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Shedding light on the darkness of Marketing

Dark Marketing slowly making its way into the lexicon of advertising, and for good reason. Rock bands like Nine Inch Nails and burger giant McDonalds have unleashed their brand promise and capabilities of reinforcement with the heads of marketing results can be animated.

But for many in the industry, the term is still more likely to evoke an image of Darth Vader opening a bag of Doritos ranch sauce instead of what the concept delivers: legions of brand enthusiasts actively participating in an artfully designed and carefully executed brand marketing campaigns spanning countries and continents.

This is very powerful.

Here is a brief overview, and for brands they can, a "how-to-market dark" checklist.

Let there be Light

Dark Marketing is not sinister, but the border in secret. At its core is the alternate reality game (ARG), a complex scenario, creative and with purpose that brings brands to life.

ARG are interactive narratives that are part of fiction and nonfiction, mystery and detection and the script and unscripted activities that invite participation. The games take place in (and are made possible by) multiple forms of traditional media and line. ARGs may use telephones, e-mail, outdoor signage, t-shirts, television, social networking, music, blogs and more to present a compelling story, motivate behavior, reveal game clues and advance the narrative so as to maintain the interest of the player.

Take, for example, Microsoft's "I Love Bees" campaign used to promote the launch of Halo 2, a hit video game. It is a great example of how ARGs go through under the radar of traditional marketing to rally consumers to the brand.

Microsoft released the game FedEx-ing jars of honey to several Halo players. A few days later, the promotional trailer for "Halo 2" refers to a Web site, ilovebees.com / xbox.com . The website provides a list of payphone numbers, GPS coordinates of the phones and the times in which each number that appears is called, leading the reader Curious to find the phone and answer calls. The calls delivered additional clues that advanced the ARG, promoted Halo 2 and reinforced the brand.

From the beginning the game until its conclusion (with the players earning a previous experience of the game Halo 2), players and observers visited the I Love Bees Web site updates narrative and new clues about the game. Independent Web sites and forums of the wax, the generation of game theories, conspiracies, plots and, of course, buzz marketing.

Not for everyone

ARGs work best for brands with target markets that enjoy the aspects of interactive, social games with the components Online. Commenting on why "I Love Bees" was so successful for Microsoft, James Hilton, AKQA's creative director, the agency that developed the ARG, said, "worked well for Xbox because its audience is inclined to investigate further, cut in places and solve problems." There must be a good fit between the mark, meaning the brand wishes to communicate, the target market and the story and plot that hold the ARG.

After determining fit, roll up their sleeves. ARGs a strong demand for work – from initial conception through planning and implementation. In addition, because the story can change depending on response players, ARGs require agility, quick response writing and game architects (known as puppet masters) through the conclusion of the game.

Also, if player response takes ARGs in unintended directions, marketers charged with a strict control brand meaning can be found taking unwanted risks.

By Finally, compared with some marketing options, an ARG reach may be small. For example, measures the success of Audi with regards ARG reach 500,000 people. A display ad on the home page of MySpace, for example, could have reached millions. Of course, attention and participation components are completely different for these two examples, and it is important to consider the full range of benefits and drawbacks ARGs and other marketing activities.

Getting to the Dark Side

ARGs engage brand enthusiasts, drive publicity and making noise. They allow brands to tell their stories creatively, interactively and viral. If you are ready to take a shot, follow these instructions:

• Do you have a story to tell. ARGs are first and foremost an interactive story should be fascinating, dynamic and attractive.
• Make sure there is a clear match between the brand, target audience and the concept of an interactive game.
• Plan, plan, plan and more. Start by assessing how the ARG can facilitate the achievement of brand marketing objectives. After finding out the background story (the narrative before the game), the main narrative and the story forward. Perplex City ( http://seasonone.perplexcitystories.com/story.html ) Provides a detailed overview of the planning process of its architects.
• Reveal the story narrative over time using obscure clues and messages require player interaction to decipher the scenes.
• Include plot lines that are not linear and can be revealed sporadically. The development the narrative should not be predictable and should not rely on a linear unfolding of events to make sense.
• Design of a story that will increase the sense of reality in history. The players should be reminded of the game, but should be invited to the game of your reality.
• Using a variety of media media, and carefully design game elements to leverage the features of the means of delivery. Previous ARGs have used the code on t-shirts and posters, Web sites identified in video trailers, posts to blogs, email, text messages and advertising media.
• Be prepared to change the direction of the narrative in response to player input and response to signs and past events.
• Commit to the ARG and its management. ARGs take time and continued involvement and management, the story unfolds.
• Consider an agency with ARG experience, 42 Entertainment, Mind Candy and McKinney & Silver.
• Measuring the effectiveness of the ARG based on the objectives for the promotion campaign, not only as the participation in games.

Like TiVo, iPods and the Internet continue squeezing traditional advertising methods, dark marketing strategies will become a large part of the mix.

And for sellers who do well, the dark side promises lots of sun.

© 2008 Dr. Tracy L. Tuten

About the Author

Dr. Tracy L. Tuten is Associate Professor of Marketing at Longwood University and the author “Advertising 2.0: Social Media Marketing in a Web 2.0 World.” Tuten’s research interests include Web-based survey methods, branding and identity, and online advertising. She serves on the editorial review board for Psychology and Marketing.

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