The Ability of Branded Online Games to Build Brand Equity: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

In light of the relative failures of the early forms of online advertising, many marketers are experimenting with advergames as a method of reaching the growing crowds that are turning to the Internet for entertainment. While this new advertising media offers much promise, its efficacy has yet to be thoroughly proven. Past research into interactivity, long exposure times, and positive attitudes towards an advertisement, things that are typically garnered by advergames, has shown that these attributes generate increases in brand equity for the advertised product. This study tested the relative abilities of advergames and banner advertisements to generate ad recall, a common measure of brand equity. Advergames were found to generate significantly higher rates of recall, a finding that supports the notion of their advertising effectiveness, and the need for further research into this phenomenon.