Fleischman

Benjamin Fleischman1000 University Ave SEApartment 307Minneapolis, MN 55414(847) 791-8014

Monitoring (Observation and Tracking Techniques):When developing strategies to learn about the target group of middle-aged,

middle-class working citizens, two observation methods can offer insight. A routine observation of the waiting areas within Mall of America stands as the first method. Waiting areas of malls often become filled with middle-class patrons, who wait for their parties to finish shopping while getting off of their feet. Based on observation in the past, this downtime between shopping often results in the use of mobile phones by the audience that we are targeting. Time spent outside of basic phone calls and text messages by the targeted group can provide detail into how much time the individuals are willing to devote to a game (an average amount, say ten minutes, of phone usage in times of relaxation could be ideal for the user of a casual game). Observing the waiting areas can also give detail into the characteristics of the middle-class. Seeing the spending habits, tendencies to follow certain trends, and social awareness of the middle-aged, middle-class workers to the world around them will give the campaign information to tailor the ads for the market. The tailoring of the ads will then lead to further effectiveness in selling the Zynga products to the target group, increasing the company’s revenue stream.

Another place for a physical observation would be a fast casual restaurant inside a major city (such as Minneapolis) around noon on a weekday. In many cases, an employee’s lunch break is the only time that they have to relax with their coworkers and have lengthy conversations. The lunch break of the targeted audience would be an ideal time to catch them outside of their “business zone”. The conversations that the workers have with their coworkers often deal with the culture around them, their family life at home, or current events. Hearing these conversations can give information on the types of advertising strategies that will spark conversation and interest among middle-class, middle-aged working adults. The topics of interest in conversation can be applied to ads to generate revenue in the new target audience.

Tracking techniques must also be utilized in researching the targeted audience. One tracking method to find updated articles that would provide useful information for my campaign would be to set up Google Alert by using the “and” identifier to link the terms “mobile games” and “profits”. The content from this alert system would provide a variety of information on how other companies have been successful in their marketing strategies of mobile games and the potential for increased sales based on the developing market for mobile games. It can serve as a template for developing a strong campaign based on the profiting elements of mobile games. Knowing the successes of other companies in marketing their mobile games can only benefit the upcoming push for

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Zynga. The content from the alert will also provide a basis for a potential ad placement in Money magazine by showing raw data on the amount of profit that mobile games bring to companies on a yearly basis and how those profits have grown from the past.

As a secondary tracking technique, I would subscribe to the RSS feed of www.casualconnect.org. Casual Connect is a magazine that is associated and run by the members of the Casual Gaming Society. The website’s RSS feed links new articles and research related to casual games and the industry that surrounds them, as well as proceedings and lectures from the Casual Connect conferences that occur around the world. Casual Connect links any updates within the industry about mergers of companies, new products, or research findings to the RSS feed provided. This feed would give me a greater sense of what other companies in the mobile/casual game industry are doing, allowing me to see successes and failures that I could apply to my campaign. New findings on the demographics of mobile/casual game players could also help me to see any new trends in the market that could affect my campaign.

Finally, I would monitor the Facebook “page” of Zynga Inc. Zynga’s marketing team consistently posts material about upcoming games, updates to current games, and offers that the company will put out on supplementary material (tokens, points, etc.). The main tools of the Facebook page, however, lie in the comment boxes related to the posts. Here, one is able to see consumer likes and dislikes, compliments and complaints, and where the company can improve upon in order to capture and keep more players. These comments can provide details on what consumers want to see in their games and what they want eliminated. By reading the comments, I could push the materials within the mobile/casual games that would generate the most interest to my target audience. My ad campaign will then be tailored towards the positive feelings associated with games rather then the confusing or failing elements.

