The video game market targets a relatively mature audience, contrary to popular belief. Of the 39 million gamers in France, 86% are 18 or older. Creating a marketing strategy to promote a video game requires understanding the specificities of the audience and staying up to date with this constantly growing economic sector.
What is Video Game Marketing?
Video game marketing involves promoting video games to a target audience likely to be interested in the activity. The objectives are multiple:
- Customer retention: Communication efforts are deployed to inform gamers about the upcoming release of a new game.
- Lead conversion: The marketing strategy aims to introduce prospective customers to the fun of gaming.
- Sales generation: On the commercial side, video game marketing helps companies retain and acquire customers to increase revenue.
What Are the Characteristics of Video Game Marketing?
Gaming is a fairly technical field, and knowing the jargon is essential to remain credible.
Unlike, for example, fashion marketing, which often targets broad demographics, video game marketing campaigns focus on narrower segments.
There is no single target audience in the video game industry. Depending on the game, country, or platform, the gender or average age of players can vary widely. For instance, Fortnite is very popular among those under 18, while games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Baldur’s Gate 3 tend to attract a more mature audience.
How to Create a Marketing Strategy for a Video Game
- Define marketing personas
- Choose relevant communication channels
- Build the promotional campaign
- Leverage inbound marketing
1 – Define Marketing Personas
Defining personas is crucial to target strategic customers during a campaign. Each persona has different sensitivities and responds to distinct channels. For a video game, regular players are typically the core audience. To refine personas:
- Use a CRM to collect and analyze purchasing and usage data. This helps deepen customer understanding and refine target profiles.
- Consider the game’s PEGI rating to determine the appropriate age group.
- If the game targets a younger audience, include parent or grandparent personas, since they are often the buyers.
2 – Choose Relevant Communication Channels
To select the right communication channels, refer back to your personas. Age, for example, significantly influences which platforms are most effective. Regardless, diversifying your channels is a smart move.
- Traditional media like billboards, events, and TV ads (as used in automotive marketing) are heavily used in video game promotion. eSports sponsorships, for example, help reach highly targeted audiences.
- Digital channels are key: Email campaigns, Google Ads, and sponsored social media posts can be more budget-friendly ways to promote a game. Advertising on gaming forums or YouTube videos that feature walkthroughs and tips is especially effective for engaging regular players.
- In-store promotions still matter despite digital dominance. Many customers still purchase games physically. Promotions in key retail stores or malls (signage, events, etc.) can boost visibility.
- Community building is essential. Players often gather on forums or platforms like Discord to talk updates, share memes, and help each other. Promoting your game on Discord taps into this communal aspect of gaming.
- Streaming is huge. Platforms like Twitch are essential. Many gamers enjoy watching their favorite streamers play trending titles, making Twitch a perfect place to advertise a new release.
3 – Build the Promotional Campaign
This step involves crafting the marketing message. It’s about finding the right arguments and tone to make an impression. Video game marketing is highly visual – the quality of images is key. Also, highlight the fun factor of the game in promotions.
4 – Leverage Inbound Marketing
A strong inbound marketing strategy encourages gamers to actively engage with your brand. They follow your social media, read your blog, and share your posts. That’s why content marketing is critical.
Inbound marketing takes time but pays off. When done right, less effort is needed to promote future releases. Moreover, inbound-acquired customers are more likely to be loyal and even become brand ambassadors.
Examples of Gaming Companies’ Marketing Actions
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo targets a wide range of players, especially casual gamers, unlike Sony or Microsoft. Games like Mario Party or Overcooked are accessible even for those who aren’t regular gamers. Nintendo features diverse player profiles in ads and showcases multiple generations playing together to appeal to family buyers.
In a Switch commercial, Nintendo shows three generations playing together and uses a famous actress to leave a lasting impression.
Hogwarts Legacy
Published by Warner Bros Games for PS5 and Xbox One, Hogwarts Legacy was a major commercial hit in 2023. The enduring popularity of the Harry Potter franchise played a role, but the marketing strategy was also crucial.
Promotion included London buses wrapped in Hogwarts designs, Paris subway posters, and a campaign targeting millennials, like hosting a wizardry booth at a student fair. The slogan “Become tomorrow’s wizard” was directly aimed at the Harry Potter generation.
Call of Duty MW2
Published by Activision, Call of Duty regularly releases new versions. To promote MW2, marketers partnered with top gaming influencers like Squeezie and Gotaga, who appeared in an online ad that effectively reached the target audience.
Nintendogs
Although it’s an older title, Nintendogs remains a great example of original marketing in gaming. Aimed partly at non-gamers, it required mass-market communication. The campaign included digital marketing, traditional media, in-store promotions, and live events.
In the UK, Nintendo even hosted dog fashion shows and gave gifts to dog owners in stores – blending real and virtual experiences to enhance the game’s promotion.
Star Wars Jedi : Survivor
To promote the PlayStation console and related games, Sony focuses heavily on social media. Their Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts feature content tailored to each platform’s audience.
For example, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was promoted through a contest post on PlayStation’s Instagram.