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Advergaming: Is Roblox Or Fortnite Better For Your Brand?

When crafting a compelling brand activation strategy, the choice between Roblox and Fortnite can make all the difference. Both platforms have transformed advergaming, giving brands incredible ways to connect with audiences through immersive and interactive experiences, but, which one aligns best with your brand's vision?

In this blog post, we will examine the unique features, demographics, and potential brand activation opportunities in Roblox and Fortnite, helping you make an informed decision that will maximize your campaign's impact.

What Is Advergaming/Brand Activation? 

Advergaming, fundamentally, intertwines advertising seamlessly with the gaming experience. Whether it's incorporating a branded level into a popular mobile game or crafting a fully immersive adventure, the overarching objective remains consistent: to showcase a brand, product, or service while delivering an enjoyable gaming experience.

Brand Activation Examples

Advergaming isn't a new concept – In fact, the first advergame was created almost 50 years ago! With brands from fashion retailers to fast food companies, there are some big name getting involved. Coca-Cola's "Happiness Factory" game merged fantasy with creativity to push the brand's uplifting message and was part of one of Coca-Cola's most successful marketing campaigns in history.

Similarly, whilst not technically a game, Sephora saw a 35% increase in online sales by allowing their customers to try on different shades and styles of make-up using their AR 'virtual artist'.

These successful examples highlight how advergaming enhances brand engagement and aids customers in product selection, showcasing its dual capacity for entertainment and utility in marketing strategies.

Why Strategy Is Important 

The success of advergaming hinges on a carefully crafted strategy that balances entertainment with brand promotion. By creating engaging and immersive gaming experiences, brands can capture the attention of their target audience while creating positive associations with their products or services. This approach requires a deep understanding of gaming trends and your target market's behaviours to ensure the integration feels natural and non-intrusive. 

Why Choose Advergaming?

Increased Brand Exposure: Immersive gameplay with brand elements boosts visibility and awareness. 

Enhanced Engagement: Interactive experiences build deeper consumer connections. 

Viral Marketing Potential: High-quality advergames can spread organically on social media. 

Positive Brand Associations: Enjoyable games create lasting, positive impressions of the brand. 

Things To Be Aware Of

High Development Costs: Significant investment is needed for high-quality development and design. 

Potential Backlash: Forced brand integration can upset consumers and damage the brand. 

Balancing Entertainment and Promotion: Too much or too little advertising can harm the gaming experience or dilute the brand message. Gamers want to game and that should be the priority. 

Limited Reach: May not appeal to all demographics, with some preferring ad-free games. 

Gamification Vs. Advergaming 

While gamification and advergaming share some similarities, they serve distinct purposes.

Gamification involves adding game-like elements to non-game contexts, such as loyalty programmes or app usage streaks (such as duolingo).In contrast, advergaming revolves around the creation of standalone games primarily for advertising purposes.

While both strategies leverage elements of gameplay, advergaming places a stronger emphasis on brand integration and promotion within the gaming experience with entertainment being the focus.

Roblox Or Fortnite? 

In today's digital world, engaging with audiences through online gaming platforms has become a game-changer for brands. Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite offer vibrant, unique spaces where brands can connect with their audiences in meaningful ways.

With millions of active users, both platforms open up a whole new world of brand activation possibilities for businesses to dive into, and are already being taken advantage of by renowned names such as Coca-Cola, Adidas, Barbie, Lego, Nike, and Vans. But which is best for your brand? 

Let's take a look at the differences between Roblox and Fortnite, focusing on graphics, audience, gameplay, and the opportunities for brand activation within these platforms. 

Graphics 

Roblox: Features a distinctive blocky, pixelated art style allowing flexible and simplistic designs. This aesthetic appeals to a younger audience, it is easy for users to create and customise their experiences.

Fortnite: Known for its visually immersive art style, characterized by vibrant colours, elaborate animations, and quirky characters… I'm sure we've all seen at least one of the Fortnite dances, I managed to master the floss pretty well.

Audience

Roblox: Predominantly attracts a younger demographic, with 60% of its player base under the age of 16 and only 17% over the age of 25. Roblox appeals to all genders and boasts 191 million monthly active players.

Fortnite: Tends to attract a slightly older audience, with approximately 62.7% of players aged 18 to 24. Fortnite's player base is predominantly male, with about 90% of players identifying as such, and it has 221 million monthly active players.

Gameplay

Roblox: Offers a versatile array of experiences ranging from treasure hunts to battle arenas and various adventure genres. This open-ended platform encourages creativity, allowing users to explore and create content in numerous ways. Brands can integrate into this exploratory and creative environment, enabling users to engage with branded content in fun and interactive ways, such as trying on virtual outfits or participating in branded adventures.

​Fortnite: Defined by its competitive gameplay experiences, including multiplayer, solo, and team-based dynamics centred around achieving goals and overcoming dynamic challenges. Brand engagement in Fortnite is often contextual, embedded within the energetic and fast-paced gameplay that players love.