Relevant Materials to the Campaign:

Scholarly Articles: Clark, Donald. Games, Motivation & Learning. Caspianlearning.co.uk. Caspian

Learning, 2007. Web.o Donald Clark’s project, published by Caspian Learning, provides details

on the motivations that draw gamers. The section on the market for casual games suggests that many older users and nontraditional users play mobile games because of their nonviolent concepts and simplicity in control, which is information that can help me narrowly target my audience in my campaign.

Coulton, Paul, William Bamford, Fadi Chemimi, Reuben Edwards, Paul Gilbertson, and Omer Rashid. "Mobile Games: Challenges and Opportunities." Advances in Computer 69 (2007): 191-242. Web. 4 Dec. 2011.

o The article listed above provides a proper comparison of hardcore mobile users vs. casual users and applies the definitions in the types of games that each would be attracted to, helping me differentiate and clarify the differences for my campaign.

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Li, Kevin A., and Scott Counts. Exploring Social Interactions and Attributes of Casual Multiplayer Mobile Gaming. ACM, 2007. Web.

o The scholarly project listed above by Kevin A. Li and Scott Counts gives interesting thoughts on the reasons mobile/casual games have flourished, suggesting that their ability to fill interstitial time in one’s day and provide the user with a multiplayer, interactive format generates interest among players.

Winn, Jillian, and Carrie Heeter. "Gaming, Gender, and Time: Who Makes Time to Play?" Springer 61 (2009): 1-13. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.

o “Gaming, Gender, and Time” offers statistical data on much of my target audience and explains why casual games can be effective in reaching the busy segments of the audience. Jillian Winn and Carrie Heeter look at many aspects of the users of casual games: from gender to the amount of time individuals have to play in order to debunk the theory that games are limited only to a serious, male audience. The scholarly paper offers statistics from credible sources such as the International Game Developers Association and other research projects in order to show that the market for casual games contains a large amount of individuals over the age of 30. Many of these users take to casual games because the lack of necessary time commitment allows them to fit the simple games into their schedules while they commit much of their time to other daily activities. This is especially true for woman, who according to the article, tend to have much less time on their hands as opposed to men. The contents of this scholarly paper will allow me to reference statistical data as a support in my claim that marketing to the busy middle-aged working class will capture many new users of Zynga’s products based on the games’ simplicity and lack of a major time commitment.

Popular and Trade Magazines: Baker, Liana B., and Brenton Crodeiro. "Zynga Seeks Lower IPO Value in Tough

Market." Reuters. 2 Dec. 2011. o “Zynga Seeks Lower IPO Value in Tough Market” is an important article

to view when developing my campaign because it provides current information on Zynga’s business dealings, which could play a role in shaping the company’s image during the campaign.

Capel, Claudine. "Are You Game?" B&T.com. B&T, 24 Oct. 2011. Web.o This article by B&T is useful to my campaign because it goes into detail

about how the mobile/casual game market has blurred who in the public is defined as a “gamer” from a “nongamer” because of the rise in older players.

Chau, Fiona. "Mobile Gaming Goes Casual." Wireless Asia Sept. 2006: 14-18. Business Source Premier. Web. 29 December 2011.

o The article listed above talks about how mobile/casual games create a new market of “nontraditional gamers” to go along with the usual “hardcore gamers” by serving as a time killer in the free time of individuals. This is a

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motivation that I wish to pitch to my target audience in my campaign, making this article useful.

Joseph, Seb., “Casual Approach.” New Media Age 16 Sept. 2010: 32-33. Business Source Premier. 1 December 2011

o “Casual Approach” is an article from the trade publication New Media Age that provides my campaign with a fresh perspective on mobile/casual gaming from major players in the casual gaming industry themselves. Seb Joseph interviews five major heads of casual game companies to gain their knowledge on the industry. The article provides predictions on the future, statistics on the current trends within the casual gaming market, and ideas on how to best reach audiences. The article also defines what much of the casual game market will look like demographically, with the Head of emerging platforms at Starcom MediaVest, Oliver Newton, noting that there is a major audience of woman between the ages of 25-45 who love to play casual games. The article will help me in my campaign by giving evidence that the mobile/casual game industry is set to grow in the future because of its large reach in multiple age groups and interest types. Seeing the responses to questions by industry heads also will provide me with ideas on what types of marketing strategies will best work to reach my target audience while driving up Zynga’s profit margin.

