhinn Shreshtha
Published: Oct 29, 2014 9:43 AM  | 4 min read
Mobile gaming with strategic approach could be 'Manna' for brands

The mobile disruption continues as marketers and agencies continue to find new ways of using it to connect with the audience. After all, usage time on the mobile is more than that of any other device while it is rapidly becoming the preferred device for entertainment and accessing the internet.

From mobile apps to display and native ads, there is a plethora of tools available for the canny advertisers. But one aspect of the mobile that has not received that much attention so far is gaming.

Though display advertising is growing at nearly 20 per cent YoY, the jury is still out on how relevant such static advertising will be in the coming years. The prevalent thought when it comes to mobile advertising seems to be about creating applications that add value to the life of the consumer/user.

So does mobile game help in better brand image and connect? And, if so, why are not enough Indian companies taking it seriously? According to Senthil Anand, Head (Account Management) at KRDS India, the main problem comes from a creative perspective. “Most of what we see is replication of existing games. What is needed is a unique gaming idea that is an extension of the brand,” he opined. But to do this, brands will have to start looking at mobile gaming as a long-term strategic initiative, rather than a tactical tie-in with an on-going campaign.

“The great thing about games is that the entry is very easy. Another thing is that instead of advertising, a brand can do product placements. You see, entertainment is the key of all of the growth that is happening in the digital space, and gaming is at the core of evolving brands in a fun way,” opined Vincent Digonnet, Chairman APAC Region, Razorfish, in an earlier interview.

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But the myopic or tactical outlook adopted by most brands means that the costs involved in creating, promoting and maintaining mobile games will always seem too much. Senthil gave the example of a potato chip brand that wanted to launch a mobile game to support its TV campaign but finally scrapped the idea.

To be fair, it isn’t that India Inc. has totally neglected this avenue. Oreo created the Twist, Lick, Dunk mobile game, with similar mechanics to some already existing games, which was pretty well received. Another great example is of Godrej, which created the ambitious Go Jiyo, a virtual world on the lines of Second Life, where users could create online avatars. But examples like these are comparatively few.

Nazara Technologies, which specialises in mobile games, recently partnered with FOX Star Studios to build mobile and online games around the films Finding Fanny, Bang Bang and Bombay Velvet. Nitesh Mittersain, Founder of Nazara technologies agreed that Indian brands are still far from mature when it comes to creating their own IPs. “However, we now believe that the market is becoming more receptive to the idea. We have started approaching some consumer brands and they seem to be open to the idea,” he added.

“I would rather see better opportunities for brand integrating with mobile/social games than brands building their own IPs, which has to then be a long term strategy. Normally for brands, their positioning, user base and competition is so dynamic that investing in a long term IP makes less sense,” says Amit Gupta, Managing Partner at Httpool.

When we pointed out the examples of Red Bull and others who have created a thriving gaming ecosystem with in-app purchases too, Gupta said, “Only brands who have clarity in their positioning for a longer term like Nike or Red Bull will choose to do something like this, since the games have to be regularly updated to keep the user engaged and they end up becoming a parallel asset within the brand.”

Utility apps such as Nike+ and the Kellogg Special K challenge app are great examples of apps that add value and hence are found useful by the user. Such utility apps are increasing in popularity as they benefit both the user and the brand. The idea is to bring the same level of thinking to entertainment, via gaming. Red Bull is a great example of this. It has a number of games on the mobile like Red Bull Kart Fighter and Red Bull Air Race, each built around an existing sports property that Red Bull has created. DBS followed a similar ideology by partnering with KRDS to create a mobile game for the Marina Regatta in Singapore, which it sponsors.

Of course, this is not feasible for everyone, but with the Indian app market nearly doubling in size every year, there is a huge amount of creative talent and technical skills available for brands that feel a long-term strategy built around games does work.
 

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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