5WPR’s Consumer Culture Report Dives into the Convergence of Gaming and Shopping
5WPR, one of the largest independently-owned PR firms in the U.S., has released their Consumer Culture Report revealing over half of men surveyed enjoy seeing their favorite brands on gaming platforms, and close to 30% have made digital purchases to own products from these brands virtually.
Beyond the screen, 43% of men who use any gaming platform have been influenced to make offline purchases by these brand integrations. According to a 2021 survey by Statista, men accounted for 55% of all video gamers in the United States.
“Smart brands will go wherever consumers are spending time, but the key to securing transactions is finding authentic integrations within these games,” said 5WPR CEO, Dara A. Busch. “Right now, many of these integrations might entice men more than women gamers because they’re being targeted. A brand that traditionally has a larger female consumer base might not be thinking about offering branded products in a game like Fortnite just yet, but that discrepancy is becoming smaller each day, and soon we can expect to see more traditionally feminine brands entering the gaming market.”
At the time of the survey, only 14% of female gaming respondents had made purchases from their favorite brands virtually. However, 29% of female gamers had been influenced to make purchases by these brand integrations offline, suggesting females still value physical products more than virtual ones, possibly because they still spend most of their time and money in reality.
“As the boundaries between reality and digital are increasingly blurred, we can expect to see consumers spend more time and money in these virtual worlds, regardless of age and gender. With the introduction of more advanced virtual reality and the Metaverse, soon it won’t be enough to own the physical product, you’ll be buying it for your virtual avatar too,” adds Busch. “My advice to brands who have not yet considered gaming integrations is to begin building your virtual presence – it will only continue to grow as a strong sales and marketing channel.”
As a leading consumer PR firm, and an award-winning digital agency, 5WPR is committed to being a trailblazer in the industry, providing clients with the most up-to-date consumer insights. The information gathered from the survey guides strategy, planning and execution of client campaigns.
The research was conducted by Censuswide, with 2,002 respondents aged 16+ across the USA between 11.18.21 and 11.22.21. The survey was conducted from a nationally representative of American adults. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.
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