Government Documents: United States Department of Commerce. Economics and Statistics

Administration. Middle Class in America, www.esa.gov. 10 September 2010. Web Nov. 2011

o This document, produces by the Economics and Statistics Administration of the U.S, Department of commerce, gives me a fitting definition and profile of the American Middle Class as it stand in America today. This data will be helpful in defining my middle-aged working class audience by showing me what they hope to achieve in their future, their typical spending habits, their average income levels per household, and their values as opposed to other social classes that dominate America. The report will allow me to shape my campaign around the values of middle-class America, targeting the audience sector’s motivations for taking time out of their day to enjoy a game on their mobile devices. The information in the report will also give me a better sense of the types of messages in my ad campaign that would and wouldn’t work (Unrealistic claims that would only be relevant to the rich may kill any interest from a middle-class citizen). This government document will expand my knowledge of my audience and their lifestyles.

United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. American Time Use Survey – 2010 Results. Www.bls.org. 22 June 2011. Web. 7 Nov. 2011

o The time use survey provides me with information on where the working class is spending a majority of their free time in order to see how mobile/casual games could fit into their busy schedules.

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United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Department of Labor. Consumer Expenditure Survey. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 27 Sept. 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2011.

o The government document above tracks consumer expenditures to show me how much money the average American spends on entertainment in order to see if price should be a factor in my campaign.

Zynga Inc., December 2 2011, Exhibit 1 - Underwriting Agreement. Edgar: Lexis Nexis Academic. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Web. 6 December 2011.

o Zynga’s SEC filing listed above shows me the exact steps they are taking in their efforts to publicly offer the company, which is helpful in understanding the company I am working for and their current state.

Websites: Casual Connect | One Stop For Social, IPhone, Android and Casual. Casual

Games Association. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://casualconnect.org/>.o The website for Casual Connect can give me a sense of the industry

around what I’m working with by linking me to research findings (data) related to mobile/casual games as well as articles about updates to other producing companies.

Develop. Intent Media. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://develop-online.net>.o The website for Develop magazine provides information on the mobile

game industry that is largely unmatched around other portions of the web. In order to see the business side of the mobile/casual game industry, Develop’s website provides the greatest depth in analysis. The site and its complementary magazine provide current news on the state of many major mobile/casual game producing companies, showing all business angles that may effect the market. One of the hot topics that the site has been writing on recently is Zynga’s public offering as it relates to the industry. By compiling and organizing a huge amount of insight on the mobile/casual game industry, Develop’s website exists as a main resource for me when I need to see what actions are currently taking place within Zynga and its competitor’s as new products enter the market and the industry evolves.

Zynga.org. Zynga. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. <http://zynga.org/about/news>.o Monitoring Zynga’s corporate website is important so that I stay up to date

with the company’s direction and dealings as they relate to my campaign.Books:

Hjorth, Larissa. Games and Gaming: An Introduction To New Media. Oxford: Berg, 2011. Print.

o Games and Gaming: An Introduction To New Media offers data and in-depth analysis relating to how mobile games have come to dominate the gaming market over platform games, giving me a larger perspective of the changing trends within the industry.

Juul, Jesper. A Casual Revolution: Reinventing Video Games and Their Players. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2010. Print.

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o Jesper Juul’s A Casual Revolution provides analysis on the growing phenomenon of casual games. While the book does not specifically deal with mobile games, the piece offers analysis on the changing gaming market on account of casual games. This analysis is relevant to my campaign due to the necessity to define the demographics of the users of casual games and motivations that encourage my target audience to consume material like what I will be trying to sell to them. Juul studies how we now live in a world where it is actually harder to market to “hardcore” gamers then “casual” gamers. His study goes into specifics on how consumers now wish to purchase games that anyone can play in varying increments of time rather then specific, intense games that have a limited market of gamers who devote huge amounts of time to their “craft”. The book provides me with a bevy of content that will help me see how the market for gaming has evolved to what it is today in order to apply new knowledge to my campaign.

