Ever wonder just how much reviews and commercials actually impact a person when it comes to buying games/consoles? If so, a new study has the answers for you. According to the Fall 2008 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey (say that three times fast), what we see and read influences us quite a bit.
The survey (which you have to pay to read in full) chronicles several key areas, and finds how they impact a buyer’s decisions. Surprisingly, television is the most influential, with 70% of recent game buyers claiming they had some or significant influence from ads on TV. When it comes to the key gaming demographic (18-24 year-olds) that number skyrockets to nearly 85%.
“Video game marketers should be careful not to write off traditional media in favor of online marketing,” said C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology Research, “as a large percentage of gamers are still influenced by television and magazines.”
Contrary to popular belief, reviews play little role when it comes to influencing purchases, as only 38% say online reviews helped make their decision. Meanwhile, nearly 70% claim to be influenced by official game or publisher websites.
So if you’re in charge of the PR or marketing department for an upcoming or current holiday release, consider buying some more TV time in lieu of trying to influence reviewers for better scores.
November 25th, 2008 at 9:04 am
The question is — when the PR companies aren’t setting themselves up for misery — is it more cost-effective to buy the TV ad space, or to make a few extra we-need-you-to-hold-your-review phone calls?