The era of big brands in the gaming industry is coming

Smaller individuals have their own brands.


Wen/Unknowing


A while ago, Grape Jun found a legendary game material related to Jackie Chan, the tone is very special.


The lines "moderate game brain, indulging in game injury; reasonable timing, enjoying a healthy life..." remind me of the health advice at the start of the domestic game in a trance.



I didn't expect to see a sequel to the material again soon after. In the conference room, Xuanfa's creative director was questioned by everyone because of the public service advertisement, but he insisted that "one-size-fits-all 999, high explosion rate, recycling to earn money" is not what legendary players need. True legends should be "only for brotherhood".



After watching this "series", I thought for a long time also did not understand: in the past like to kill the monster explosion god costume, famous for the effect of advertising legend, how to start with the story of the content, do brand advertising?


In fact, not only legendary products, grape Jun in the past year found that domestic manufacturers are paying more and more attention to brand building, the number of brand advertising is also gradually increasing. This change is also reflected in the sea, according to Google and Kantar Kaido jointly launched the "2020 BrandZ™ China's Global Brands 50" series of reports(Report)The brand strength of the listed Chinese manufacturers increased by 20% year-on-year, the highest growth rate.



All kinds of changes, grape Jun as if to see that the global hand tour industry is about to usher in a big brand era.


The era of big brands in the gaming industry


Before we can verify this idea, let's be clear: What is the role of the gaming industry brand?


Putting aside the added value of increasing the visibility of the game and making it more popular,The brand's most realistic core value is still to reduce the cost of buying, access to long-term traffic.


Let's review the traffic changes in the travel industry. Over the past few years, although the industry's way of getting, but focus on short-term benefits of the overall thinking has not changed, which is why hot material will always be swept in a short period of time.


The "Black Coffin" material, which was particularly popular in the past, was popular


But the problem is that as the industry continues to grow and competition increases, the cost of buying is becoming more and more unbearable. According to Grape Jun, last year the price of single-user in the domestic popular category exceeded 200 yuan, while the price of a single core user in Japan and South Korea has also been close to 10 dollars. At the same time, the material is becoming more and more obsolete, DateEye CEO Wang Xiangbin recently said with Grape Jun: "Two years ago a creative marketing cycle was about 15-20 days, and now only 3-5 days." 」


The price change of traffic gradually highlights the value of the brand, soManufacturers are starting to try to build barriers through brand building, reduce the cost of buying and get long-term traffic.The above legend is a typical case in point.


This change throws a question into the manufacturers: How do you build a brand?


The survey gave us some tips. According to Google's Report, the 2020 new brands differ by 30 points in the "meaningful" dimension and by 16 points in the "differentiated" dimension, compared with the brands that remain on the list. Games are the main products of manufacturers, so Google suggests that manufacturers can focus on "meaningful" and "differentiated" two dimensions to build their own brand.


Figure: Meaningful/differentiated/prominent are the three indicators of the BrandZ model, calculated from some questionnaire data. The so-called average of 100 is the average of the BrandZ database


The so-called differentiation, that isBrands need to be clearly positioned。 Specifically, we can refine brand labels based on product characteristics. Different products are different, suitable for shaping the brand label is naturally different, some existing success stories may give us inspiration.


Some products can be based on categories. NetEase's "Operation Wilderness" has been online in Japan for 2 and a half years and is still active at the top of the App Store's bestseller list, with the brand label containing "social" based on tactical athletics.


Operation Wilderness has a number of socially promoting designs, such as the addition of voice systems, customizable avatars, and photo albums. With these settings, it is easier for players to break the gap between virtual images. The game also pays special attention to heterosexual social, such as joining the couple system, the introduction of "gender-limited matching" function for daily wear and so on.


Screenshot of the Wilderness Action daywear game


According to a November 2018 Wilderness Player Survey, 59.3 percent of young players download the game through the social chain. That's well above japan's overall average of 40.1 percent.


Source: TesTee, a Japanese survey site


Some products can be based on play, such as "Dragon Fantasy" out to sea in Japan stressed "play multiple", and some products can be based on themes, such as "Three Nations" and the three IP binding. In short, it's a tailor-made process, with no set-up.


"Dragon Fantasy" in Japan's promotional materials


In addition to product characteristics,Target user attributes are also an important reference factor for refining brand labels。 Google's Korea market survey last year showed that 68% of players were affected by game brand marketing campaigns when choosing games.


68% of players' game choices are influenced by the branding of the game


This insight is of great help to Lilith.Zhang Zilong, its head of distribution, once said to Vine Jun:"We learned through Google that Korean culture is particularly popular and very one word:A sense of momentum.As a result, "Awakening of All Nations" launched in South Korea, refined the "popular overseas" label, while more than 50% of the brand marketing budget is placed in the reservation period, in an attempt to convince players that the game will quickly become popular among the group of friends.


Except for "differentiation."In addition, we can also try to improve the "meaningful" dimension of the game, that is, to build value resonance with players and users. The NewspaperWhen players develop emotional connections to the game and find identity in them, meaningful associations are created that eventually translate into interest and brand loyalty, the notice says.