Interviewees:Below lies a list of potential interviewees who would expand my knowledge on

the target audience that I am perusing for the Zynga campaign and help focus the content of the ads. These potential interviewees all have a focus in their work that would help to develop different aspects of my campaign.

Luke Burtis, Production Manager for the Casual Games Association and Casual Connect magazineLuke Burtis can be reached via mail or email. He can be sent letters and mail at

the Casual Game Association’s offices. Mail to Burtis should be sent to P.O. BOX 302, Layton, UT 84041-302. His email is luke.burtis@casualconnect.org. There is no phone contact for Luke Burtis.

Background and Positions: Luke Burtis works as a Production Manager for the Casual Games Association (CGA) and their accompanying magazine, Casual Connect. Burtis keeps close relations with all of the Casual Game Association’s members (casual game producers) and organizes conferences to discuss the newest happenings surrounding casual games in the marketplace. Burtis is as close to the producers of mobile games as possible for someone in his capacity. Prior to being the production manager at the Casual Games Association, Burtis worked as a game developer for the PC and Xbox console. Burtis, therefore, has experience in the research, development, and exhibition of casual games. Because his organization does research and development for casual game producers in different platforms, Burtis may have the tendency to favor only positive data relating to the casual gaming market rather then revealing unflattering details. Burtis also may be hesitant to talk about the research and findings of the organization to someone who is not directly a participating member of the Casual Games Association. With this being said, much of the Casual Games Association’s documents become available to the public on Casual Connect’s website shortly after their original publication. Burtis may be willing to talk about some content related to his work at the organization.

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Types of Questions to Ask: Unlike the other potential experts who I plan to interview for my campaign, Burtis is directly in contact with casual game producers on a regular basis for his position. Burtis has knowledge of the business side of casual games as they pertain to the producers and the marketplace. I must be aware of his potential bias to sway data in favor of casual games when he talks about data. I would seek to ask Burtis about any major trends he sees in the consumers of casual games. Burtis would likely see a pattern in the age and personality type of many casual gamers, given that he does extensive research on the audience for casual games for both his clients and the magazine. I would then seek to see if Burtis deems the characters and content more important then the playability of the games, given that he has experience as a developer. From here, I could see whether to stress the marketability of the characters and storylines in the games more or the simplicity of control and lack of time commitment when trying to reach my older target audience.

Questions:-You’re constantly around producers of mobile games in your line of work. Have you noticed any differences in the way that the producers market their games over the years?-In the CGA’s reports, there are often statistics on who is playing and how much they consume. Have you seen any dominating trends within the industry given the rise of smartphone technology?-When looking at the older market for mobile/casual games, do you deem characters and plot more important, or playability and how can producers balance the two to market the best of both worlds?

Keith Hall, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Hall’s office is located within the Washington D.C. Bureau of the Bureau of Labor Statistics at Postal Square Building, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20212-0001. The phone number for Hall’s office is 202-691-7800.

Background and Positions: Keith Hall has worked within departments of the United States federal government for over fifteen years, and has been the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor statistics since 2008. Prior to his current position, Hall has worked in the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Commerce, the International Trade Commission, and the Executive Office of the President. Hall has also been a chief economist in the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade commission. Being the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hall is involved with much of the economics relating to the American worker. Under Hall’s watch, the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks the trends in where Americans put their money and what they do with their time. Since Hall works for the Federal Government and in conjunction with the Census Bureau to compile data on the American workers, he likely would not hold any bias when discussing the work of his sector. Hall would have raw data that was not constructed for any particular agenda other then serving the American government and its citizens. He would not be swayed to favor separate mobile game producers or private sectors based on his work.

