If you are involved in the world of experiential marketing and branding like I am, you know that it takes a certain amount of savvy to reach the generation that grew up with a game controller in one hand and a smartphone in the other.
Gen Z is a unique audience of digital natives who can sniff out cheesy marketing tactics from a mile away. Effectively marketing to them and creating events and experiences that will keep them engaged and coming back for more requires a certain amount of nuance and understanding of this particular group.
Gaming culture has revolutionized the marketing space. By leveraging insights from the gaming space, marketers and brands can create cutting-edge content, events, and strategies, reaching Gen Z where they are.
Whether you are brand new to marketing, trying to build a brand aimed at Gen Z, or a seasoned marketer seeking to uplevel your approach, here are some insights from the gaming industry that can help you reach Gen Z and keep them interested.
Engagement
There is probably no one industry that does engagement better than gaming. While most Gen X and maybe some millennials remember “gaming” as the simple act of throwing a game cartridge into your Nintendo system or having a few friends over to try out the latest release, Gen Z knows an entirely different gaming industry.
Today’s gaming industry excels at fostering community. From Twitch streams to discord servers to very personalized Minecraft SMP groups, Gen Z has capitalized on building communities within the gaming world.
Gen Z spends up to 12 hours a week gaming on average and relies on the gaming community for more than just entertainment. The various events and gaming platforms serve as their community, basis for building friendships, and way of connecting to others.
Marketers can use in-game advertising as a powerful tool to reach Gen Z, where they spend a large portion of their time, but these ads need to feel natural, unobtrusive, and authentic to the gameplay. Social media interaction must be the same, as inauthentic content will likely be ignored. Gen Z will be the first group to turn their backs on a marketing approach that feels too forced or fake. Ads and in-game brand integration must be tailored to the interests of Gen Z and, for lack of a better term, “speak their language” in an authentic way.
Furthermore, brands can also help Gen Z connect better through events, streaming broadcasts, branded virtual spaces, and social media groups. Influencer marketing can also be effective, leveraging big gaming influencers’ follower count and pull — some of whom have reached celebrity status.
