The Influence of Advergames on Players' Behaviour: An Experimental Study

Abstract

The advergames represent a new advertising concept that uses Internet technology to implement viral marketing campaigns. Despite the potential of this interactive advertising method, very few academic studies have been initiated to investigate the characteristics of advergames, and their influence on consumers' perceptions and behaviour. This paper attempts to develop a theoretical framework which explains the effect of advergames on players' perceptions and behaviour, and to verify its applicability, using an experimental approach. The research methodology applied combines experiment and surveys; the collected data being analysed and discussed from a quantitative point of view. The results indicate a clear relationship between the exposure to advergames and an increased consumption of the represented brands. The participants experiencing the state of flow are more inclined to increase the frequency of brand purchases, and to communicate with other people about advergames.

Keywords:

• advergames
• state of flow
• AIDA
• consumer perceptions and behaviour