## Catering to the Gamer Mindset: Keeping it Easy Wins
A top iGaming marketing authority and online gaming PR specialist, Mark McGuinness, contends that the destiny of digital entertainment rests on the capacity of providers to adopt straightforwardness in a world fixated on swiftness.
As another year concludes, a recurring inquiry reverberates across the online gaming sector, from high-level meetings and industry gatherings to informal discussions on social platforms: What lies ahead for digital gaming?
In reality, the future isn’t some far-off point; it’s currently developing. In today’s intensely linked digital environment, technology has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. From biometric wearables scrutinizing our inner functions to intelligent gadgets, applications, and the expansive network of the Internet of Things (IoT), technology, particularly in the form of the smartphone – arguably our “alternate brain,” or for some, their principal one – has become an extension of ourselves. This interconnected reality is transforming our inherent behaviors and how we engage with and utilize brands, goods, and services. The question is, where does this position us?
**The Focus Marketplace**
You’ve probably come across this marketing catchphrase previously. Essentially, the omnipresent smartphone, perhaps the ultimate emblem of our digital era, is accountable for a great deal.
This gadget understands you more profoundly than your nearest and dearest – your partner, family, companions, or counselor – some might even argue it comprehends your every tap, desire, and stroke better than anyone. We utilize it to make purchases, engage with friends in person and digitally; it possesses knowledge of all our deepest, most guarded secrets and stores all our pictures for Instagram.
It serves as the central hub for our everyday online interactions, routine chores, and significant life occurrences that unfold on social platforms. The smartphone boasts the highest user engagement daily, and in this ultra-connected society, it’s the origin point for all cross-device behavior. All of this generates a vast trail of digital information, which naturally is a whole other discussion.
## Digital Overload Exhaustion
What implications does this hold? Beyond being the portal to the digital realm and the attention marketplace, the mobile phone has birthed a self-absorbed utopia, promoting labels like ‘hidden narcissists’ and ‘inward-focused narcissists’. In essence, one could say it’s spawned a marketing and product conundrum where everything must revolve around the individual, presented in a customized and pertinent manner.
To summarize, while the mobile phone has paved the way for diversions and access to boundless knowledge, it has also resulted in digital overload exhaustion, and attention or interest durations that endure mere moments.
Its akin to the goldfish phenomenon in full swing. The NCBI states that the typical human concentration span has dwindled to a paltry 8 seconds, a decrease from 12 at the millennium’s turn. One ponders what Darwin, the progenitor of evolutionary theory, would think of it all.
Researchers at Cornell University found that the average grown-up makes an astounding 35,000 deliberate choices each day, with 226.7 of those connected to food consumption alone. This continuous onslaught of decisions is simply excessive for us organic beings to manage. Unfortunately, we can’t just incorporate another server rack or a secondary biological brain to distribute the burden – not as of yet, anyway.
The irony is that while the study of choice is well-researched in other areas, one only needs to observe certain iGaming companies, or platform suppliers within the online wagering supply chain, to comprehend why every accessible pixel of screen space or user interface is packed with the newest wagering possibilities. We’re referring to a plethora of sports, exceeding 3,000 casino offerings, and a massive 50,000 sporting contests monthly.
Gamblers aren’t isolated; they’re met with a deluge of extraneous betting choices, and this directly contributes to discarded wager slips.
Numerous sports wagering enthusiasts would privately acknowledge that a minuscule portion of the wagering choices presented, perhaps a mere 5%, actually receive any action. This implies a substantial chunk of their offerings, potentially as high as 95%, is essentially superfluous!
Bettors crave a more streamlined system. However, here’s the catch: it’s uncertain if the wagering sector possesses the audacity to truly reduce the excess. They could significantly enhance user-friendliness, leading to increased customer satisfaction and reduced churn. Yet, the industry appears apprehensive that simplifying matters might somehow tarnish their reputation or, worse yet, impact their earnings.
Consider this: in our current digital landscape, immediacy reigns supreme. Products, technology, even interpersonal connections – all are swept up in the frenetic pace of social media. It’s all about instant gratification, effortless browsing, and the pursuit of the next big thing.
This demand for swift expansion and highly localized targeting holds immense significance for the future of internet-based gaming. Traditional marketing strategies, effective in the pre-internet era, are becoming increasingly antiquated. They relied on categorizing individuals into neat little boxes based on factors like age, sex, interests, television viewing habits… you get the gist.
Furthermore, there’s the strategy of location-based targeting. The rationale was that individuals residing in the same postal code were more likely to share similarities than two arbitrary individuals. Whether this holds true is a separate matter altogether!
Undeniably, the elements you’ve highlighted are vital for establishing a thriving wagering enterprise. However, to genuinely differentiate ourselves, we must delve deeper. Conventional promotional tactics simply won’t suffice in such a fiercely contested arena.
Consider this: why do individuals engage in gambling even when they acknowledge the odds are unfavorable? This is where the field of behavioral economics becomes relevant. It illuminates the psychological underpinnings of decision-making, particularly when confronted with risk and potential gains.
For instance, loyalty initiatives frequently fail to resonate with younger demographics. They are hardwired for immediate satisfaction, favoring a smaller reward presently over a larger one in the future. This “present bias” is merely one illustration of how behavioral economics can transform the gambling sector.
We cannot solely depend on demographics such as age or geographic location any longer. We must comprehend the motivations, cognitive biases, and stimuli that propel individual wagering conduct. This necessitates moving beyond traditional segmentation frameworks and adopting a more nuanced, individualized strategy.
Increasingly, consumers are gravitating towards products and services recommended through word-of-mouth, particularly via online platforms, instead of polished advertising efforts. This social validation is shaping buying choices and brand allegiance like never before. It’s not only transforming how businesses connect with players but also influencing everyone’s behavior.
Gaming’s trajectory isn’t about dazzling technology or revolutionary advancements. It’s about ease of use, deliberate selections, and simplifying life. Games that resonate with our daily experiences will ultimately prevail.
It may not appear thrilling, but in the end, players will determine where their hard-earned income is spent.