Marketers must play smart with mobile crazes like Candy Crush

Liam Winston, Singapore-based managing partner at Mobile Now Group, said recent data clearly demonstrates that consumers are spending more time on their mobile devices, further splintering media consumption. (Source: Flurry Nov 2012)

On average, more than two hours per day are spent on apps, with games and social networking the most popular activities. Yet for Winston, the opportunity for brands arising from all this time spent on mobile is not necessarily one of monetisation, but more about creating relevant interaction opportunities.

Alice Lee, general manager at Media Palette Hong Kong, said that while most of the popular mobile games are free to download, game publishers monetise them through "in-app purchases or intrusive sharing from users via social-networking service, so as to move on to the next level or special tools to facilitate the game". 

Lee pointed out that in-app advertising is also popular, as users are willing to watch ads to gain more benefits, such as an extra 'life' in games such as Candy Crush. This is known as 'incentivised video'.

Lee said the clickthrough rates for ads placed in these games or apps can be quite high compared with traditional digital advertising. For example, the clickthrough rate for an incentivised video on Candy Crush could reach 5 per cent.

"However, we think users would be more excited if they found the brands have been integrated into the game content," she adds. "For example, brands could sponsor one of the candies in Candy Crush; users might find it more natural and interesting that candies or cookies in the real world appear in the game."

Brands in Hong Kong are keen to take advantage of mobile games or instant messenging to promote their products. To meet this demand, Korean instant app Line launched its TVC in Hong Kong in mid-April.

Line has two business models: official accounts and sticker sponsorship, in which brands create themed stickers for users to download.

A PR spokesperson at Line Korea commented: “There are many different ways to monetise mobile games linked with instant messaging platforms. Through mobile games linked with Line's platform, users are able to compete with their friends online. There are various items, game coins, and rubies for users to purchase with real money to gain a competitive edge. This is where the monetisation takes place between these two platforms.”

Tencent China's WeChat is another popular instant messenger on which Brands can open official accounts to engage with customers. KFC has featured its own WeChat account in its latest TVC, while McDonald’s has used WeChat accounts to broadcast offers and coupons.

Winston listed ways that brands can enter this space, each approach with its own depth of involvement, level of investment and need for ongoing commitment. They are:

• Piggybacking on an existing property: However, the opportunities for perfect brand synergy tend to be rare. P&G led the way very early in the day with their 'Charmin Sit or Squat' tie-up, while McDonald's sought to get on the Rovio bandwagon last year in China, but didn't enjoy quite the same success as P&G.
• Collaborative opportunities: Aside from sponsorship, utilising existing utilities, particularly social networking systems, can be an ideal way for a brand to distribute content to a target audience. American jean brand Lee took advantage of this at the end of the 2012 by making content for its NightSkins campaign available on DatouDatou (大头大头贴™), a popular photosharing app across Greater China (pictured below). This ensured the campaign received thousands of shares, but not in an invasive manner.
• Bespoke games. In some circumstances, the best way for a brand to become fully immersed in this area, is with the creation of a custom game. This is no small undertaking; both in terms of the production investment, necessary media support and the need for a clear and well-thought through mobile strategy to support the initiative.

Brands cannot adopt an in-your-face approach, with custom games as a poorly veiled, product catalogue, Winston added. First and foremost, the game must appeal to the consumer, he warned.

Eric Leong, senior strategic planner and Grey Hong Kong, agreed, adding: “Branded mobile gaming apps rarely succeed and it ultimately boils down to one main reason: game quality.”

Leong said that when brands decide to launch their own games they often make a fundamental mistake when defining their competition: "They’re not just competing against their rival brand’s latest app, they’re competing against Candy Crush. They’re competing against Angry Birds, and all the other mobile games developers out there whose main source of income comes from the games they create.

"As a result, the level of game quality required to succeed is exceedingly high, and it would seem that only the boldest or foolhardy of brands would enter the fray with their latest ‘3D adventure’ game app," he said.

"The wiser route for brands in the mobile app space is one that focuses on ‘utility’ as opposed to ‘entertainment’. And not just any utility, but one that is intrinsically linked to the brand’s products and the role it fulfils," he added.

An industry source in Taiwan, who did not wish to be named, advised marketers to "always go to the latest popular games if they believed in games as a communication tool. [However], I'm not a believer in using games as a communication tool, as games come and go too fast. Also, people are more focused on games and episodes when playing. You cannot assure their attention to the brand or product," he said.

So, as new mobile games come and go so quickly, how can brands sustain them as part of an ‘integrated communications’ mix?

Lee believes that a successful integrated communications plan relies on different contact points for specific marketing. These contact points should be identified through a consumer behaviour study to tap into them in the most effective way. 

"In other words, even though all games and apps come and go, we should keep exploring to keep abreast of the latest hit. Definitely, if the platform has gathered a substantial number of fans, advertisers should keep their presence there to keep consistency and momentum."

Line Korea's spokesperson also acknowledged that it's extremely difficult to have a sustained mobile game. "As mobile games are casual by nature, the trend within this industry is constantly changing. The only way to survive within this industry is through constant innovation and releasing new game contents to sustain your business."