Gamers To Marketers: 'Add Value, Not Clutter'

As intrigued as advertisers have recently become with the idea of advertising in online and console-based video games, the surface has yet to be scratched. Sports games, racing games, and a few select espionage titles have demonstrated effective in-game product placements--but the mantra, among marketers at least--is to exercise extreme caution in this space: Gamers tend to be a skeptical bunch, and they're not willing to have their content infiltrated with blatant product plugs and brand images.

There is absolutely a right and a wrong way to tap the video game market, according to P.J. MacGregor, vice president and partner, Play--the Starcom MediaVest Group unit devoted to the branded advertising applications within gaming. MacGregor says that a "value exchange" must take place between the consumer and the game environment, and marketing messages cannot disrupt this exchange.

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