SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENT

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Learning Objectives (1)

How can social media marketers use social entertainment to meet branding objectives?

What are the types of social entertainment?

Why is social entertainment an effective approach for engaging target audiences?

What is branded entertainment? How is it distinguished from content marketing used in social publishing?

Social Media Marketing, 2e©

© Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015 7-2

Learning Objectives (2)

What are the characteristics of social games and gamer segments?

How can marketers effectively use social games?

How are alternate reality games different from other social games?

In what ways are marketers using social music, social television, and social celebrity to share brand messaging?

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© Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015 7-3

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Brands can create owned vehicles of social entertainment by creating branded content (a category of branded entertainment) whether it be games, music, or film. This option is known as ________

Branded

entertainment

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How are Netflix Originals related to social media?

The Netflix Social Sharing app enables viewers to share and

discuss what they’re watching in Facebook.

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Play and the motivations for individuals to participate include what four aspects of play?

Power, identity, fantasy and frivolity

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________ make up the largest active area of social entertainment.

Social games

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We define a ___________ as a multiplayer, competitive, goal-oriented activity with defined rules of engagement and online connectivity among a community of players.

Social game

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Estimates suggest that 32% of the time people spend on a smartphone is dedicated to ___________

Game play

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Overall games exhibit a high degree of _______, describes the ability of a medium to attract an audience and keep that audience.

stickiness

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A ______________ refers to the hardware systems on which the game is played.

Game platform

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__________ refers to the way the game world is experienced, while _________ describes the visual nature of the game, such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and retro.

Mode / milieu

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RPG stands for ________ and MMPORPG stands for ________.

Role playing games / massive multi-player online role

playing games

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A(n) _________ is a game that delivers a branded message, compared to a(n) ________ that is integrated into a game’s environment as billboards, movie posters, etc.

Advergame / display ad

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______ ads are hard-coded into the game and ensure that all players view the advertising, while _____ ads are variable; they change based on specified criteria.

Static / dynamic

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_________ is the idea that there are way too many games out there that compete for players’ attention.

Game clutter

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ARGs are _________________

Alternate reality games

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Game characters, events, places, and plot are imagined and explored by the game writers of ARGs, known as ___________

Puppet masters

Social Entertainment Zone

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© Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015 7-19

Social Entertainment

Social entertainment encompasses the digital and social forms of entertainment media. Social games

Casual, social games Socially-enabled video games Alternate reality games (ARGs)

Social music Social television

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© Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015 7-20

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What is Social Branded Entertainment?

When brands create owned vehicles of branded content, in the form of games, music, or film, which is participatory and shareable via digital connections, that is social branded entertainment.

Social Entertainment as Play

Play as power Play as identity Play as fantasy Play as frivolity

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What is a Social Game?

Social games are multiplayer, competitive, goal-oriented activities with defined rules of engagement and online connectivity among players.

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What is a Social Game?

Social games are multiplayer, competitive, goal-oriented activities with defined rules of engagement and online connectivity among players.

Typical Elements of Social Games

Leaderboards

Achievement badges

Friend lists

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Gamer Segments

Casual Hardcore

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How Can We Characterize Social Games?

Platform

Mode

Milieu

Genre

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Genres

Simulation Action

Role-Playing Strategy

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Options for Game-Based Marketing

In-game advertising Product placement Brand integration Advergames

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© Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015 7-29

For Discussion: Is Water the Enemy?

Gatorade’s Bolt game portrayed water as the enemy.

The game met its objectives, achieving 2 million downloads, 87 million plays, and millions of brand impressions.

While illustrating the value of social advergames, did it cross a line?

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© Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015 7-30

Why Do Social Games Work For Marketers?

Gamers are open to advertising content in games.

Brands benefit when they associate with a successful game.

Players identify with the brands their characters use, increasing brand involvement.

Branding within a game’s story is an unobtrusive way to share a brand’s core message.

Targeting to specific groups is possible. Marketers can measure a game’s

promotional value.

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© Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015 7-31

ARGs: An Intensive Form of Social Game

An ARG is a cross-media genre of interactive fiction using multiple delivery and communications media, which may include traditional media such as television, radio, newspapers, and postal service and digital media.

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© Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015 7-32

The Vocabulary of ARGs Puppet master: The authors, architects,

and managers of the story and its scenarios and puzzles.

Curtain: The invisible line separating the players from the puppet masters.

Rabbit hole: The clue or site that initiates the game.

Collective detective: A term that captures the notion of collaboration among a team of geographically dispersed players who work together to flesh out the story.

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The Vocabulary of ARGs Lurkers and rubberneckers: Lurkers

follow the game but do not actively participate; rubberneckers participate in forums but do not actively play.

Steganography: The tactic of hiding messages within another medium so that the message is undetectable for those who do not know to look for it.

Trail: A reference index of the game including relevant sites, puzzles, in-game characters, and other information.

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How Can We Evaluate the Effectiveness of an ARG?

Number of active players Number of lurkers and rubberneckers Rate of player registration Number of player messages generated Traffic at sites affiliated with the ARG Number of forum postings Average play time Media impressions made through ARG-

generated publicity

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For Discussion: Disney’s The Optimist

Explore The Optimist’s main character, Amalia, using her Twitter account, @storyorbit, or other summaries of the story.

Is it compelling? Does it involve you in the Disney brand?

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Other Forms of Social Entertainment

Social Music

Social Television

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Options for Marketing with Social Music

In-Network Advertising Social music is primarily based around

cloud services providing streamed sound.

Brands can include many types of ads on social music sites, including audio ads, display ads, billboard ads

Immersive Branding ->

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Options for Marketing with Social Music

Immersive Branding A more integrated option Recent examples include branded

playlists and branded microsites that focus around artists or styles of music that target markets value.

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Social TV

Social TV is technology that supports communication and social interaction in either the context of watching television or related to TV content.

The experience of watching TV is enhanced by social media.

The phenomenon relates to social celebrity and the rise of “microcelebrities”.

GetGlue -> Tvtag -> gone7-40

Recap and Questions (1)

How can social media marketers use social entertainment to meet branding objectives?

What are the types of social entertainment?

Why is social entertainment an effective approach for engaging target audiences?

What is branded entertainment? How is it distinguished from content marketing used in social publishing?

7-41

Recap and Questions (2)

What are the characteristics of social games and gamer segments? How can marketers effectively use social games?

How are alternate reality games different from other social games?

In what ways are marketers using social music, social television, and social celebrity to share brand messaging?

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