Who Is the Loser When I Lose the Game? Does Losing an Advergame Have a Negative Impact on the Perception of the Brand?

Abstract

Many computer games are based on the principle of competition, making the outcome of the game, namely, the prospect of victory and the threat of defeat, a key element. A lab experiment was conducted to study the effects of a game's outcome on the player's mood, brand attitude, and game attitude as well as the experience of flow (N = 95; between-subject design: game lost versus game won versus no induction of the game outcome). The results show that although winners are not in a better mood after the game, they rate the game as better and assess the brands advertised more positively than before they played the game. They have an increased likelihood of experiencing flow, whereas no significant effects of losing the game could be detected due to the total mediation of the flow experience in the case of the losing condition.

Acknowledgments

This publication is funded by a grant from the DAAD-Doktorandenstipendium (“German Academic Exchange Service”).

Celina Steffen (Dipl-Volksw, University of Münster) is a doctoral student in the marketing department, University of Siegen.

Gunnar Mau (PhD, University of Göttingen) is an assistant professor in the marketing department, University of Siegen.

Hanna Schramm-Klein (PhD, University of Saarbrücken) is a professor of marketing, University of Siegen.