With most research focusing on high-involvement product categories (such as cutting-edge products and ‘sexy’ brands), managers of low-involving products often struggle to get their brands noticed; the same rules just don’t apply. This article explores the factors that may influence consumers’ purchase decisions in what could be seen as emotionless product categories. How can marketers begin to re-engage their audiences?    

What is a Low-Involvement Product Category?

Some products may not excite all consumers. For example, for me (and I believe a lot of others),  insurance and antivirus software aren’t particularly inspiring. When selecting products in categories of little interest, consumers are unlikely to spend time assessing which brand to buy because to them, their final purchase decision is of comparatively little importance.  Instead, they may act by habit or simply buy what is top of mind. Their lack of motivation to actively weigh up the pros and cons of the brands means that any actual feelings of like or dislike are often based on subconscious factors.

It is a well-known reality that the popularity of the amusement arcade is in decline. The release of 3D TV, augmented reality, motion sensing and online gaming, to name a few, have taken the in-home gaming experience beyond comprehension,  whilst the current economic climate has left gamers unable to cope with arcades’ rising costs. However, perhaps the innovations in technology and the economic climate are not the only reasons for the demise of these venues; perhaps this could also be saying something about the shift in our culture of gaming? Let us take a step back and consider some of the factors.

A brief history…

Marketers are increasingly turning to ‘Gamification’ to increase loyalty and change the way in which people interact with their brand. But what exactly is Gamification and how, if at all, should companies be using it?

Kam Star, CEO of PlayGen, has the answers – and one thing’s for sure: a successful Gamification strategy requires a whole lot more than just points and badges.

(You can read the full version of this interview in the latest edition of GfK TechTalk here.)

Laura: So, tell us, what is Gamification?

Kam: Gamification is the application of gaming mechanisms into a real-world process, with the aim of improving the user experience through the notion of playing.

Laura: How is it currently being used in Marketing?

Cast your mind back to November 2006 when Nintendo, with much furore, released the Nintendo Wii. Nothing like it had been seen before, a games console with a motion sensing controller. Fast forward four years and Microsoft have taken the motion sensing phenomenon one step further and developed Kinect (the controller-free gaming experience for Microsoft’s Xbox 360). With the gaming industry delivering new innovations to the user experience and interactions with video games, GfK is curious as to what the future gaming experience will look like and whether motion sensing or controller lead technologies will emerge as the dominant experiences of the future.

 

Exciting times lie ahead within the gaming industry and the buying options for new and used games have never been so wide. New game downloads are increasing at great speed and the used game market is strengthening, with Tesco, Asda and Argos all now offering a used game service. All this is great news for ‘gamers’ but the real opportunity is a platform which combines the two: trading online.

Electronic Arts CEO, John Riccitiello, recently claimed that 2011 will be the year revenues from downloadable games overtake the traditional out-of-box experience[i]. Being an avid gamer myself, a statement like this took me by surprise, especially coming from such a senior figure in the gaming industry. I have little doubt that this scenario will eventually happen, but this year?. There are two big reasons for my scepticism. First, the cost of new games – mixed with the widespread availability of cheap second hand games – and, second, limited storage space on consoles when used more widely in the ‘connected home’ rather than just for gaming.

This week’s tech news has been dominated by Windows Phone 7, but the radar will soon switch to next month’s release of ‘Kinect’, Microsoft’s new motion sensing system for the Xbox 360. While Microsoft is playing catch-up in the smartphone business with Windows Phone 7, Kinect is definitely a leading edge (and potentially revolutionary) tool that could redefine the gaming industry…and technology in general.

The Xbox division at Microsoft has been very busy developing Kinect and the ‘Xbox Live Game Hub’ which is the key gaming feature for Windows Phone 7. The Xbox franchise has never been more important for Microsoft and it is a long time since industry commentators suggested that they should have never entered gaming. Last week Steve Ballmer was in London talking to students about both Windows Phone 7 and Kinect but indicated that he was more excited by the latter. “The device that I’m most keen on…is the next generation of the Xbox 360,” he said. At first this seems very strange, as an estimated $400 million will be spent marketing Windows Phone 7, but when considering the technology and potential behind Kinect it is clear to see why this is so exciting and why it will be shaping the way we interact with technology.

The availability of games is still the biggest driver of hardware choice amongst gamers, but how is this going to change in today’s digital world?

With console manufacturers increasingly shouting about accessories such as motion sensors, blu-ray drives, huge storage capacity for media and a variety of online options for their new hardware, it’s important to reflect on the key reason why consumers buy consoles in the first place.

A recent survey by GfK Technology indicated that the list of games they can access is still by far the biggest driver when deciding which console to purchase next – 73% cited the range of games as the most important feature in influencing their next console choice.*

With this in mind, we thought we’d take a quick look into the software side of video games and try to predict how things will develop in the short term. Having surveyed a series of dedicated gamers, here are our three favourite ideas:


1. Trading of digital games