The one set of responses that jumped out at me is the fact that 80% of people start playing these games because of a referral (either direct invite or WOM) from a friend or family member.
But I suppose it’s not really a surprise as Zynga, especially, architects a number of “hooks” into its games to lure friends in and keep them engaged.
Our respondents play social games to “relax from work” and also to “accumulate” stuff (which is, generally, the whole point of the games in the first place.)
But what are they giving up to play? The top reasons are:
- Watching TV
- Reading
- Sleeping
- Exercising
And, finally, ad tolerance was pretty resounding in that our social gamers want branded experiences that don’t take them away from or interrupt their game.
The advertising executions that are seen as most “attractive” are those that support or enhance the actual game itself such as getting “stuff” that’s relevant to the game or unlocking additional content.
Good move on Fox and Angry Birds part for today’s Super Bowl commercial which will give a code to unlock a special in-game level.
