Truly dedicated gamers might not have noticed the excellent weather we’ve had in the UK of late. Unfortunately for them, this sudden burst of sunshine has coincided with the release of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The blockbuster title is the latest instalment in the exploits of Nintendo’s elfin hero, Link. It is the fastest-selling Zelda game ever. And it’s out-sold all competitors this year when it comes to physical copies.
The phenomenon of Nintendo’s latest release might have passed you by. But anyone in the business of brands or marketing should be taking notes. When it comes to community building and marketing generally, the gaming industry is eclipsing all comers.
Console communities
While gaming has always been about community – the stereotype being bespectacled teens gathered around arcade machines in the ‘90s – today the fandom associated with it has ratcheted up. A combination of immersive storylines, addictive mechanics and social media has created the kind of affection that was previously only commanded by cultural behemoths like Star Wars.
Consider the rise of platforms like Roblox or Fortnite, which enables people to gather in real time and play a plethora of in-game missions. The former reportedly had 200m monthly users last year.
Brands of all shapes and sizes are starting to grasp the potential here. High fashion might have made the most successful inroads into its future audience with smart tie-ups in Fortnite. Balenciaga and Moncler have both created “skins” that players can buy and then wear as they career around the game, shooting and killing each other – playfully.
Cultivating a following
Aside from these examples, gaming still represents an under-utilised marketing opportunity. Out in front are the brands making use of Twitch, the gaming and live-streaming platform used by Amazon. Partnering with influencers here is fast emerging as a way to introduce avaricious potential customers to your brand.
For instance, the French beauty company Klorane touts the potential of plant-based ingredients in its shampoos, so it created a campaign on Twitch called “BotaniQuest”. The company enlisted Baghera Jones, a streamer to broadcast herself playing Red Dead Redemption 2, an open world cowboy game.
In the session, Jones went around the game collecting different plants while a botanist, who was also on the broadcast, gave details on the properties of each one. Sounds silly? Not to the 75 per cent of viewers who watched the whole three-hour long livestream. Gaming allows you to concentrate your marketing efforts onto a single niche, then expand into a more mass appeal.
Computer gaming represents a creative white space for brands across categories to experiment and unearth new audiences. It allows companies to tap into cohorts through an activity that they feel an authentic and passionate connection to.
It might no longer be a mere subculture, but the most potent medium to market your product or service and, crucially, to connect to your community.
