Do gamers go down a linear consumer funnel anymore?

Is the traditional marketing funnel dead?

For the most part yes, but it’s not that simple in my mind. I think the tried-and-true marketing funnel (originally created in the late 1800’s by St. Elmo Lewis) still has “theoretical value”. To be able to think about the steps a gamer takes “theoretically” as they become “aware”, show “interest”, then “desire” your game to finally taking “action” is still a good way to concept a Go-to-Market or game launch plan. It’s just not how the gamers will actually move through your marketing.

Back in 2020 Google published a white paper where they described something they called the Messy Middle. In this paper they posited that once a consumer becomes aware of a product, they then take a nonlinear journey of exploration and evaluation before deciding to buy or convert (if it’s a free to play game for instance). But I think even this idea is flawed. Sometimes gamers just buy and skip the middle and sometimes they become aware and skip the middle in its entirety.

So, I point you to the “Hankins Hexagon”. James Hankins wrote an article in 2021 (after the Google Messy Middle article) where he did a better job breaking down how the marketing funnel has changed. The image below is that model but to summarize, Hankins says that consumers can move from one point to another in any sequence they choose. People who are already a fan of Hades I don’t really need any other input to go directly to the purchase of Hades II (I wrote about Hades yesterday so it’s on my mind). His model also covers current users and how they impact others. This makes sense in our digitally connected lives. Gamers particularly, are connected to communities, and each other in so many ways that they no longer fit nicely into a traditional marketing funnel.

So, what do game marketers need to change or do differently to accommodate for this shift in consumer mindset? Well one thing I have been preaching is the idea that a game marketer needs to build early relationships with Superfans. This means being ok with talking about your game well before it’s done. Building relationships and defining the types of people that are naturally attracted to the kind of game you are making. If you can establish a base of Superfans early on they will give you information on how to find others like them (behavioral data, social preferences etc.) as well as become a channel you can rely on as others get wrapped up in the Hexagon.

Thinking about the different mindsets of gamers is still super important but trying to build linear campaigns that don’t foster Superfans will ultimately provide inefficiencies and waste of spend.