Comparison Of Brand Activation Opportunities In Fortnite And Roblox Customisation And Virtual Merch

Fortnite:

Avatar Customisation: Brands can design skins, emotes, and accessories that players can purchase and flaunt in the game. These items often tie into larger collaborations, such as those with Marvel and DC Comics

Limited-Time Offers: Brands can release exclusive, time-limited items that create urgency and drive sales, leveraging the in-game V-Bucks currency system.

Roblox:

Avatar Customisation: Brands can create virtual clothing, accessories, and items that users can buy to jazz up their avatars. From Gucci bags to a fresh pair of Vans, Roblox avatars allow players to fully customise their look.

​Limited-Time Offers: Roblox also thrives on FOMO (fear of missing out). Limited-time virtual items tied to real-world product launches or special promotions get the community buzzing.

Comparison: Both platforms are pros at customisation through virtual merchandise. Fortnite's focus is on high-profile, limited-edition skins and emotes that tie directly into its gameplay. Meanwhile, Roblox offers a broader range of customisation across various user-created experiences.

In-Game Events And Experiences

Fortnite:

Live Concerts: Fortnite has hosted major live concerts with artists like Travis Scott and Marshmello, drawing millions of viewers and raking in revenue through related in-game merchandise.

Seasonal Events: Fortnite frequently holds themed events that integrate brand collaborations into its narrative and gameplay for a truly immersive experience.

Roblox:

Virtual Concerts and Events: Roblox is no stranger to the stage either, hosting virtual concerts and events with artists like Lil Nas X and Zara Larsson, providing interactive experiences that resonate with its community.

Branded Worlds: Brands can create entire worlds within Roblox. Whether it's exploring the Gucci Garden or playing sports in Nikeland, these environments offer rich brand engagement.

Comparison: Both platforms excel at large-scale virtual events, but Fortnite's events tend to weave into the game's ongoing story, making them feel like part of a grand narrative. Roblox, on the other hand, allows for the creation of standalone branded worlds, offering more diverse and persistent engagement.

Custom Game Creation And Interactive Experiences

Fortnite:

Fortnite Creative Mode: Brands can use this mode to create custom maps and mini-games, offering unique branded experiences within the Fortnite ecosystem. This allows for creative freedom and brand-specific engagement, as seen with the O2 Arena and Carrefour's Healthy Map.

Roblox:

User-Created Games: Roblox thrives on user-generated content, allowing brands to create custom games or sponsor existing ones. This flexibility lets brands design unique experiences that engage users in myriad ways—from educational games to epic adventures.

Comparison: Roblox's strength is its vast user-generated content and flexibility in creating diverse interactive experiences. Fortnite Creative Mode offers a more controlled environment for branded content but may not match the variety of user-generated games in Roblox.

Advertising And Sponsorship

Fortnite:

In-Game Advertising: Fortnite offers prime real estate for in-game ads, whether it's billboards or product placements seamlessly integrated into the game world.

Brand Partnerships: Strategic collaborations with major franchises, blending brands into the game's environment and storyline, create high visibility and engagement

Influencer Marketing: Fortnite leverages influencers extensively. Influencers create content, stream gameplay, and promote in-game events, reaching millions of followers. Epic Games collaborates with top-tier influencers, turning them into full-time Fortnite content creators and driving significant engagement.

Roblox:

Sponsored Games and Content: Brands can sponsor popular games within Roblox, embedding their products and messages directly into the gameplay.

Influencer Marketing: Roblox has a well-established influencer program, the Video Stars Program, which supports top-tier influencers with tools, early access to features, and promotional opportunities. This program significantly boosts brand visibility through influencer-generated content.

Video Ads and E-Commerce: Roblox has now introduced video ads and has recently announced its first integrated e-commerce partnership with Walmart. Brands can display video ads and will soon be able to enable real-world purchases directly within the platform, turning virtual engagements into real-world sales.

Comparison: While both platforms offer opportunities for advertising and sponsorship, Fortnite's approach is more integrated into the game's environment and narrative. Roblox provides a broader range of sponsorship and a new capability for video ads and will soon be rolling out a wider-scale e-commerce feature that enables direct purchases within the platform.

Which Platform Should I Use For Brand Activation?

Choosing between Fortnite and Roblox for brand activation depends on your marketing goals, target audience, and the type of engagement you want to achieve.

Fortnite is your go-to platform to leverage high-profile collaborations, integrate into a grand narrative, host large-scale live events or tap into their extensive influencer network.

Roblox is ideal if you seek extensive customisation, want to create immersive branded worlds, and are interested in video ads, direct e-commerce opportunities and influencer marketing.

Both platforms offer unique and powerful ways to engage with audiences, so choose the one that aligns best with your brand's objectives and the type of interaction you want to create.

