Category
Business
Category Mashups
Trend cluster
Category
Branded
Adventure
Brands adopt interactive gaming experiences to entice consumers.
5.0
Trend score
Trend
What is the Branded Adventure trend?
Branded Adventure: Seeking to add more engaging moments to the retail experience, brands are adopting interactive gaming elements as a means to prompt excitement. Creating intrigue even prior to being on-site, these branded games and online adventures go beyond simply offering loyalty points or promotions, rather, they help create playful moments, interactions and instill brand presence among consumers who might not necessarily be as engaged.
Insight
The consumer insight behind the Branded Adventure trend
Today's young consumer is extremely adept at online shopping, and often prefers it for its convenience and reliability. Having grown up with the rise of e-commerce, these consumers require more motivation to truly be engaged in in-person retail experiences. Thus, elements like gamification or customization are key motivators for young consumers to take part in branded experiences.
Trend themes
Themes within the Branded Adventure trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Gamification
Bringing gamification elements to retail experiences to engage young consumers who are adept at online shopping.
02
Virtual Experiences
Creating virtual experiences, such as virtual tailgating, to replace in-person experiences during the pandemic.
03
In-Game Collaborations
Partnering with makeup brands to offer in-game makeup styles, expanding the possibilities of virtual self-expression.
Industry implications
What the Branded Adventure trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Retail
Retail businesses can benefit from gamified retail apps to incentivize consumers to make purchases through live-streaming and gamified apps that offer rewards.
For
Food & Beverage
Food & beverage businesses can leverage virtual experiences like virtual tailgating to capitalize on the rise of stay-at-home entertainment.
For
Gaming & Entertainment
Gaming & entertainment industries can offer in-game collaborations with other industries, such as the makeup industry, to expand possibilities of self-expression and cross-marketing.
Workshop question
If you were to create a mobile game with your brand as the focus, what would that look like?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Branded Adventure
Trend score 5.0 out of 10, from popularity 78%, activity 62%, freshness 10%.
Popularity78%
Activity62%
Freshness10%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X (not a primary audience)
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Evidence
Examples of the Branded Adventure trend
7 featured examples from Mar 14, 2018 to Oct 7, 2021CategoryFashion
In-Game Makeup Collaborations
The Sims 4's Base Game Now Includes M.A.C Cosmetics Makeup for Sims
Cosmetic brands are embracing gaming collaborations to reach a wider audience and explore unique marketing strategies.
CategoryBusiness
Gamified Retail Apps
'Gravy Live' Uses an 'HQ Trivia' Format to Help Brands Sell Products
Gravy Live is just one example of how the retail industry can take advantage of live-streaming and gamification to engage with consumers and sell products in new, innovative ways.
CategoryLifestyle
Virtual Tailgating Experiences
General Mills & Meijer's Virtual Homegate Shares Trivia & Recipes
Utilizing virtual platforms and experiences for marketing and promotion, in addition to gamification for engagement with consumers.
CategoryTech
Rewarding Grocery Games
No Frills' Branded Video Game Lets Players Earn Real Loyalty Points
The retail industry can leverage branded video games to create unique shopping experiences and increase customer loyalty.
CategoryLifestyle
Game Day AR Recipes
Pepsi's Augmented Reality Recipe Experience is "Made for Bills Watching"
The food and beverage industry can benefit from implementing interactive experiences and incentivizing purchases to increase customer engagement and loyalty.
CategoryPop Culture
Convenience Retailer AR Quests
7-Eleven is Promoting Pokémon: Detective Pikachu with Experiences
AR quests and gaming experiences can be used in retail environments to create unique customer experiences and drive sales.
CategoryMarketing
Restaurant Simulator Games
Cooking Fever Challenges Players to Run a Virtual Hard Rock Cafe
Developing and improving mobile gaming platforms can support the growing demand for restaurant simulation games.
