The emerging media channels that today’s youth gravitate towards often lack the measurement and attribution infrastructure that performance-obsessed marketers rely on.
So while brands want to be active in video games, influencer-focused streaming video platforms like Twitch, and metaverse-like online games like Roblox, it can be difficult for marketers to measure. the return on investment in these spaces.
However, being a pioneer in experimental media channels has value for brand awareness, said Raj Pudipeddi, chief product and marketing officer and general manager APAC of Align Technology, Invisalign’s parent company. .
And for Invisalign, as with other early brands, the opportunity in new gaming and metaverse channels has more to do with raising awareness than driving incremental sales.
“Our intention is to create great, immersive experiences that will eventually result in consideration, interest and closure,” Pudipeddi said.
Awareness first
For several years, Invisalign has been trying to make itself known to young people by experimenting with advertising placements on Tic and building a network of influencers who swear by its brooch alternative. (After all, if you’re going to live in front of a webcam, it doesn’t hurt to have a straight smile.)
While these types of campaigns lack closed-loop measurement capabilities, brands should have a general understanding of how brand lift helps drive business results, Pudipeddi said.
“We have attribution models ranging from consideration or interest to what happens in a doctor’s office,” Pudipeddi said. “A user can’t get Invisalign unless a doctor examines the patient and prescribes the treatment. So you’re trying to initiate that dialogue [with doctors].”
Because Invisalign studied its adoption awareness pipeline, its current focus for emerging media channels is to increase awareness with new audiences, Pudipeddi said.
“Seventy percent of patients in the United States are still treated with wires and brackets,” Pudipeddi said. “We’re focused on how to maximize engagement and interest because once we’ve done that we have a pretty good idea of what’s going to happen downstream.”
dental gallery
Invisalign’s latest campaign in the gaming/metaverse space centers around Roblox’s Livetopia role-playing game.
Livetopia now features an Invisalign-branded dentist’s office where players can play mini-games that focus on the points of differentiation between the Invisalign product and dental appliances.
In a mini-game, called The Big Game, players must score a touchdown while dodging their opponents. The game features two game modes. In Braces mode, the opposing team pursues the player’s avatar more aggressively (to evoke the way food particles stick to braces). But in Invisalign mode, players get a speed boost from “Invisalign Confidence”, and it’s much harder for the opposing team to face them.
The other game, Movie Night, places players in a virtual movie theater loaded with snacks and concessions. The object of the game is to eat a set number of snacks, but the player cannot eat any of the displayed foods until they collect an Invisalign power-up.
Both of these mini-games were designed with input from Roblox game developers and Invisalign creative partners. When players win either game, they collect a virtual coin that can be redeemed for an Invisalign-branded outfit or other virtual goods for their avatar.
Invisalign also uses the relationships it has built with influencers such as Charlie d’Amelio and Lana Rae to drive audiences to their branded Roblox experience as part of their omnichannel”Free drama” country.
Test and learn
Because game and metaverse-related activations, and even influencer campaigns, are still experimental, Pudipeddi said brands should take a “test and learn” approach rather than applying their existing playbooks.
“It’s a very first piece for us, so we weren’t sure what to do from a media reach and frequency perspective,” Pudipeddi said. “We said, ‘First, let’s create an experience that’s interesting and engaging. And then we’ll learn from it.
Invisalign has already learned some lessons from its early forays into gaming and the metaverse, Pudipeddi said. “You have to stay focused on your points of differentiation and the key messages you want to convey,” he said.
And by experimenting with different play experiences, Invisalign learns what resonates best with its target audience. For example, the Movie Night minigame seems to be getting more interest from gamers, so the brand is working with its game developers to figure out why, Pudipeddi said.
By emphasizing the points of differentiation between its product and its orthodontic appliances through immersive gaming experiences and influencer testimonials, Invisalign hopes to plant a seed of awareness that could become a consideration and eventually a purchase. But Pudipeddi said closed-loop attribution and ROI tracking metrics aren’t immediate priorities.
“It’s more about charting new waters,” he said. “Is it really progressive? We will find out.