How mobile gaming can boost your brand

Article Highlights:
Leveraging the compelling power of gaming on mobile devices will prove to be tremendously profitable if done correctly
Brands need to be strategic in implementing a mobile gaming strategy that truly engages their users
Marketers who continue to create one experience for a variety of platforms may find it hard to make one size fit all
Your bus is late. The line at your favorite coffee shop is out the door. Your colleagues arrive for your meeting 10 minutes behind schedule. But the time you spent waiting was not in vain. On the contrary, you used those precious extra minutes to defeat those pesky pigs and advance to the next level in Angry Birds. And by no means are you alone in your pig-blasting vendetta; more than 12 million users have purchased the application since its release just 14 months ago.

Addictive, accessible, and entertaining, mobile games seem to be everywhere in 2011. Thanks to games like Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, and Words with Friends, gaming has spread from a closeted nerdy pastime to the not-so-secret hobby of the masses. Stay-at-home moms, their 4-year-old children, college students, and C-level executives alike share a newfound obsession with mobile gaming.

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Leveraging the compelling power of gaming on mobile devices will prove to be tremendously profitable if done correctly. Considering the rate of smartphone adoption and the popularity of social gaming, the stage is set for a mobile gaming explosion. According to a Nielsen survey conducted in December 2010, 31 percent of U.S. mobile users now own smartphones, and Gartner estimates that mobile application store revenue will exceed $15 billion in 2011, an incredible 190 percent increase from the $5.2 billion worth of revenue generated in 2010. Zynga, the online social games developer that brought us FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and Café World, among others, currently has more than 215 million monthly active users, with more than 50 million daily active users. In addition, the company has successfully translated some of its most popular games onto Android, iPhone, iPad, and mobile web applications.

It's important to remember that mobile gaming is not limited to mobile phones alone. With the tablet's popularity continuing to skyrocket -- undoubtedly bolstered by the launch of the iPad 2 -- mobile has a new platform for gamers to explore.

However, inexplicably, marketers have yet to really take advantage of the opportunities mobile gaming presents. Why haven't more large consumer brands stepped forward and invested in mobile gaming? Being a principal at an agency that has worked with both big brands on their mobile initiatives and with game developers on their interactive experiences, I couldn't be more excited about these two worlds colliding. Marketers would do well to cultivate engaging and immersive mobile gaming experiences that build loyalty and create buzz around their brands.

Remember when you passed time playing Angry Birds while waiting in line for your coffee this morning? What if, instead, you'd had the option to play a game on the coffee shop's official mobile app, earning points toward a free syrup or shot of espresso? We can already pay for the coffee using our smartphones. So why haven't we been given something to keep us occupied in line?

This is the year to tap the full potential of mobile gaming. Remember to always keep your business strategy in mind. Brands need to be strategic in implementing a mobile gaming strategy that truly engages their users and elevates their brand. We're no longer in the Wild West of mobile application development. App developers now have years of practice under their belts building and designing for most platforms and devices, which raises the bar for future apps. Marketers can no longer employ minimal resources and lack a plan that supports their business goals. They must approach mobile projects deliberately and strategically with larger goals in sight.

You must believe mobile gaming is worthwhile and invest accordingly. You've witnessed the upsurge of social gaming over the past 18 months and are well aware of the soaring statistics on smartphone adoption. So, go ahead -- invest in it. Give your mobile gaming strategy the same attention that you pay to digital and traditional advertising. Be strategic and savvy with every phase from conceptual strategy to implementation to maintenance. Your users will thank you later.

Think about which platform best fits your needs. While Apple certainly continues to experience great success, it's important to note that Android and BlackBerry's operating systems are virtually tied with iOS for U.S. market share. Each platform has different design and development challenges, so be sure to think about your customer; are they more focused on B2B and the enterprise? Invest in the key platforms that are embraced by your target audience rather than blindly following the buzz.

The iPad is not Windows Phone 7. Seems pretty straightforward, right? By now, we know that users have different experiences on different devices, which each have unique feature sets and capabilities. Marketers who continue to create one experience for a variety of platforms may find it hard to make one size fit all. Customize the experience to take full advantage of each platform and device.

Opportunity abounds on the digital landscape for mobile gaming. The pace is fast, and amazing things are happening. Your customers are paying money for short, entertaining experiences on their mobile devices; take full advantage of this behavior and put your brand in front of them. Flashy graphics and catchy music drive consumers' never-ending desire to advance to new levels, worlds, and content. Let the next world they unlock be the door to your brand.

Tony Hoskins is principal at POP.

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