NEW YORK — Roblox's recently announced partnership with agency holding group WPP is part of the Metaverse platform's larger focus on third-party partnerships to drive interest and engagement with brands. Roblox is known for its ability to connect with young consumers, and it seeks to provide tangible results for brands to communicate its value.
The WPP partnership is focused on developing 3D measurement standards and rolling out certification programs for professionals who want to understand the platform ecosystem. WPP It also joins other recent strategic partnerships. In September, Dentsu launches “House of Creators”which aims to foster Roblox creatives through financial assistance and mentorship. Just a few days ago Roblox announces Shopify As the first commerce integration.
Stephanie Latham, Vice President of Global Partnerships and Advertising at Roblox, said: “When I talked about alignment of values and vision, WPP is also very passionate about how we define this immersive space. Is it okay? What does it look like?
Latham further discussed the future of brand partnerships and advertising opportunities on the platform at Advertising Week New York. She features Jess Park, Senior Vice President and Head of Brand and Fan Engagement, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and Cameron Curtis, Executive Vice President, Global and Digital Marketing, Warner Bros. He served as the moderator for the panel. Both USOPC and Warner Bros. have been activated on Roblox.
Building a brand experience
Branded Roblox experiences offer a level of interactivity not possible with traditional TV or social media advertising. The nature of the platform allows for the construction of entire interactive worlds. Warner Bros. employed this element to promote the recently released film Beetlejuice, recreating the film's fictional world known as Afterlife. Immediately after the film's release, activations received over 25 million visits and 40 million users watched video content within partner experiences.
“What's really interesting about this is not just the results, but Warner Bros.' ability to come into Roblox and build immersive experiences,” Latham said.
Escape the Afterlife expands beyond one world with portals that allow players who die in another part of the game to enter the afterlife. In addition to being packed with promotional materials, Afterlife also features integration with Fandango, allowing users to purchase movie tickets. 61% of users who took advantage of virtual ticketing options reported a positive experience.
A successful activation requires leveraging the Roblox community, and knowing where to meet players and how to keep them engaged is key. For example, emotes are an important part of how players interact with the platform and other players. In Roblox, emotes are movements that your avatar can perform, such as waving or dancing. The USOPC worked on creating the first emotes based on real athlete movements, Park reported during the panel discussion. People who see the emote in the USOPC Roblox space can purchase actions to perform across the platform.
measuring success
Measurement reliability is a topic of both debate and concern among marketers. Fragmentation in the media ecosystem has increased uncertainty about the effectiveness of how advertising dollars are spent. Roblox wants to help marketers address these challenges.
“Where we are now is that we are responding to the market where the market is… but we understand what is the value of 11 minutes spent on your brand versus the value of a few seconds of scrolling. We're looking towards a future where we can actually set and define the market in terms of how we do it,” Latham said.
almost 80 million daily Games are a natural place for advertisers because many of their users skew younger. However, the platform is not without concerns. Roblox users can be very young, which raises concerns about marketing to children. Accordingly, it is Hide ads From children under 13 years of age. 42.3% of Roblox users The under-13 population is beginning to change, with the fastest growing demographic being between 17 and 24 years old.
“Roblox has been around for almost 20 years, and it started with kids in mind,” Latham said. “This is part of safety, and civility has been a cornerstone of the company since its inception.”
