Going Where Kids Are

I was never allowed to have a video game console growing up, so it wasn’t until I went away to college that I discovered what the hype was all about. I recall playing a car racing game, and driving around the fictional city I remember seeing Best Buy stores – which looked identical to the company’s stone and mortar buildings – and my character’s cell phone was a Cingulair-branded phone.

Another game had me driving through a different fictional city, past dozens of Taco Bell billboards in a fully licensed car. Video game ads are even more prominent today as the technology becomes more prominent, and healthy foods should be getting in on the action, so to speak.

Video games are often viewed as “kid’s stuff,” but the average age of video game buyers has risen to 40 years old. This is the generation that grew up in the arcade, had the 8-bit Nintendo and is still playing video games – and playing them with their own children. Games are no longer solo affairs, or violent ones. One of the best-selling games the past year was Rock Band, which had up to five people playing different instruments along with popular music. Nintendo’s Wii console has many “party games” that involve groups of people – many non-gamers – in active, easy-to-learn games with the wireless Wiimotes. A number of companies used the Wii at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit last year, and it was fun to watch industry leaders playing video games.

You might ask what fresh-cut produce has to do with video games. In the current market, more active people and wider audiences are playing games that promote activity and, at times, learning. A fitness game released in Japan in January for the Nintendo Wii (called WiiFit) has sold remarkably well. And while exercise is a large part of the equation leading up to a healthful lifestyle, food also plays a key role. A franchise called Cooking Mama for the Nintendo Wii and DS has players compete to mix ingredients and fix meals, although not all of them are healthy.

Partnering with game developers for in-game advertisements or product placements can give a company a virtual identity that customers will recognize when they go to their supermarket. And you’re not just reaching kids, although you will reach many, you’ll also be reaching their parents and friends.
So the next time you see your child playing video games, don’t immediately tell them to go outside and play. Take the time to play with them and see what their learning, and see if there are any opportunities for your company to reach into the virtual world.

There’s a terrific opportunity to go where few other companies are, and even fewer healthful and fresh companies. And as an occasional gamer, I’ll be watching for product placements that go beyond Mountain Dew to promote a better-for-you lifestyle.