Brands must play harder

There are an estimated 213 million mobile internet users in India, as of June 2015. Pegged at 10 per cent penetration, smartphone users within that segment also make for a fairly large (and growing) group. It is not just the volumes which are impressive it is also the engagement. Indians spend on an average three hours 18 minutes a day (yes you read that right) on their smartphones with one-third of that time on mobile apps. All of this is not startlingly new information. But marketing professionals may be missing out an important opportunity for their brands that this data indicates - one of bespoke mobile games.

In India, 64 per cent of the app downloads are games. Consumers clearly love them. The intensity with which a player engages in a mobile game is very different from say, how one consumes social media content on a mobile device. While the former garners near 100 per cent concentration, interest and involvement the latter is consumed in a casual 'scrolling' mode.

The only other content form which garners this kind of involvement is perhaps video. Traditional forms of advertising through television, print and radio have their advantages (mass audience for one) but this may not always be suitable for younger audiences.

Mobile games are an attractive and effective option. Why not take regular banner ads in games consumers are already playing, you ask? Yes, that is an option too, but more often intrusive; non-native ads interrupt the gaming experience. Native ads that blend into a mobile game are worth considering. Bespoke mobile games, on the other hand, are unique to a brand and can be designed around a brand's core promise or advertising property. In 2009, Barclay Card's 'Waterslide' advert went viral on YouTube. They created an iPhone game, 'Waterslide Extreme' to take advantage of the ad's popularity. The element of a water slide in the game reminded people of the advert. Stride chewing gum created Gumulon, which can be controlled by jaw movement (the game uses the front camera to detect movement). Chipotle wanted to promote natural food and created the immensely popular, Hollywood production-like Scaregrow game.

It calls for creative minds to come together and create the right game for a brand. Imagine a multi-player game available for play only at a coffee shop retail outlet or a fast paced action game for an express delivery brand. In the US, Dave & Buster's a restaurant chain with arcade games created mobile games where rewards can be redeemed at a brick & mortar store. Just as any other element of the marketing mix, mobile games too can be an asset to meet a brand's business or marketing objectives.

Sure, bespoke mobile games aren't a solution for all brands. It makes sense for brands whose audience is a heavy consumer of mobile and apps. Also, a brand must be such that it lends itself to a game. Ditto for movies - mobile games seem natural for a certain genre - like action movies, not for every genre.

So what prevents brands from creating bespoke games more often?

It is expensive, time consuming and takes relatively a lot more effort and a battery of specialists as compared to say, setting up a Facebook page. But for certain brand categories, the pros outweigh the cons.

The author, an ex-advertising man, is with @Robosoft, a mobility solutions partner for global corporates and startups.