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Market Your Game’s Benefits. So many times I have seen game websites, app store pages or Steam pages have a laundry list of generic game features. They usually make your game sound like all the other games in your competitive set and come off super boring. Sell the fantasy! Tell gamers what they will feel, who they will become or what amazing world they will explore.&nbsp; Let me take a shot at an amazing game that built a world so immersive it was a huge success last year: Hogwarts Legacy. The Hogwarts site lists three major features. But lets look at the first one: Feature 1: Explore an open world.The wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.This feature is absolutely delivered in this game. It is factually accurate. &nbsp;But nothing there really does justice to the actual game. How many games can list “Explore an open world”? Thousands.&nbsp; Lets re-write this one as a benefit. Explore an Open World – Becomes…. Benefit: Roam freely through the magical universe of Hogwarts.Fly on the backs of Hippogriffs over Hogwarts Castle, mount your Broom and take a bird’s eye view of the Quidditch fields and Hogsmead or gather your fellow students for a trek into the Forbidden Forest. In Hogwarts Legacy this land of magic comes alive for you to explore.Ill admit I’m not a great copywriter and this could be stronger but that hit on a lot more of my desires as a Harry Potter IP fan. It is more exciting and massively more unique then the original copy. Can any other game say this? No not really.&nbsp; Why Benefits Matter MoreEmotional Connection: Benefits resonate on an emotional level. Players are more likely to be drawn to a game that promises an exhilarating adventure or a deeply immersive experience, rather than just a list of technical specifications. Solving Problems: Benefits address players’ needs and desires. Whether it's the need for a new challenge, the desire for a captivating story, or the satisfaction of overcoming difficult obstacles, benefits speak directly to what players are looking for in their next game. Differentiation: In a crowded market, emphasizing benefits helps your game stand out. Many games might offer similar features, but how those features enhance the player's experience can set your game apart. Marketing your game’s benefits rather than its features can make a significant difference in how it is perceived and received by players. By highlighting how your game will enhance their experience, you create a stronger emotional connection, address their needs, and clearly communicate the value your game offers.&nbsp;

STOP MARKETING FEATURES!

Have you defined it? You should. I’m a big believer in giving the games I work on personalities. When my game brand interacts with fans how does it express itself? This is so important for your community team, agency partners and social media folks.&nbsp; Sometimes I have seen brand marketers try and relate their game brand to a real person. Usually a celebrity is chosen to approximate how the brand’s personality is expressed. For instance, when I was working on Hearthstone we liked to use Robin Williams as our “game-as-a-person”. He is humorous, original, witty, optimistic (at least on the outside) and fun-loving. All personality traits we wanted imbued into Hearthstone. But this was hard to grasp globally. It seems our counter parts in other territories didn’t really know who Robin Williams was so we needed another method. Insert Jung-ian brand archetypes! Psychologist Carl Jung coined this term and its associated profiles back in 1919-1920. His work was trying to categorize basic human desires and instincts to profile huma personalities. These desires, he posited, drive our personality traits and how we express ourselves.&nbsp; It turns out this work applies to brand personalities incredibly well! Since Jung’s work, marketers and consulting firms have started to apply the 12 archetypes to brands we are familiar with.&nbsp; DISNEY -&gt; “The Magician”NIKE -&gt; “The Hero”GOOGLE -&gt; “The Sage” A brand can be more than one but if more than one are required to describe the brand they should be prioritized and almost never should have more than three of the brand is not well enough defined. Back to Hearthstone, it was easy to prioritize number one for us – THE JESTER! Then we through in a bit of THE CREATOR with just a splash of THE MAGICIAN.&nbsp; Brand Archetypes give a really good definition of characteristics, brand voice, brand message and best of all the are more globally understood.&nbsp; So what brand archetype would you say fit some of the big games today? What is Fortnite? What is World of Warcraft? What is Your Game Brand's Personality? Have You Defined It? You Should.I firmly believe in giving the games I work on distinct personalities. How does your game brand express itself when interacting with fans? This is crucial for your community team, agency partners, and social media professionals to understand. Often, brand marketers try to relate their game brand to a real person, usually a celebrity, to approximate how the brand’s personality is expressed. For instance, when I was working on Hearthstone, we envisioned Robin Williams as our “game-as-a-person.” He embodies humor, originality, wit, optimism (at least outwardly), and fun-loving traits—all characteristics we wanted to infuse into Hearthstone. However, this approach had limitations, as our counterparts in other regions weren't as familiar with Robin Williams, necessitating a different method. Enter Jungian brand archetypes! Psychologist Carl Jung introduced these archetypes and associated profiles around 1919-1920. His work aimed to categorize basic human desires and instincts to profile human personalities. Jung suggested that these desires drive our personality traits and modes of expression. Remarkably, Jung's work applies exceptionally well to brand personalities. Since then, marketers and consulting firms have utilized the 12 archetypes to define well-known brands: DISNEY -&gt; "The Magician"NIKE -&gt; "The Hero"GOOGLE -&gt; "The Sage"A brand can encompass more than one archetype, but they should be prioritized, and it is advisable not to have more than three if the brand is not sufficiently defined. For Hearthstone, it was clear that our primary archetype was The Jester. We also incorporated elements of The Creator, with just a touch of The Magician. Brand archetypes provide a comprehensive definition of characteristics, brand voice, and brand message, and they are more universally understood. So, which brand archetypes would you assign to some of today's major games? What is Fortnite? What is World of Warcraft?

