Marketing games, car salesman style

From the early analog gaming days of playing cards and Monopoly to today’s Halo 4 and Temple Run, gaming has come a long way. And it’s not just for the kids: games are appealing to a universal audience, which can be a big bonus in the long run.

With over 100 games downloaded from Apple per day, and a reported 67% of all households playing video games, you can’t afford to dismiss this as a content marketing option.

Has your creative well run dry from content marketing ideas? If you’ve utilized everything from infographics to interactive apps to make-your-own-memes, you may be getting frustrated with your day-to-day. Instead of getting down or re-using the same techniques, try something new.

If you haven’t noticed, there’s already something on the web that everybody loves: games!

By Econsultancy February 22nd 2013 18:08

Playing Smart

It can start with something as simple as a vague idea and be transferred into a sensation. That was the case with Kyle’s Roberts’ “Fun Run in Real Life” video posted on Youtube earlier this month.

The video took the “Fun Run” game app and turned it into a real life video shoot. Team Reckless Abandonment Pictures, self-proclaimed Fun Run fanatics, armed themselves with their cameras, their fun run paraphernalia, and their Parkour buddies to complete the project.

The video takes an already popular game and turns it into something fun to watch: a creative content marketing technique that can be used in a variety of ways.

Less active gaming

If you still haven’t figured out how to download games on your phone, or are a die-hard board-game fan, there’s a way to incorporate that, too.

In celebration of the Honda Civic’s 40th birthday, Hendrick Honda, VA presented their customers with a “Who’s the Best Honda Civic Owner” board game for their website.

The game puts a fun spin on the traditional graphic, allowing readers to interact with the material instead of being put to sleep by it. It also gets people talking: who has the oldest Honda and how much do they love it!

Freedom

Some things are simply universal. Everybody loves a little cash, right?

Floyd’s RV utilized a graphic “The RV Camper’s Guide to Casino Camping Across Oklahoma” that guides its readers on road quests to Oklahoma’s top casinos. With three different routes, readers can visualize a weekend trek across the homestead state with stops at the prominent cash-counting casinos.

Instead of badgering them with flashing lights or hiring a celebrity to mispronounce product names, employing a self-explanatory graphic engages the audience. They may or may not take the trek—it’s all up to them.

Don’t water down your content marketing by skimping on the creativity: when the internet is your playroom, it’s perfectly okay to color on the walls.