Marketing a Game that Escapes the Market Norms: A Chat with Daniel Lee

“I’ve always loved games, since the first grade when I played Super Mario Bros and Final Fantasy 6.” 

Daniel Lee, UA and Growth Manager from thatgamecompany, has built a career in gaming marketing that’s as multifaceted as his own gaming preferences. From his love for MMORPGs to navigating a career in mobile advertising, Lee shares his unique perspective to a field where you need to be equal parts creative and analytical to thrive. In this interview, we explore his approach to marketing, the nuances of promoting gaming apps, and his thoughts on the industry’s emerging trends.

Hi Daniel! Let’s start with your journey. What made you choose gaming as the industry to build your career in?

“I’ve always loved games, since the first grade when I played Super Mario Bros and Final Fantasy 6. Growing up, advertising and working with data were my goals, so it was a natural progression. Gaming is an industry and hobby that has some unique attributes, and I enjoy marketing games to showcase the best experiences in ways that players will understand and enjoy. Players are always looking for unique, innovative, and fun games to try out, so how we market them is key to increasing discoverability and adoption.”

What’s so different about marketing games compared to, say, apps for fitness or productivity?

“There’s many components of a gaming app that tie into how we market them: art style, game mechanics, community functions, monetization, but most of all, games should be fun. This opens an avenue that is somewhat subjective, but invites creativity, and I believe this is a core difference from many other non-gaming apps. 

Another difference is that, in other industries, competitive positioning seems to be much more important. Competition exists in gaming apps too, but with so many genres and varieties of games, comparisons and positioning becomes less integral to how we market them.”

You’re right! And some games don’t even fit neatly into genres or categories, like Sky: Children of the Light that you’re currently working on. How do you approach marketing for a title like that?

“Yes, Sky is a very unique game that doesn’t fully fit in traditional categories. However, if cozy, warm, adventure, exploration, multiplayer, narrative-driven and self-expression are themes you look for, I recommend checking it out!

When it comes to marketing a game like this, it is tough, particularly as UA partners use genres and categories as part of their machine-learning models. Additionally, it can be difficult to find competitive insights. With regards to targeting, we primarily rely on our internal data to feed the algorithms, as well as lookalike audiences from those. There are some interest-based target audiences that work for us, like ‘adventure game fans’ and ‘social game fans.’ Beyond this, we try to look at core demographics.

Besides, being a T-shaped marketer brings a lot of benefits! I specialize in user acquisition, and there’s not as many app advertisers compared to other paid media specialists. However, UA depends on a handful of platforms and technologies, and the environment is always changing. Thus, gaining exposure to multiple marketing verticals comes in handy. In my current position, I work across UA, branding, community, influencer marketing, and more.”

You mentioned the UA environment constantly changing. What do you think about newer ad formats like playtime rewards and interactive ads?

“I think these are great solutions that push the mobile advertising landscape forward. Expansion of incentivized UA into playtime rewards is a way to funnel players deeper into your core game to hopefully increase retention.

In-game and interactive ad formats are an exciting development, as I believe this can create more organic and native ad placements that fit better in the existing content. Users are increasingly exposed to a variety of ads, and authenticity is in increasing demand, which is why UGC has taken off. Leveraging native and interactive ad formats will force advertisers to strategize more creatively on how their brands interact with the hosted content. This should increase retention but may increase CPI, especially as the formats are developed.”

Finally, let’s step away from work for a second and finish on a more personal note. When you’re not marketing games, what do you like to do? 

“Honestly, I’m a workaholic! However, in my free time, I enjoy biking on trails, playing MMORPGs, golfing, and anything related to cars. I also spend a lot of time reading about various topics, from WWII history to server architecture.”

Sounds like you know how to keep things interesting, even outside of work! Thanks for sharing all of this, Daniel! 

My pleasure! I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts. The mobile advertising space is constantly evolving with new technologies and insights, so it’s great for everyone to share their knowledge with others. 

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