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Types of Questions to Ask: Through the American Time Use Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hall and his colleagues compile data on how American citizens spend their daily time on activities. The activities are further broken down, with information on American leisure time being broken down by age, gender, working habits, etc. When interviewing Keith Hall, I would seek to compile information not specifically on mobile and casual games, but on where middle-class workers spend a majority of their leisure time and the amount of time spent on activities such as cell phone usage and gaming. I would ask Hall questions pertaining to changes in the time use of middle-class over the past several years to see if there have been trends towards more extensive use of mobile devices as a result of the widespread adoption of the smartphone (Iphone, android, blackberry devices). Being a leading economist in the United States, Hall would likely have answers to many of the questions pertaining to the change in time use of specific segments in the country. Asking Hall lines of questions relating to the trends in time use of the middle-class workers would help me mold an image of the target audience and tailor my ad campaign to capture these citizens when they seek to relax in their times away from work and primary priorities.

Questions:-How has the adoption of the smartphone in our society change the way the working class utilizes their free time?-With the widespread use of mobile phones, do you envision a society that takes to more multitasking activities in their free time or will activities continue to be separated? Will this have and impact on the survey results?-In the survey on consumer time use, it is mentioned that men typically enjoy more free time then woman. Will men be more driven to accept mobile technology and gaming because of their larger free time, or will woman buy into the market to fill interstitial time? Is interstitial time a factor in this survey?

Kevin A. Li, Researcher at AT&T labs and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Columbia UniversityLi currently works at AT&T Labs, located at 180 Park Ave., Building 103,

Florham Park, NJ 07932. The phone number for the research facility is (973) 360-8000. He can be reached directly by email at kevinli@research.att.com.

Background and Positions: Kevin A Li currently works as a researcher at AT&T labs, where he is an expert in mobile devices, their communication and uses. Li focuses much of his research on smartphone interaction and the changing uses of mobile technology in daily life. Casual gaming has become a major development in the mobile industry over the past several years, and Li has undoubtedly spent time analyzing its effect on society as a whole. Outside of his job within AT&T labs, Li has also taught at Columbia University as a professor in the Department of Computer Science, one of the finest institutions that the country has to offer. Li also wrote an essay in 2007 with his colleague Scott Counts titled Exploring Social Interactions and Attribute of Casual Multiplayer Mobile Gaming, which offers information on the types of people that play mobile games and the components within the games that attract new gamers of varying ages. Since Li works with AT&T, there is some information within his current research that would

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largely be filtered in order to keep AT&T’s ideas away from their competitors within the market. With this being said, the work that Li did on mobile and casual games prior to his work at AT&T would be information that is already in the public arena and couldn’t compromise any ideas from the private institution. Li would have an open, unbiased mind when asked about his previous work on his essay and as a professor.

Types of Questions to Ask: Li’s essay on mobile/casual games notes that many people are attracted to mobile games because of their ability to fill interstitial time within the day and their interactive nature. I believe that both of these areas of attraction are key selling points when reaching my target audience. When interviewing Li, I would go down a line of questioning that asks what elements of casual games make them ideal to fit interstitial time, whether it be from simplicity of concepts to the lack of commitment required of the user. I would also ask Li what elements of casual games can further attract the new user of mobile games, as he has noted in his essay that casual games have the ability to draw in a wide variety of players of all ages. Finally, I would ask Li of the ways to promote interactivity among mobile/casual game players that work outside of the realm of Facebook (Zynga already has a firm grasp on that segment of social media). Promoting some type of interactive game play (high scores, posted achievements, online opponent play) could be a source of excitement to the laid back user. All of the questioning put forth to Li would help me to build specific selling points of the casual mobile games to use towards reaching my targeted audience and learn about the aspects of casual games that attract new gamers consistently.

