For those who weren't aware, the gaming industry has blown up in the last decade. According to Statista, there are an estimated 3.2 billion video gamers worldwide. That's right - BILLION! This is an increase of almost 1 billion from 2017. Almost 80% of gamers are aged 18 and above with a good bulk in their 30s, so we know they have spending power. The global video game market is valued at over $300 billion (USD), and in 2020, gamers spent $54 billion (USD) on in-game purchases.
It is no wonder brands are trying to enter this space. However, this usually involves some expensive sponsorships or ads. I'll be honest, the options for traditional paid marketing tactics are not massive in games, and there is only so much brand impact such activities will have on gamers who are just looking for the next kill or to level up.
Don't get me wrong, being present in the gaming space is important, and integrating your brand into games is a great way to engage with gamers, but Wendy's shows us that there is a better way to, quite literally, penetrate the gaming market.
Check it out:
Wendy's took an ingenious route to insert themselves into the most popular game at the time, not just as a brand, but as a player. Wendy's was there to play it's own game that resonates with their brand values. This not only makes Wendy's more relatable as a player in the game, it fosters kinship with other Fortnite players by showing that Wendy's is one of them - so much so that some of these players took it upon themselves to join Wendy's mission in destroying freezers. Not only did Wendy's join the game, it added its own "game" with this side-mission - of course gamers are going to love it!
In addition to receiving a lot of media attention through views and mentions, it also garnered the loyalty of many gamers. Speaking from experience and what I've seen in the media, gamers tend to prefer fast food as fuel mainly because its convenient (and of course the sugar helps). I wouldn't be surprised if Wendy's is top pick for many gamers following this campaign.
Wendy's brings us back to marketing basics and shows us how we can build strong relationships with our consumers by understanding their world and integrating our brand into their world in a meaningful way.
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