What is your game brands personality?

@Fandom has released a new study on Gamer Motivations. The results are very interesting and in line with what I have been discussing with several of my colleagues and clients. Cliff notes: Gamers are more comfortable online than IRL. 64% of the 5,000 gamers surveyed said: “they think it’s easier to be themselves online than in person”.&nbsp; This is both a little concerning but also really interesting as a games marketer. Games online with friends are the new “go outside and play” for Gen Z and A. In addition to feeling more comfortable online in games these players take it even further and use games as a primary way to express themselves and their personalities. The second highest answer in the survey to the question of Why they Play Games was: “Creation, Imagination and Self Expression” with 46% of respondents citing it. This is a big answer to why platforms like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft have such massive audiences.&nbsp; These gamers self identity exist in these worlds. Sometimes their most close relationships are with the people they have never seen IRL but hang out with every day online in games.&nbsp; I have been talking about this notion with lots of people lately and it seems that gaming marketers have not yet adapted their techniques to match these motivations. Lots of game marketing campaigns are still very “push” oriented and live outside these communities and are thus sniffed out by these gamers as “ads” and ignored. I am thinking deeply about what I do to market and communicate games to these digitally native people differently to be more effective. What we make to entertain, engage and make gamers aware needs to fit into the social fabric of these people.&nbsp;

Gamer Motivations

My go-to strategy I’ve found that I consistently come back to one very simple but very powerful philosophy on marketing written by Apple’s, mysterious and lesser known, third co-founder. The source of inspiration is from the Apple Marketing Philosophy penned by Mike Markkula in 1977. While crafted with a different industry in mind, its principles hold remarkable relevance for launching video games successfully today. Markkula's philosophy emphasized three fundamental principles: empathy, focus, and impute. On the surface these seem nebulous, but their underlying application is so powerful for games. Empathy: Know Your AudienceAt the core of any successful video game launch lies a deep understanding of the target audience. Empathy, as advocated by Markkula, involves putting oneself in the shoes of the consumer, in our case “the gamer”, to comprehend their needs, desires, and pain points. In video games, this translates to conducting thorough market research, engaging with the gaming community early and often, and gathering feedback during development. By empathizing with players, game developers and marketers can tailor their games and the messaging for them to resonate with the intended audience. If you can truly put yourself in the gamers shoes and understand what motivates them, you can not only make a better game but also be more effective driving fandom for it. Focus: Simplicity and Clarity"Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple." - Steve Jobs In an era characterized by an abundance of choices, capturing the attention of gamers amidst the noise requires a laser-focused approach. Markkula advocated for simplicity and clarity in messaging, a principle echoed in successful video game launches. Developers must distill the essence of their game into a compelling narrative that resonates with the audience. A lot of what drives me here is about understanding how important it is to choose what NOT to do as much as what you do do. Time is the most precious currency so spend it wisely. I have seen so many marketing teams fail because they try to do everything for everyone and ultimately don’t deliver. Which fits very nicely with the final point…. Impute: Establishing Credibility and TrustImpute refers to the importance of crafting a brand image that exudes quality, reliability, and trustworthiness. Gen Z and A gamers demand credibility and open and honest communication with them. At its root this is why influencers are so important. This involves delivering on promises, maintaining transparency throughout the development process, and fostering a sense of community engagement. By consistently delivering high-quality experiences and nurturing a loyal fan base, developers can imbue their games with a reputation that precedes them, facilitating smoother launches and sustained success in the long run. As the video game industry continues to evolve based on changing wants of younger generations, drawing inspiration from timeless principles such as those outlined in the Apple Marketing Philosophy have been a bedrock of inspiration and guidance I have fallen back on time and time again. By embracing empathy, focusing on simplicity and clarity, and imputing credibility, developers and marketers can build games that kick ass and campaigns to launch them that resonate deeply with the right player communities.

