Engagement and Brand Recall in Software Developers: An Eye-Tracking Study on Advergames

Advergames represent an innovative product placement strategy that transcends traditional advertising by facilitating enhanced interaction between the brand and its target audience. This study explores the unique engagement opportunities that video games present, mainly through the lens of the 'flow experience'—a heightened state of immersion commonly experienced by players of computer games. Such immersive experiences can significantly alter a player's perception, providing a novel avenue for advergames to influence and engage their audience. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the impact of advergames on players who are deeply engrossed in the gaming experience, specifically focusing on the subsequent effects on brand recognition over time. The study enlisted 44 software developers, who were evenly divided into two groups for the experiment. Each group was exposed to the same gaming environment with a specific task: to locate a designated product within the game. However, one group engaged with a version of the game enriched with additional stimuli—such as dynamic music, an engaging storyline, time constraints, a competitive leaderboard, and immersive voice acting—to enhance the gaming experience. The experiment also strategically placed various products within the game to assess their detectability using eye-tracking technology. Upon completing the game, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires that gauged their flow state experience and brand name recall. The data collected were analyzed through the Mann-Whitney U test and correlation analysis to draw comparisons. Notably, the product associated with the primary task achieved the highest recall rate among both groups. Additionally, the study utilized eye-tracking technology to pinpoint the areas within the game that attracted the most attention, revealing a preference for mid- and high-level in-game placements over lower-level ones.Research game and source code: https://bitbucket.org/duyguakcan/supermarketgame/wiki/Home