What are branded games and why do they go mainstream?
As one can easily guess from the name, branded games are video games for brand promotion. Basically, they are originally developed as marketing tools for a brand or product. These games feature the brand or product prominently within the game and are designed to engage consumers and increase brand awareness. Now branded games are developed for a variety of platforms, including mobile devices, consoles, and PCs in order to cover the broadest audience possible.
There are several reasons why branded marketing games have gone mainstream in recent years. First, advances in technology have made it easier and more affordable to create high-quality games, making branded games accessible to a wider range of businesses. Second, consumers are increasingly spending more time playing video games, particularly on mobile devices, providing brands with a captive audience for their marketing messages.
Additionally, branded mobile games provide a unique opportunity for brands to connect with their audience in a more engaging and interactive way. Rather than relying on traditional advertising methods, branded mini games allow brands to offer a fun and entertaining experience that reinforces their brand identity and messaging.
Finally, branded games have the potential to appeal to a large number of players all over the globe. Providing branded games are well-designed and engaging, they have the potential to go viral, with players sharing the game with their friends and on social media thus increasing the game's reach and exposure.
All in all, it’s impossible to underrate these games for brand promotion as they’ve proven to be a creative and engaging marketing tool in terms of increasing a brand’s visibility, building a strong connection with its audience, and standing out in an overcrowded market.
The ultimate guide to successful marketing games development
Developing enjoyable and profitable branded games can be an effective way to engage with your target audience and boost your brand awareness. However, it's important to approach branded games development with a proper strategy to ensure that the game resonates with your target audience and achieves your marketing objectives. In this step-by-step guide, we'll walk you through the process of a successful branded games development process.
Step 1: Define Your Objectives and Target Audience
The first step in branded mini games development is to define your key goals and target audience. What do you want to achieve with the game? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Who is your target audience? What are their interests, preferences, and behaviors? Answering these questions will help you identify the type of game that will resonate with your consumers and reach your marketing goals.
Step 2: Choose the Right Game Format
Once you have determined the main factors, you can start exploring different game formats that align with your goals and audience preferences. There are many different types of games to choose from, including puzzle games, adventure games, simulation games, and more. Consider the type of experience you want to create for your audience and select a game format that lines up with your brand values and messaging.
Step 3: Develop Engaging Game Mechanics
The overall branded marketing games success depends largely on the game mechanics' quality. Game mechanics are the rules and systems that govern the game, such as the scoring system, levels, challenges, and rewards. You need to ensure that your game mechanics are engaging, challenging, and rewarding to keep your players coming back for more.
Step 4: Design an Appealing User Interface
The user interface (UI) is the visual design of the game, including the graphics, colors, typography, and layout. The UI is critical in creating an immersive and amusing gaming experience for your audience. You need to design a UI that not only aligns with your brand aesthetics but also creates an emotional connection with your audience.
Step 5: Integrate Branding and Marketing Messages
The key to creating successful branded mobile games lies in integrating branding and marketing messages seamlessly into a game. These messages should be subtle and non-intrusive, so as not to disrupt the gaming experience. Consider using in-game ads, branded content, and social media integrations for good promotion.
Step 6: Test and Optimize the Game
Before launching the game, you need to test it rigorously to identify any bugs, glitches, or issues that could affect the gaming experience. You should also gather feedback from beta testers and focus groups to optimize the game mechanics, UI, and branding messaging. Once the game is optimized, you can launch it on your website, app store, or social media channels.
Step 7: Measure and Evaluate Performance
Finally, measuring and evaluating branded games performance against marketing objectives must take place. It’s essential to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as downloads, engagement, retention, and revenue to determine the game's impact on a business. The insights gained from the performance data can be effectively used to optimize the game and inform future marketing strategies.
Let’s sum up
Branded mini games development requires a strategic approach that totally corresponds with marketing objectives and target audience preferences. By following these seven steps, you can create a game that engages your audience, promotes your brand, and meets all your needs and requirements.
As not only seasoned game developers but passionate gaming fans, we know everything about gaming and don’t mind sharing this precious information with you. Join us and let’s discover the amazing world of mobile games development together!
HitBerry Games is a mobile app development studio that has deep expertise and prolonged experience in branded games development. Our mobile games development studio brings together high-skilled and dedicated talents in interactive games for brands creation. We provide mobile games outsourcing development to enhance your in-house team as well as full-cycle mobile games development services for enterprises and start-ups.
In terms of each project, we use top-notch technology and apply creative vision and prolonged experience to deliver stunning branded mobile games that will help you reach your business goals efficiently. Our team will provide you not only with advanced branded games development services but also focus on your brand’s marketing strategy.
Contact us now and let’s create branded games jointly!