In the marketing world, few things are as important as keeping up with the times. Current trends, developments, hypes and flops are followed by companies from all kinds of industries in order to adapt both their actual products and services and their marketing campaigns to the changing needs of their customers. Especially when it comes to reaching new customer groups, it is necessary to keep your finger on the pulse. In today’s world, the digitization of all areas of life and the ability to use offers digitally from the comfort of your own home are hugely influential. This has already influenced the product offerings of online casinos Ontario.
Digital worlds
Online fitness studios, for example, have gained tremendous momentum, with virtual online classes bringing the studio to the user’s home via both video-on-demand and livestreams. Similarly, it is now possible to go to a concert or visit an exhibition digitally, which is becoming increasingly popular via videos and 360-degree tours. In addition, providers of traditional games have jumped on the digital bandwagon and are constantly taking advantage of new technologies to adapt their product range.
This ranges from the digitization of classic games to transfers to the metaverse that are as close to reality as possible. For example, there are plenty of reputable online casinos that want to stand out from the market with marketing campaigns and take advantage of technology hype like the crypto boom. Of course, the slots have to keep up as well. Instead of the old familiar traditional gameplay, games are being equipped with new mechanics and features that allow for a novel gaming experience and meet the changing customer demands of tech-savvy players.
In virtual realities, in turn, games are then digitally adapted back toward their classic models. In familiar game worlds, avatars have long been able to sit down at the poker tables, go to the casino or meet up with friends in social games, which have become increasingly popular in the recent past. NFTs are booming here, making objects unique in the virtual world. Various companies are now trying to bridge the gap between real products and those available in virtual realities.
But digitized everyday life brings even more specific opportunities to market products in a targeted way. This has also been discovered by numerous food brands, which are jumping on the bandwagon, reinventing their marketing strategies and targeting new customer groups with the help of games.
Target group gamers
Video games are as popular and widespread as ever: with an estimated 3 billion gamers around the globe, more than a third of the world’s population already plays video games. With over 5.3 million gamers in Canada, six out of ten people in this country now regularly immerse themselves in game worlds. Especially in recent years, the trend of video games shot through the roof, and there seems to be no end to the trend in the near future – quite the contrary.
Brands of all kinds have long since discovered these developments and the enormous potential that lies in the field of games. For example, more and more food brands are targeting gamers in their marketing strategies in order to tap into new customer groups and profit from the enormous popularity of games. From chewing gum and potato chips to beverage manufacturers, all kinds of brands have already jumped on the bandwagon. As for companies in all industries, it is essential to keep up with current trends and address customers where they are. Games provide an ideal platform for reaching new customers, reaching a younger audience, and implementing creative marketing campaigns.
Innovative products
To benefit from the growing popularity of games, more and more food companies are also rethinking their approach and implementing new products and marketing campaigns that are specifically tailored to the wants, needs and touchpoints of the gamer world. Mars Wrigley, for example, has just developed a new product for its 5GUM chewing gum range that is aimed primarily at gamers.
Both the recipe and the design of the chewing gum have been revised to appeal specifically to the younger adults among the gamer generation. To this end, Mars Wrigley is relying on a cooperation with the live streaming portal Twitch, which is to be continued and expanded. A new joint marketing campaign, which will also involve influencers from the gaming sector, is intended to bring 5GUM to a younger, gaming target group.
Another example is the chips brand Pringles, which is running a joint marketing campaign in the U.S. with Xbox and the video game Halo. As part of this, there are Pringles packs in a new look with Halo design, for example, as well as limited-edition varieties especially for the marketing campaign. Pringles is also betting on Twitch and the livestream and has entered into collaborations with streamers on the platform. On top of that, Pringles has run an ad featuring a zombie from a popular video game climbing out of the TV to grab chips from the gamer.
But it’s not just physical products that are being transformed by digital worlds, as physical foods are jumping into the virtual realm in various places. Global beverage brand Coca-Cola recently launched a new “pixel flavor” Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte, which comes from the Metaverse. For this, Coca-
Cola is partnering with the Fortnite video game to make the drink available in virtual form in the game before it also appears physically in stores. The flavor of the variety is said to be inspired by the playfulness of pixels in games and reminiscent of booting up a video game. The beverage company is thus embracing the world of games across the board, appealing to gamers in both the digital and physical worlds.
Video games are an important part of everyday life for more and more people around the globe. This goes hand in hand with trends and changes in customer behavior, which companies are monitoring in order to constantly keep up with the times and reach new customer groups. The food industry has also long since recognized this, with new product developments and creative marketing campaigns targeting gamers separately and tapping into new, younger customer groups.