MUMBAI: WildTangent has signed on new advertisers such as Discovery Networks, Sony Pictures, Johnson & Johnson’s Acuvue, KIA, Suzuki Motors, and Warner Bros. to sponsor WildCoins enabled “pay for play” game sessions across its WildTangent Games Network (WGN).
WGN is the fastest growing online games network in the US reaching 6.5 million unique gamers each month.
WildTangent has made it possible for consumers to pay as little as $.25-$1.50 per game session, good for a full 24 hours of play, through its recent introduction of the WildCoins game currency. With “sponsored sessions” consumers can now choose to pay for a game session or let an advertiser sponsor free game play sessions in exchange for engagement with their brand.
“We love how WildTangent has engaged gamers on their own terms. We have integrated our brand and message into the game play experience in a way that improves and enhances the game play and the economics for users,” said KIA vice president of marketing Ian Beavis.
KIA ran a scratch and win sweepstakes across the WildTangent Games Network, in which consumers could win up to 1000 WildCoins at a time. Other elements of the sponsorship include vehicle integration into the Final Drive Fury game and dynamic in-game units.
“With sponsored sessions, we are able to give gamers free play of the hit title ‘Penguins’ in return for engaging with the trailer for the Happy Feet movie, clearly a perfect fit and a great way to create interaction with our target audience,” said Trish Gubiotti, media supervisor of Beyond Interactive, the media buying agency for Warner Bros Pictures.
“Gamers are a highly qualified audience because they are fully immersed in the experience therefore they have high engagement levels,” said Jay Altschuler, vice president, group media director at PHD, Discovery Network’s media agency.
He added, “We are always looking for new ways to target specific gaming audiences with rich engaging messages while empowering the gamer in the process.”
To date, the results of the sponsored session campaigns have been stellar. Consumers who have chosen to play a sponsored version, have, on average, engaged the Ultramercial rich media advertisements for 52 seconds per play, with an astounding 18 per cent then clicking thru to the advertiser’s website, compared to an Internet-wide click thru average of below one per cent.
“This is a better way for advertisers to build dialogue with gamers. WildCoins has enabled the user to control their own destiny, resulting in superior interaction with brands,” said WildTangent CEO Alex St. John.
Over 25 major brand marketers are running campaigns across the WildTangent Games Network during the month of November.
