How an Advergame Development Company Turns Ads Into Games

An advergame development company converts advertisements into an interactive game form which people can decide to play on their own accordingly. Unlike traditional advertisement where a brand message is communicated to a viewer, the advergame integrates the message within the objectives, incentives and characters of the game. Abhiwan Technology has successfully developed advergames such as Thums Up Biryani Hunt and Coca-Cola Face Swap. For the marketing executive, the question of interest is simple, i.e., which platform should be used for this campaign, how do we measure its success, and finally, what does it cost? These are some of the questions addressed in the guide below.

What Is an Advergame Development Company?

Advergame Development refers to developing a game around a brand, a product, or a marketing objective in such a way that playing the game is the advertisement itself. Usually, brands commission an advergaming development Company to perform all tasks, including coming up with the idea, designing the game, developing artwork, programming, and testing. In addition, the company ensures the game loads quickly and runs on the devices your audience uses. Currently, most advertising campaigns target mobile users, so mobile advergame development is essential. A mobile advergame should be quick-loading and take about one or two minutes to play with just one thumb.

Why Brands Need More Engaging Advertising

Here, an advergame development company assists with four issues where traditional advertising fails:

Ad fatigue

Modern users ignore banner advertisements and skip video ads. On the other hand, a game gives users a reason to stop what they are doing and pay attention.

Short attention span

The average ad gets only a few seconds. A game holds the player's attention for several minutes.

Low recall

Passive advertisements are quickly forgotten. Players remember the actions and successes. The brand becomes a part of this memory.

Less data

Impressions provide no valuable insights. Gameplay provides insights as to who plays, for how long, and what happens after that. This data helps you run your next campaign.

How Advergames Enhance Campaign Effectiveness

Effective Advergame Development makes campaigns better in the following ways:

Higher levels of engagement

Players decide to spend time on the game by themselves. The challenges and rewards encourage players to return to the game. More time translates to more brand exposure.

Social nature

Easy games are easily shared among friends. Scores and rewards serve as a motivation to share. You gain coverage without additional costs of media.

Lead generation

Players have an opportunity to sign up for scores and rewards. Leads are generated from users who are already interested in you.

Results measurement

Each touchpoint, level, and reward is measurable. Teams know what to do next based on this feedback. Reports correlate game data with campaign objectives.

Different Types of Advergames Used by Brands

An advergaming development company may create several forms, but these four describe most advergame campaigns:

Product showcase games

This type of game demonstrates product features. Players experience features without reading manuals. The recall factor increases since the player has used the world of the product.

Gamified campaign games

The campaign becomes a series of tasks that players have to complete. Rewards motivate them. Thums Up Biryani Hunt is one such advergame created by Abhiwan.

Lead generation games

The players enter their details to get the reward. The sign-up procedure is incorporated into the gaming process. This gives the brand a list of qualified leads rather than random clicks.

Event and in-store games

Gaming elements include kiosks, cameras, and motion sensors. People are attracted to join the game. One such example is the FaceSwap AR kiosk for Coca-Cola at Foodmarks India.

How to Measure the ROI of an Advergame

Measuring the return on a game from an advergame development company is easier when you choose metrics before launch.

Set a baseline from your last campaign so the game's results have something to be compared with. Review the numbers weekly during the campaign, not only at the end, so you can adjust rewards or difficulty while players are still active.

How to Choose an Advergame Development Company

This short list of criteria will help you compare different partners. A good advergame development company passes all these four criteria:

Proof of concept

It is essential to check not only screenshots but the demo as well. You can play this demo on your personal phone and evaluate its speed and level of fun.

Past campaign experience

The studio should have similar cases in the past. You should also make sure that the results were evaluated.

Customization approach

Your idea is more important than the studio templates. A good partner asks you first about your goal and then provides templates.

Post-Launch Support

After the game goes live, it needs fixes and tuning with real users. Find out who monitors the data. Plan the updates accordingly.

How Abhiwan Technology Helps Brands Build Advergames 

Founded in 2018, Abhiwan Technology creates branded games and interactive experiences designed to allow companies to advertise and engage with customers by using their campaigns in the digital realm. Projects of Abhiwan include mobile advergames, AR experiences and games, and gamification of brands' events. Some of the projects include Thumbs Up's Biryani Hunt, Vaseline's SunCoins, Coca-Cola's FaceSwap AR kiosk, and Bajaj Finserv's Mind Maze. Each project shows how brands can use interactive content in various forms, such as mobile gaming, AR content based on cameras, and branded events. Creation of an advergame involves setting the objectives and target audience of the campaign, followed by planning a proper game concept, creating its visual part, and implementing gameplay and interactivity. Testing is needed to detect and fix any possible problems in technology and user experience. Further support can be needed for solving some technical problems and maintaining the experience according to the campaign needs.

What Is the Difference Between Advergaming and In-Game Advertising?

In-Game advertising is placing the brand within a video game where the brand will be featured in the form of billboards within the video game, or within the gameplay, for instance, within a racing video game. Advergaming is a bit different. The advergame development company designs an entire game about a brand, product, or campaign. The advergame will enable the brand to design the gameplay, storyline, prizes, and experience of the game as a whole. The player will interact with the brand within the game. Nevertheless, designing an entire video game requires some effort and money.

Are Mobile Advergames Effective?

Mobile advergames can attract players as long as the game is fun and brand integration is seamless. Mobile advergame development offers brands a channel through which they can reach their target customers via smartphones, where it is easy to distribute and share games. For example, a brand can create a mobile game in which players explore product features or complete challenges related to a campaign. Success depends on the quality of the game, target audience, and promotion method. The brand must set clear objectives, measure things like engagement and completion rates, and develop a prototype before a larger launch.