Conclusion

In conclusion, advergaming is set to play an increasingly pivotal role in the future of advertising. As technology advances and consumer preferences shift towards more interactive and immersive experiences, brands that embrace advergaming will be well-positioned to stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

Advergaming offers a compelling way to connect with consumers in an increasingly digital world. With careful planning and creative execution, brands can utilise the power of gaming to deliver memorable, branded experiences that establish deeper connections with their audience and engage new target markets.

2022 Brand Experience Awards: 22 Retail Brands Redefining Interaction, Engagement & Loyalty

Brand experience. Two words that encompass so many things.  

While historically, many retail organizations left "brand" to the marketing and creative teams, the industry leaders and innovators realize that their brand needs to be embedded in every possible moment of interaction and engagement with the customer.  

Now, the brand ecosystem is bigger than ever, and brands have myriad opportunities to differentiate. The question is, which brands are rising to the top?  

Our 2022 Brand Experience Award winners represent the best in CX, marketing, store design and last mile. They are the ones rising to the occasion, and creating moments of delight, deep customer understanding and impeccable service that help them engender long-term loyalty. 

Read about all the winners by viewing the Brand Experience Awards report now! 

4 Successful Strategies For Increasing Brand Awareness

Increasing brand awareness is crucial for any business looking to grow and thrive in a competitive market. As someone deeply involved with building my own brand, I've seen firsthand the importance of building a strong brand presence. Brand awareness helps customers recognize and remember your brand, leading to increased trust, customer loyalty, and sales. Here are five successful strategies to increase brand awareness, complete with examples from our journey at Black Briar Advisors, including how we turned struggles into triumphs.

1. Utilize Social Media Marketing

Leveraging social media platforms is essential for reaching a wider audience and engaging with potential customers. Social media is a powerful tool for building brand awareness due to its broad reach and interactive nature. At Black Briar Advisors, we initially struggled to make our mark on social media. Our posts were sporadic, and our engagement was low.

To turn this around, we created a consistent posting schedule and focused on sharing valuable content that resonated with our audience. We started posting case studies, financial tips and industry news regularly. Additionally, we engaged with our followers by responding to comments and messages promptly. This approach helped us build a more robust social media presence.

Social media marketing allows for direct interaction with customers, helping to build a loyal community around your brand. By consistently providing engaging and relevant content, we kept our audience interested and invested in Black Briar Advisors. Social media platforms also offer various advertising options that can help target specific demographics, increasing the effectiveness of our campaigns.

2. Invest in Content Marketing

Investing in content marketing is vital for providing valuable information to your audience. High-quality content can help establish your brand as an authority in your industry and drive organic traffic to your website.

As leaders, we should invest in a comprehensive content marketing plan, which includes writing detailed blog posts, creating informative videos and publishing whitepapers on financial strategies. For instance, a blog series featuring your company's expertise can garner significant attention and position your organization as an expert in the field.

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Content marketing improves search engine rankings and drives organic traffic, increasing brand visibility and credibility. By creating content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience, you can attract potential clients and keep existing ones engaged. Additionally, well-optimized content can help your website rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for people to discover your organization.

3. Implement Influencer Marketing

Collaborating with influencers who have a strong following in your target market can significantly boost brand visibility. Influencers can help promote your brand to a larger audience, providing a personal touch that resonates with their followers.

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Partner with industry influencers who are respected professionals in your industry. By collaborating with them on webinars and guest blog posts, you can reach a broader audience. A successful campaign could involve an influencer-led webinar educating individuals in your field of expertise, which could attract hundreds of attendees and boost your credibility.

Influencer marketing leverages the trust and reach of influencers to introduce your brand to a broader audience. By partnering with influencers who align with our brand values and target audience, you can tap into their established following and gain credibility. This strategy is particularly effective for reaching niche markets that are difficult to target through traditional advertising methods.

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Utilizing public relations to manage and enhance our brand's reputation was another effective strategy. PR campaigns can help gain media coverage, increase visibility and build credibility. Initially, Black Briar Advisors faced challenges in gaining media attention.

To overcome this, we hired a PR firm to help craft compelling press releases and pitch our stories to relevant media outlets. A major breakthrough came when we secured a feature in a well-known financial magazine. The article highlighted our innovative approach to financial advising and brought significant attention to our brand.

Effective PR campaigns can lead to increased media coverage and positive public perception, boosting brand awareness. By crafting compelling press releases, organizing events and building relationships with journalists, we created a positive image for Black Briar Advisors and kept it in the public eye. This strategy also helped us manage any negative publicity and maintain a favorable reputation.

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Increasing brand awareness is a multifaceted effort that requires strategic planning and execution. At Black Briar Advisors, we have successfully utilized social media marketing, invested in content marketing, implemented influencer marketing, engaged in PR campaigns and offered freebies and giveaways to enhance our brand's visibility and recognition.

Each of these strategies offers unique benefits and can contribute to building a robust and memorable brand presence. Implementing these strategies helped Black Briar Advisors stand out in a competitive market, fostering customer loyalty and driving long-term success. By sharing our journey and examples, I hope to inspire other businesses to take strategic steps in increasing their brand awareness and achieving their business goals.

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