Questions:-In your paper titled Exploring Social Interactions and Attributes of Casual Multiplayer Mobile Gaming, you suggest that casual games work in society because they largely fill interstitial space within a day. Do you believe that mobile users today will continue to use their open time on casual gaming, or does some something need to be added to keep them from other mobile functions (internet, texting, reading applications)? -In your research, you note that many users enjoy the interactive nature of casual games. With that being said, do you see any keys to increasing interactivity among users without succumbing to the social media sites like Facebook?-Technology is constantly changing and adding new wrinkles to the playing field, as you probably see on a daily basis while researching at AT&T. Do you see casual / mobile games having a certain shelf life, and if so, how can the distributors and marketers of these games keep the audience engaged?

Jillian Winn, Outreach Specialist and Faculty member at the Michigan State UniversityWinn works at Michigan State University, with an office at 412 Communication

Arts & Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1212. She can be reached by phone at 517-432-9841, or by email at jillian@msu.edu.

Background and Position: Jillian Winn currently works at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI as an outreach specialist. She also teaches courses on technology related topics within the University’s College of Communication Arts and sciences.

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Through her research at Michigan State University, Winn has spent time studying the changing factors that gaming brings to society and how both woman and the “time crunched” users may be more inclined to play casual games. A paper written by Winn and her colleague Carrie Heeter titled Gaming, Gender, and Time: Who Makes Time to Play? Goes into detail on how many nonusers of games don’t avoid them because of a lack of interest, but a lack of time availability to play a serious game. Since Winn’s research and focus have been directed under the surveillance of a public institution, she would not have any clear bias when answering questions about the mobile gaming market and my potential target audience. Winn may have strong opinions on the role of gender as it pertains to gaming, but her information compiled about middle-class, middle-aged busy individuals would benefit my campaign and wouldn’t be tampered with a position based on institutional standards.

Types of Questions to Ask: With knowledge of technology as it relates to time usage of the citizens, Winn could provide information on how casual games have the ability to fit into the schedule of even the busiest citizens. Winn would know about the motivations that make the “nontraditional” gamers keep playing, as she notes that most online casual gamers are women between the ages of 30-45 (IGDA qtd. in Winn and Heeter). I would follow a line of questioning with Winn that stays on the topics of making casual games appealing to the unassuming citizen. I would ask Winn about the attractive elements of casual games that would draw in citizens who typically have little time for playing games, such as the simplicity of controls, basic plot line, interactive elements, or happiness of the characters. Since Winn is an expert of technology, I would then seek to find if there is a difference in the appeal to casual games based on the format that they are played in. Winn would likely know if there is a distinction between casual gamers who play on the computer or their mobile phones. If there was indeed a difference, it would then be possible to see if there are appealing elements that lie within one format or the other that I could push in my campaign.

Questions:-How may the complexion of a casual game’s plot reach “nontraditional” gamers in a way that keeps them coming back to the products?-Given your research on the gender differences in game users, how can producers create games that fit the needs of all players in a casual audience?-What do you believe is the single most important motivation that encourages an older audience to play casual games and how can we as exhibitioners market to incorporate that motivation in our campaign?

Organizations:The following list includes organizations that would be critical for me to monitor

in developing my advertising campaign. These organizations produce and collect data on the mobile/casual game industry that could help me direct my focus in targeting the middle-aged, middle-class working audience.

AT&T o Address – 208 S. Akard St., Dallas, TX 75202

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o Telephone Number – (210) 821-4105o Website(s) – www.att.com, www.research.att.com o Contact Person – Kevin A Li, Researcher at AT&T Labs

Works at AT&T Labs, located at 180 Park Ave., Building 103, #E164, Florham Park, NJ 07932

Email – kevinli@research.att.com Phone number of the AT&T Research Facility – (973) 360-8000

