Avatar-Based Marketing

hempman writes "This article (which I wrote!) from the current issue of Harvared Business Review offers a new perspective on marketing real-world products in virtual worlds to virtual consumers with the aim of generating real-world revenue. It examines the frontier of marketing. Although companies are beginning to see the potential of marketing in 3D games and virtual worlds, it's important that they think not just about the 'where' of this new market but also about the 'who.' That is, when marketing in virtual worlds, do you target the flesh-and-blood user who controls the real-world wallet? Or do you target the wallet-wielding consumer's avatar, which likely represents a powerful but hidden aspect of his personality and could influence his purchases -- or at least provide a window into his hidden desires and preferences?"

Comments

Re:So I Log Onto Warcraft ...

[WillAffleckUW]

Like whys for a messaging service, if WoW didn't have a artificial mail service, and some independant group of players created their own ingame mail company (ala Fed-Axe!) would it be wrong of them to advertise in the major cities?

I remember getting sick in Diablo with all the pop-up trolls who would advertise for the place to buy a special Diablo sword, etc. All scripted.

It annoyed the HELL out of me. I HATED it.

The problem is every advertiser acts like he's the only one. But he isn't. Once one person does it, five thousand people do the same thing.

The only solution is context-sensitive ads - want an ad in a fantasy game? It has to be a faded banner on a wall in a place that normally would have ad banners and fits - e.g. Nike could have an ad that said "Ye Olden Nike - Shoes and Sandals fur ye Actif Trolle or Gobline" on the side of an Arena building, or Pepsi could have an ad on a torn weathered poster made of old style paper in a Wild West game that said "Reward: $500 for Pepsi Drinking Sam - Dead or Alive - with a charcoal picture badly done of a guy with a hat with a Pepsi color bandanna". But only one ad per town.