Applying the Apple Marketing Philosophy to Launching Video Games

The Key to organic game growth. In light of the recent decisions by Microsoft to shudder some amazing studios I want to give an opposite and positive take on growing game loyalty.&nbsp; Last week I wrote about the erosion of the traditional marketing funnel and in that article I put forth that I believe the key to a games success in the future (particularly Live games) is this concept of building a Super Fan community. But what are Super Fans, how do you find them and then how do you keep them. Lets break down each of these questions. What is a Super Fan? Well, there are lots of soft definitions right. They are your most loyal players, the ones that spend the most money, the ones who play the most and the ones that talk about your game the most. But how can we quantify them? I believe in the concept of “Regularity”. This was the main reason for the success of Marvel Strike Force while I was at FoxNext. It’s a simple concept that has far-reaching implications if adopted. Simply for Marval Strike Force a regular player was defined as someone who logged in and played seven of the last seven days. These players were called Regular Players and all their data was cohorted and analyzed separate to the entire player base. FoxNext organized their company and every division around maximizing growth of Regular Players. Long story short (I have written at length about Regularity in other posts) a focus on Regularity led to massive growth for MSF. This is as close to a perfect definition and measurement of a Super Fan as I have been exposed to. But how do you find these Super Fans – “Regular Players”? Start early and deeply understand the people that are organically attracted to your game. Gone are the days of “Surprise and Delight” marketing. At least for gamers, your Super Fans want to feel like they were on the inside from the start. They want to feel a sense of ownership and community. This means you need to get comfortable talking about your vision, inviting them to play, sharing content before its perfect and listening to the people who are naturally attracted to your game vision. This means years prior to launch you are online, running alpha playtests, posting on social and in Discord and geeking out with them on your game idea as it morphs and changes. Once you have built this small, vocal passionate original group of people you need to deeply understand who they are. Not just demographics and geographics but who they are as people. What excites them? What other stuff do they geek out on? What behavioral similarities do they share? If you can get a detailed view of these folks then you can build plans to find more like them. Finally, and most importantly, how do you keep and encourage them to bring in their friends? In my experience organically growing passionate game communities generally comes down to one important tactic – provide them value! This sounds like a trivial, generic statement but if you understand where value lies for Super Fans its massively effective. People are driven by needs and needs come in many flavors. Maslow teaches us that after you get past basic survival needs then humans long for things like: Belonging and Self-Esteem. This is the sweet spot for game teams because we have so much to offer in these areas. Recognizing, listening, acknowledging, and respecting these Super Fans builds deep loyalty. Many game teams think growing a community requires massive amounts of game content and new feature announcements. Really, I have found that it just takes a sprinkle of these thing around lots and lots of “value” based interactions.&nbsp; Growing your base of Super Fans is the key to organic game growth. You can measure your success by measuring Player Regularity. Deeply understanding the core elements that make up your Super Fans allows you to look in the right places for more of them and finally to keep them singing your praises provide them value.&nbsp;

Super Fans

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.

Steve Fowler Consulting

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STOP MARKETING FEATURES!

What is your game brands personality?

Gamer Motivations

Applying the Apple Marketing Philosophy to Launching Vide...

Super Fans

Do gamers go down a linear consumer funnel anymore?