AT&T is one of the world’s largest producers of mobile hardware and software. The company often heads the new developments in the mobile industry and stand at the top of the mountain. AT&T does not solely produce mobile products; the company has its own research labs that compile information on the changing habits of mobile users and how mobile devices impact the way that society lives from day to day. The data compiled by AT&T often reflects consumer trends related to mobile communication and games to show the company where they could improve their products to meet the needs of the consumers. AT&T and its research properties are important to monitor for my campaign in order to see what consumers value when experiencing mobile games. AT&T’s public data can show me how games attract different age sectors and create an enjoyable experience for everyone while also pointing out areas that the industry can improve upon. AT&T would largely provide me with a vehicle of information not on the business side of mobile/casual gaming, but on the trends that both bring in mobile gamers and discourage usage. I would use AT&T’s public research to see why the mobile users I’m targeting play games and what elements of both the game and the technology encourage further usage. AT&T would not disclose all of their research in order to keep some of their main ideas out of the hands of competitors, but as with the ESA and Casual Games Association, a great amount of content is provided online through mediums such as press releases. This information should be looked upon with the knowledge that some elements may be written to favor the company. AT&T will provide data and trends as the largest producer of mobile content and software and one of the greatest generators of consumer data on mobile technology and its implications on society.

Entertainment Software Association (ESA)o Address – 575 7th Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004-1611o Telephone Number - (202) 223-2400o Website – www.theesa.como Contact person – Michael Gallagher, President and CEO of the

Entertainment Software Association. Office at company headquarters listed above. Email - mgallagher@theesa.com

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is a non-profit organization that deals with large sectors of the gaming world in order to create a better market for games. The company offers services to its members of developers, such as an anti-piracy program, research on business and consumer habits, and information on government actions for or against games. The company compiles data on various elements of the gaming world, from the consumers using the games to the platforms and genres that build revenue streams. The ESA stays up to date on all updates to the gaming market. They have lately put more emphasis on both mobile and casual gaming, as the two types of

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games have combined to create a new buzz in the industry. This organization would be important for me to follow to stay knowledgeable with the changes that occur in the gaming industry as a whole. The ESA constantly puts out press releases about the dealings of their clients and the findings of data compiled, allowing me to see the positives and negatives that have come through other marketing of similar products to further tailor my ad to reach my target audience. Being a major organization that deals with the changing scope of the gaming world, it would be ignorant of any researcher of the gaming world to turn a blind eye on the ESA. The ESA would provide a business perspective outside of the reach of Zynga itself, which could provide evidence on the upstart of gaming revenue that would make Zynga products attractive investment options for readers of Money magazine. While much of the information is compiled for the ESA’s members, the organization makes much of its data and press releases available online. The ESA will provide necessary information on potential revenue areas that I could push in my campaign towards the older gamers in my target audience.

International Game Developers Association (IGDA)o Address - 19 Mantua Road, Mt. Royal, New Jersey 08061o Telephone Number – (856) 423-2990o Website – www.igda.orgo Contact Person – Jesse Schell, CEO at the International Game Developers

Association from Pittsburgh Address - 2402 Sidney St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15203-2117 Telephone - (412) 390-0101 Email – jschell@schellgames.com

The International Game Developers Association is a non-profit organization that serves the many needs of game developers themselves and creates a community of members to promote innovation and advocacy within the industry. At first glance, the organization looks to be a guarded community of developers who keep their content to themselves. But upon tracking the IGDA on Internet sites, through press releases, and through the citing of scholarly articles, it can be seen that the International Game Developers Association is one of the largest researchers of data on the demographics and characteristics of gamers in multiple levels of involvement. The organization is constantly mentioned when statistics are cited regarding the profiles of the gaming community. The IGDA is an organization that I need to closely monitor in my campaign in order to find content relating to the changing age groups and personality types that are playing mobile/casual games. This information will help me to hone in on the target audience I wish to reach even further. In order to find information on the demographics of the gamers, I would look at data released by the IGDA in press releases and articles that could provide evidence of a market of potential consumers that my advertising campaign can use to target. I would also seek to find new innovative ideas that the IDGA has come up with to promote gaming in the future. These ideas can reflect what the audience wishes to see in future games and could help me to market my campaign around the popular and fresh concepts that draw in gamers. The IDGA content would provide me with a perspective from the developers themselves, who seek to find out more about their intended audience daily, much like I will need to for my campaign. Much of the information compiled by the IDGA is private and only available to game developers

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within the community. Though this is not desirable, a major amount of content from the IDGA can be found in the forms of news articles, scholarly content, and news releases from the organizations itself. The information generated by the IDGA will provide me with greater knowledge of the gaming population from the developers’ eyes.

