Video games. Whether you grew up with them, or they were never a part of your life, they’re definitely a part of the lives of marketers now. Not in the sense that all marketers are actively following the Halo franchise. It’s more in the sense that gaming has gone beyond being just a hobby or pastime. And it presents ripe opportunities for connecting with audiences. It’s for that very reason why videogaming will make you a much better marketer.
For example, big brands like Nike are going as far as launching a digital space, NIKELAND, in games like Roblox. Netflix Gaming recently launched, targeting mobile users. And you can be sure there’s more in the works from other big names.
So whether you’re plugged in or not, we can expect to see gaming be a part of the marketing world in the many years to come. Let’s dive into the industry that’s set to reach $256.97 billion by 2025. That ain’t shabby, right?
Welcome to NIKELAND
So, videogaming has gone beyond a single-person activity and has become a multiplayer mosaic, connecting millions of people around the world. We’ve mentioned Roblox and Nike’s latest NIKELAND. Roblox is less of a game than it is a place where people hang out, style their avatars, and play games created by other developers. And for the growing generation, it’s been a big thing. Over half of U.S. kids under age 16 played Roblox in 2020.
As you can see by NIKELAND’s demonstration, there’s a huge opportunity to connect with the younger generations in an engaging way. Just take a look at some of the copy from NIKELAND’s website:
“Welcome to NIKELAND, where sport has no rules. Tag on trampolines? Why not. Floor is lava with a dash of parkour? Let’s go. Give classic games a fresh twist—the future of sport is yours to create.”
That’s quite an invitation – and it sounds like fun. But wait – there’s more: “Style Your Avatar with Nike Gear. Browse the NIKELAND Showroom to find a collection of Nike shoes, clothes, and accessories to personalize your look, including a free exclusive Nike cap and backpack you can take with you anywhere on Roblox.”
Just think about the effect playing games, styling an avatar and having fun with your friends in NIKELAND has on Nike’s reputation. People are more likely to feel good about Nike, feel like they can relate to Nike, and feel like Nike products are meant for them.
Opportunities for content
Aside from the games themselves, there’s a ton of opportunities for creating content when it comes to videogaming and marketing. Collaborations, ads, promos — as long as the game is still popular, there’s an opportunity for marketing.
Take Fortnite for example. Fortnite is well known for its collabs with big-name partners. It all started with a banger — its first collab was with Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. Yeah, the big-time blockbuster that earned $2 billion in the worldwide box office.
In Fortnite, you had to find a specific item (the Infinity Gauntlet), and it would turn you into the series’ big-bad-evil guy, Thanos. Fans of Marvel were thrilled, and players of the game were also thrilled as they wielded the power of the six infinity stones. And if the players didn’t care about Marvel, they certainly had a reason to care after the collab.
Since then, Fortnite has extensively grown its collaboration list to include John Wick, Batman, the NFL, the NBA, LeBron James & Space Jam, and many more.
As you can see, things that have nothing to do with gaming are finding a way to connect with gaming audiences.
Opportunities for you
As the gaming world continues to develop, it might be good to think about how your audience might intersect with it. There might be opportunities for you to collab with games and interact with your audience in an engaging way.
Or maybe you could gamify your brand and make your own NIKELAND. The possibilities are ripe and certainly haven’t been exhausted.
As for the voice over industry, this presents opportunities in many ways. Think about all the characters that could use voice overs, or new content that could benefit from the human connection of a voice. If Amazon wanted Samuel L. Jackson to voice for Alexa, who’s to say they won’t use video game characters?
Final thoughts
One thing that’s neat about gaming is that we’ve seen something like it before. We call it social media. One day, it was just a chick that had hatched from its egg. As small as the chick was, we could see its potential to soar through the sky.
A couple of decades later, our lives are entirely integrated with social media. The same could be said about gaming. It started small, doing its own thing. But then it got big enough to turn heads, and now big brands are riding the wave.
It’s hard to say how deeply steeped gaming will get in our everyday lives, but it’s certainly made a significant impact so far. Nowadays, video games and videogaming truly are for marketers. What’s more, marketers need voices – and Voice123 has plenty of the finest voices you can find for your next videogaming voice over project!
