Gamers look to peers for auto purchase advice

According to results of an automotive study among Ziff Davis Game Group’s 1UP Network, gamers are proving to be a significant consumer demographic that looks to its peers for product advice.

by Helen Leggatt

Gamers are a technically savvy bunch and, says Ziff Davis, they love their autos. Nearly three-quarters of the 1,600 1UP readers surveyed for their research owned 2 or more vehicles.

According to their research, gamers look to their peers for advice when considering the purchase of a new vehicle. Seventy-five percent of respondents gave out vehicle recommendations to three peers in the last six months.

However, when trying to reach gamers with auto brand marketing, is in-game advertising sufficient? Not necessarily. Most gamers research vehicle makes and models online before they make a purchasing decision, absorbing information on all aspects of the vehicle’s performance from websites such as AutoTrader.com. Therefore, in-game advertising alone may not be sufficient to arm potential brand evangelists with the depth of information needed.

“The stats highlight a need for auto advertisers to include around-game campaigns in their overall media mix--not just in-game ads--as brand campaigns help reach the "peer advisors" who are influencing other gamers about their upcoming vehicle purchases,” writes MediaPost’s Tameka Kee.