The often used phrase in generating awareness for games is ‘enlist the core to mobilize the masses’, which is essentially targeting hardcore fans and using their passion and influence to recruit new people. Influencer outreach is igniting a nucleus of the most influential users in a social media setting, whether within a single community or across social nets, and unleashing them with the right messaging and content to blaze a path of engagement with a game or brand. Influencer outreach is now in every major publisher’s arsenal and part of the marketing campaign for their biggest games. The secret - it’s not a break the budget tactic. Rather, it’s a scalable, measurable and even agile approach suitable for games and game makers of all stripes. This session will examine the use of influencer generated content to drive word of mouth, develop player communities and drive purchase interest, as well as cover the right metrics and key performance indicators to plan for in setting up a successful campaign. There will be real world campaigns cited as case studies.

1. TAKING AIM AT INFLUENCERS
Games Connection 12.03.13

3. 2 billion
100 hours
186
videos are watched on YouTube every day.
of content are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
videos are watched monthly by internet users in U.S., on average.
Source: youtube.com

4. Is this is a new form of
PRODUCT ENDORSEMENT?

6. INFLUENCERS
Trends (+/-): Subscribers - Views - Sharing — Comments - Rank

7. DEMOGRAPHIC

8. ENGAGEMENT
If a video was posted by an influencer that was watched by millions yet
garnered no comments, shares, or likes did it make a noise?

9. DURATION
15 second videos are used least, but they produce the best clickthrough rates and are 153% more effective than videos between 16
seconds and one minute.
61+ second videos account for half of all social video traffic, and they are the second most effective format after 15 seconds.
16-60 second videos are 41% less effective than videos over one minute long.

10. Managing talent or content -
WHAT IS MY STRATEGY?

12. INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US
strategy & accountability
strengths challenges
• Most iconic superheroes of all-time
• Created by the team that created
Mortal Kombat (NetherRealm)
• Get mass awareness for a brand new IP
• Activate core fighting game fans to rally around a
new franchise

13. INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US
“Who Would Win?”
challenge solution
• Inspire new conversation in social
media around a timeless debate
• Stay relevant by focusing attention
on a new fighting franchise
• Ask users to vote each week for
“Who Would Win?”
• Utilize influencers to amplify the
conversation and drive engagement
• Rally fans across owned and partner
social networks to build excitement

14. WHO WOULD WIN?
challenge solution
Inspire a new conversation around a
timeless debate and focus attention
on new fighting franchise
• Ask users to vote each week for
“Who Would Win?”
• Utilize influencers to amplify the
conversation and drive engagement
• Rally fans across owned and partner
social networks to build excitement

16. INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US
social amplification
challenge solution
• Leverage core and partner audiences
to get them talking, “liking”,
tweeting, commenting and sharing
• Drive purchase intent
• Launch new video content weekly
featuring celebrities talking about
“Who Would Win?”
• Stir up conversation across multiple
channels increasing overall debate
and activity

17. INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US
MAXIMIZE CONVERSION FUNNEL
Dynamic feedback loop identifies drop-off for each step, allowing optimization / retargeting based on funnel progress
Reward & Sweeps
DC Comic Tie-In
New character, character skins
and DLC reveals
Social Engagement
(polls, memes, conversation, etc.)

18. INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US

19. INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US

20. INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US
results
#1 Game in the US in April and May
2013 across all platforms (NPD)
First time a fighting game have
ranked in the top spot since April
2011 (Mortal Kombat)

21. INFLUENCER CONTENT CREATION
IS EVOLVING BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

22. LONG FORM CONTENT
A video game is not a product, its an immersive experience. That experience and connection to your
brand does not need to be limited to the actual game contents. The right content can take on a life
of its own and be a touch point to push consumers back to the game itself.
Either expanding on a well established world to add further depth and emotional connection, or as a
method to help bring to life a new IP, long form content works in concert with traditional executions
to add breath and scope to your brand.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy
Nuka Break
The Controller

23. PUSHING THE GAME ENGINE
Push the boundaries of what your game was primarily built for and re-purpose existing
elements to create a wide array of assets to not only produce unique, highly shareable
content, but inspire User Generated Content.

24. USER GENERATED CONTENT
Inspiring and motivating fans to generate their own content, implies positive sentiment and
helps you expand your brand through evangelists.
YouTube is the #2 search engine on the web, not just for video content, but for search in
general. Influencing the UGC content helps you control the YouTube real-estate associated with
your brand.

25. INFLUENCER PARTNERSHIP
There are those who exist across social channels, who are strong personalities and have
the ear of massive self built audiences, where they deliver both insight and opinion.
These people not only speak to their audiences in a powerful and organic way, but also
represent their followers collective voice to the outside world.

26. MEDIA-CROSS PLATFORM CONTENT SYNDICATION
CONTENT
DISTRIBUTION
Integrated Media support is key for:
• Maximizing Original Content
Awareness
• Breaching the Tipping Point for Social
/Earned Media Activity and Igniting
WOM
• Cross-Platform Content Syndication
• Amplifying Earned, Owned, Social
Media
INTEGRATION
ACQUISITION
Key Strategies
Awareness (Primarily CPM Media)
• Branding: Create Targeted Mass awareness through high profile, multimedia branding vehicles (to elevate brand and promote pass-along)
• Platform Specific: Leverage vehicles used to host or distribute Original
Content, maximize organic traffic (eg. YouTube/Facebook ad platforms)
Performance (Direct Response CPC, CPA, CPE, CPV)
• Content Syndication: Generate views through performance media and
online broadcast channels (CPE, CPV, CPA)
• Traffic Drivers: Guarantee high volume/low cost traffic to Content
destination (CPC)
Tracking
• Funnel: Implement KPI tracking feedback loop to attribute leads,
maximize media optimization and ROI
• Creative: Monitor and analyze content consumption characteristics
through proprietary dashboards to determine best practices for creative
optimization

29. “Twitter is a bridge, not an island”

30. 1 billion
76%
74%
Tweets are sent every 2 days.
of Tweets are on a mobile device.
Follow at least 1 brand
Source: youtube.com

32. CREATIVE CONTENT

36. 1billion
130
750 million
Monthly Active Users
Average friends per user
Images will be uploaded this New Years
Source: Facebook

37. FINAL THOUGHTS

38. CONVERSATION PLATFORMS
• Apply proper tags and
content descriptors for
greatest organic
search results based
on original content
• Have a clear strategy
brief
• Generate unique and
varied posts in order
to produce viral
action and content
• Moderate and
engage on fan pages
and influence users
directly for expanded
awareness
• Tweet and retweet
within ongoing
discussion to produce
an echo effect across
multiple channels
• Find influencers and
integrate into ongoing
conversation
• Establish brand
presence to find first
mover opportunities
on platform

39. CONTACT
Chris Younger
chris@ayzenberg.com
626-584-4070 x23