NutshellBuilding a brand by creating "image and identity" is a more feasible approach。 Based on some excellent cases, we can refine the method to advertising, operation, marketing three aspects.


In terms of advertising, Lilith's release of Swords and Expeditions in Taiwan is worth referring to. At the beginning of its release in Taiwan, the game's main feature was casual and relaxed. As user growth slows, Lilith tries to expand her interest in art and aesthetics, focusing on promoting the game's rich visual design, such as publishing art design collections, to create "image and identity identity" and increase its appeal to target groups.


Swords and Expeditions Art Design Collection


Some of the more mature games can be advertised to awaken the lost player's "image and identity". According to Google, Mu's Endless Duel(Mobile Legends:Bang BangEvery year, branded ads continue to be placed on YouTube. Most of these brand ads are based on story-based content, for some players who are not only satisfied with MOBA play, rich story content can stimulate their enthusiasm for the brand.


At the end of 2018, Mugso took the opportunity of game updates to run branded ads on YouTube for lost users. At half the marketing cost, the game's retention increased by 10% in ten days.


Screenshot of the Endless Duel Youtube channel video


In terms of operation, Call and Synthesis, which calls up the network, is a model for small and medium-sized manufacturers in operation. This small-cost production is currently inTapTap has nearly 55,000 reviews, 9.7high score. In addition to the game's fusion of styles, the success of the game includes,Through the operation to create a "grassroots, but sincere" brand image


The picture and effect of the game are not exquisite


On New Year's Day, the game sends greetings to players and is filled with diamonds. This kind of letter is not like a lot of hand-swimming as good talk but lack of human touch, but there is a kind of neighborhood nagging homely taste: "It doesn't matter, a hug, a voice, a video call is enough." 」



Through its operations, Call and Synthesis gradually gives players an "image and identity." Today, in the game's TapTap community, you can still see some old players' new messages: "The game is really warm." Although there is not much time to play, but from time to time there will be a few games. 」


As for marketing, The Grape King was most impressed by The Night of the Fort, famous for its coolness. The game recently teamed up with renowned American rapper Travis Scott for an online concert. Although less than 15 minutes, but the cool and changeable stage background, the concert process and player interaction, have become synths for the trend.


Singer Travis Scott smashed down from the sky and the player was bounced off


A changeable scene


Fortress Night officials said 12 million players attended the concert. Video of today's concert has been streamed on Youtube.


In addition to the concert, a similar event at Fort Night included "Black Hole Events" at the end of last year's season, with 10 million marshmallow Marshmallow Marshmello concerts online. It can be seen that the game through marketing activities, to meet the players to pursue the trend of the appeal, to create a "image and identity."


Finally, Grape Jun also want to emphasize one point: the game is a content product, its properties than a bottle of Coke much more, art, music, play, fighting, drama ... At the same time, its production link is longer, including the world view, play frame, special effects production and many other steps.


SoIn addition to the above-mentioned "differentiation" and "meaningful" dimensions, some ideas can also sing about brand building。 For example, the marketing preecontions that have been frequently mentioned for the past two years, i.e., at the earliest stages of a release, allow marketing, research and development, and operations teams to work together to find better solutions, or to insist, for example, that Fortress Night has created confidence in the idea that the book "always surprises" through a number of unconventional marketing campaigns.


Conclusion.


After talking about game brand building, Grape Jun also want to talk about thinking about Chinese game brand.


According to Google's Report, there are 12 gaming companies on this year's top 50 list, four of which are new brands(This year's top 50 list will be announced at Think with Google's conference in July.)As you can see from the image below, many gaming companies have significant ups and downs in their brand power, extreme or even back more than 20. The reason is that the industry is more dependent on the explosion, but no one can guarantee the birth of the explosion.


Mobile gaming brands came in second on the list


Therefore, overall, China's hand-travel brand still faces strong uncertainty, brand is relatively fragile. This is the case. No doubt once again the importance of brand building, in front of manufacturers. How to improve the "differentiation" and "meaningful" dimensions of the brand, the domestic experience of excellence to be used overseas, perhaps Google can give some advice.


Thankfully, despite the brand weaknesses, Chinese game makers have already achieved the world's best results in terms of hand-travel revenue. What we need to do now is to continue to introduce excellent products and brand building,In the brand influence gradually beyond Japan, Europe and the United States.As Ma Xiaoxuan, Tencent's senior vice president, said in an interview with Grapejun, "Our goal for the next phase is to see Tencent go from being the world's largest gaming company to the strongest and best." 」


Top 52 Global Publishers of 2019 Source: App Annie


This process can take many years, and it is not necessarily Tencent that can achieve this goal. But I still hopeHope, the future of our country can really be born a, let everyone take oral the best game company. "Nintendo is the master of the world" "Blizzard production, must be a fine" terrier, one day can also be used in domestic manufacturers.


(Click to read the original text for more game guides and suggestions)




Recommended reading


VtuberWar Song ArenaJohnson EconomicsOriginal God

after the wavesSecondary game difficultiesGame design books


The latest game professional books are on the shelves!Click on the small program below to get it