Abstract:
With the recency of the COVID-19 epidemic, analysts globally noticed a shift in consumer behaviour. Strict social and environmental laws were implemented to limit transmission of the virus and in turn, people needed to find a new way of fulfilling their social needs. As customers shifted toward video games and other online platforms, brands naturally followed.
This Research Report focuses on recent, new-found branding efforts that have emerged out of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a research opportunity to assess how mainline brands have attacked potential branding opportunities in the newfound video gaming channel. COVID-19 has seen a sharp increase in the number of people playing video games. The number of people playing games over the course of the pandemic saw an increase of almost 40% worldwide.
The study hones in on Epic Games, the game studio that created Fortnite, and evaluates how Epic Games created such a successful branding platform in such limited time. Due to environmental restrictions, data collection methods were restricted solely online. Open-ended questions were the main data collection technique and the rationale for doing so is expounded upon in this Research Report.
The research conducted observes how advertising in-game can be superior to any other platform because of the customers’ state of mind. Watching television or scrolling through Facebook sees customers in a blasé state-of-mind. When people interact with brands in-game, they are alert, focused and engaged. This alertness makes for more meaningful and memorable brand interactions. This Research Report will elucidate how these observations were concluded.
