Your Audience Is No Longer Just Gamers, Because We Are All Gamers

What do these requests have in common? Easy: they stem from a misconception that gamers are a niche market, rather than a wide-ranging audience with an ever-growing array of habits, preferences and lifestyles. Now, don’t misunderstand me; I have nothing against gamers (quite the opposite!). However, as time goes on, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that this notion of a “specific audience” doesn’t truly exist, or at least, it is as ambiguous as saying “people who enjoy music” or “people who like chocolate.”

Gaming is experiencing exponential growth and shaking the foundations of pop culture.

Let’s start with the facts. In recent years, the gaming industry has seen remarkable expansion. Today, gaming surpasses the combined value of the film and music industries, making up 42.1% of entertainment industry earnings and generating an astonishing $182.9 billion in profits. This trend has prompted numerous brands worldwide to seize the opportunity and develop strategies to engage with this audience, even including it as a secondary audience in their marketing briefs.

On top of that, the world of video games is a vibrant cultural sphere that has expanded far beyond gamers’ consoles and computers. Nowadays, we can see the impact of the gaming world permeating related industries like Hollywood, as they increasingly adapt video game concepts into movies and series. A prime example is the recent success of the Mario Bros film, which became the second highest-grossing movie globally in 2023. Similarly, we have The Witcher, the Netflix series based on the video game adaptation of a book saga. This influence also extends to the music industry, with worldwide tours featuring symphony orchestras performing iconic video game soundtracks to the delight of massive crowds.

The problem arises when we consider the sheer size of this universe. As of 2022, there were approximately 3.2 billion gamers worldwide, which amounts to nearly half of the global population. Yet, we still tend to think of it as a niche segment. I believe the real challenge lies in using overly broad terms when referring to this category. The term "gamer" encompasses a diverse range of individuals, from a young adult enjoying some Call of Duty during her downtime after college, to an eight-year-old playing Roblox before bedtime, and even a 65-year-old lady passing the time with Candy Crush in the waiting room. 

All of these people are games in their own way. So, if “gamers” can’t be a target audience, then what are they? They're part of a thriving and diverse community with immense potential, waiting to be explored if we go beyond generic discussions and approach them just like any other entertainment subcategory.

How to win in gaming: there’s no “one size fits all.”

By understanding the gaming community’s habits, we can craft more impactful campaigns by pinpointing the needs our brands can satisfy. A prime illustration of this approach is Heinz’s “Hiding Spots” campaign. Knowing that video games demand hands-on attention, making it challenging for gamers to eat while playing, Heinz provided gamers with designated spots within one of the most popular games to hide and eat. 

By broadening our perspective and not confining ourselves to a specific genre, we can create initiatives that appeal to a potentially vast audience. A clear example of this is the urban clothing brand, 100 Thieves, which drew inspiration from esports uniforms to design digital apparel for game avatars, as well as physical clothing for the real world inspired by today’s most popular games.

Arguably, one of the most groundbreaking and “outside-the-box” concepts in recent years is the King’s League. This was the brainchild of a unique partnership between streamer Ibai and former professional footballers Kun Agüero and Pique. Together, they introduced an element of gamification to the sport, forming a football league where the rules aren’t set in stone, the audience can have a say in the matches and the games are far more dynamic than in the traditional professional sport—a product that hits the mark perfectly with the newer generations.

Whether your idea is directly integrated into a game or a connected category, the secret to a successful campaign is the way you marry observations about gamer behavior with the solution your brand can bring to the table.

Tapping into the gaming world for your brand strategy.

Here are some useful tips:

• Dig deeper: Don’t be content with a generic definition. Look beyond the surface of your audience and consider the types of gamers you’re addressing. It’s less likely that your audience of 9-to-5 professionals are hardcore gamers; they’re probably casual gamers engaging on their smartphones.
• Look beyond game titles, focus on behaviors: It’s not just about pinpointing the latest trending game or devising a partnership within Fortnite; it’s more about spotting behaviors and harnessing them to your benefit. What can we bring to the table for these individuals, providing alternatives to those leisure moments currently filled with a round of Candy Crush?
• Push the envelope: It’s well-known that the most brilliant ideas emerge when we innovate by bringing together two seemingly unconnected contexts, and this holds true in the gaming sphere as well. One instance is how Riot Games connected the love for K-pop with the rising fame of recent esports champions in League of Legends to create music videos showcasing these digitalized champions in action.
• Act quickly, even if you stumble: The gaming industry is known for its incredibly rapid trend turnover. Conversely, development times are quite lengthy. As a result, you’re left with two options: you can make a long-term bet with a well-established platform (like Fortnite) and give it the necessary time to develop, or you can create campaigns driven by current behaviors that resonate instantly and are easy to implement.
• Simplify matters: We often have a tendency to make ideas concerning the gaming world more complicated than they need to be. A straightforward, easy-to-execute idea will outperform a campaign that’s laden with complex steps and places excessive demands on our audiences.

Remember to shift perspectives and stop viewing the gaming world in black and white. Instead, begin to explore the contrasts that materialize when we probe the right questions. As we navigate the answers, we’ll unearth a vibrant and diverse community that stands as a fundamental part of our modern culture, brimming with a universe of opportunities for our strategic initiatives.