Zyngao Address - 365 Vermont Street, San Francisco, United States, CA, 94103o Telephone number - 800-762-2530o Website – www.company.zynga.como Contact Person – Brandon Barber, Vice President of Marketing

Office at 365 Vermont Street, San Francisco, United States, CA, 94103.

Telephone Number - (415) 637-4840 Email- brandon@zynga.com

Zynga stands as one of the largest producers of mobile and computer games in the United States. The company is my client in the current ad campaign, as they wish to expand their reach by implementing mobile/casual games into the market. Zynga currently rakes in billions of dollars as they take advantage of the growing use of social media and mobile technology to capture their broad audience. The organization in the creator of popular Internet games such as Mafia Wars and Farmville. The company stays on top of the changing gaming marketplace by creating games that capture the newest trends in gaming (interactivity, free content, etc.). Since I will be creating an ad campaign for Zynga, it is critical that I follow the organization and keep up with their latest happenings in the business world. Knowing a subtle policy change, consumer attitudes towards the company, or a major financial merger/shift can play a role in developing an effective campaign that draws users towards Zynga’s products. When monitoring the organization, I would seek to obtain current updates about the state of the organization and any major corporate changes that could shape the image or marketability of the company’s products. In doing this, I would be fully prepared for all scenarios that could be thrown at me and I would have a larger understanding of the landscape that I will be working within. My campaign will be more effective when I work in conjunction with Zynga’s corporate strategies. The company will give me a direct business perspective that can help to drive my campaign. Zynga’s business strategies will have a direct effect on the way my campaign changes to meet the needs of the client. I will target my audience through the perspective of Zynga itself, consciously keeping their beliefs in the forefront of my mind.

Survey: “Digital Games Reach Mass Appeal as Growing Mobile and Social Networks

Bring ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ Casual Game Play.” Survey. www.magid.com, Frank M. Magid Associates, Inc. and PlayFirst Inc., September 2010, Web. 5 December 2011. A survey conducted by Frank N. Magid associates with the casual game producer

PlayFirst entitled “Digital Games Reach Mass Appeal as Growing Mobile and Social Networks Bring ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ Casual Game Play” provides data on the trends and motivations that could enhance my understanding of the current mobile/casual game

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market and the audience I am wishing to pursue with the campaign. The study is significant because it shows that a major market for mobile/casual games lies with users in public sectors that aren’t typically associated with games. According to the data showed in the study, about 36 percent of the market for casual games lie with players that fall between the ages of 30-49 (Magid and PlayFirst, 2011). The survey also found that the ability to multitask and play games on multiple platforms encourages the users to keep playing. Further, woman are drawn to casual games based on their playability and simplicity in control while men are drawn casual games based on the challenge and sense of accomplishment they bring. All of this information helps me understand my target audience in greater depth in order to target my media messages towards the likes of the users. There is a minor concern in the results and methodology of the survey. A large number, 2,075 male and female respondents over the age of 18 from the U.S. and United Kingdom, represented the sample size. While this number is large and there is more then likely a large number of people in each age group, there is no evidence of how the respondents were divided by age. This is a minor concern with the large sample size however. The survey may also be skewed to favor the casual game developers, as the survey is sponsored by Playfirst games. The survey is conducted by a neutral party, which may eliminate some of the bas that may occur. The data in this survey will help me build the image of my target audience and tailor my ad so that I reach the largest group possible for Zynga to have success with their new line of gaming.

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