Video Games: A “Friendly” Decision (NAPSA)—Even in the hightech world of video games, it seems a little word of mouth can go a long way. A recent study released by Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California, and Harris Interactive found that word of mouth influence, led by friends, was three times more likely to influence a person’s purchase of video gamesthan traditional forms of advertising and promotion. In fact, friends ranked as the largest influencing factor in the buyingdecision. This was followed by retail, online demos, reviews and advertising/promotion. The research behind the study was gathered using Moments of Influence”, a proprietary, audience-based research model for optimizing media communications. Additional findings include: Friends Vs. Family How valuable are the opinions of friends? Data revealed that friends were more than twice as likely to influence the video game purchasedecision as family members. Friends were also among the most trusted of all forms of purchase influence. Considering The Source In the gamer’s eyes, each friend’s opinion is not created equal. The study identified a highly influential segment of game players knownas “Influence Multipliers.” They represented A new study showsthat friends rank highest asthe largest influencing factor in gamers’ pur- chase decisions of video games. just 21 percent of all gamers in the study but had an inordinate impact on purchase decisions. They’re considered the most knowledgeable and networked members of the gaming community and are often sought out for their opinions on related topics. “By targeting the media channels that Influence Multipliers rely on, marketers can optimize their marketing spend,” advises Dan Gallagher, the senior vice president of Insight & Analytics at Waggener Edstrom. Game Growth Sales of video games in all forms totaled $11.7 billion in 2008, according to industry trade groups. Gallagher expects games to drive gift sales this season and throughoutthe year. For more information or to learn more about the study, visit www. waggeneredstrom.com.
