Changing the game for an iconic global brand
Gaming isn’t just for consumer facing brands. See how Miura are helping S&P Global Platts harness the power of mobile gaming to connect with younger audiences and build brand awareness in new markets.
S&P Global Platts is the leading provider of information, benchmark prices and analytics for the energy and commodities markets. For over 100 years traders around the world have relied on their products to help them make informed trading decisions. This leading authority status brings its own challenges – how do you find new ways to talk about what you do and keep your brand relevant?
The team had the idea for a trading game – a great way to build brand awareness and connect to younger audiences. But they weren’t sure how to take it forward. Our task was to guide them through this process – taking the seed of a fantastic idea all the way through to realisation. There were several key requirements for the game. It had to appeal to both professional traders and casual gamers with no knowledge of how trading works. It had to work as a solo game but also in group settings at large conferences. Above all, it had to be fun for anyone to play without diluting the authority of the brand.
ClientS&P Global PlattsServicesGaming, app, mobileYear2018Linkhttp://www.spglobal.com/platts
Our initial focus was working with the delivery team to evolve the concept and gain buy-in from internal stakeholders. In the insight phase, we talked to commodities traders about what they do and analysed a range of games – from simulation learning models to gamified versions with wider appeal. Our findings helped to decide on priorities. What was more important, learning or fun? How far could we bend the rules of realism to make the game more engaging for users?
Through this process of iteration and discovery the concept of Market Markets emerged. It would tap into traders’ innate competitiveness and challenge them to make the most money buying and selling oil – using their skills and expert advice from S&P Global Platts analytics to navigate market changes caused by real-world events.
With the concept defined, we agreed key areas to test in pre-production. How would the buy and sell mechanic work? What type of algorithm did we need to simulate price fluctuations? And how would a news event like a natural disaster impact on commodity price? To find answers, we built a series of prototypes and worked through them step-by-step with the client team – until we had a robust, risk-free game concept, everyone was happy with.
In production, we adopted an agile approach and built the game in stages – beginning with the core user experience and adding layers of design through the process. We chose to build the game in Unity – a powerful game platform that also provided the scope to extend into other areas like VR in the future.
Market Masters was successfully launched at client events during 2018, where it proved highly popular – so much so that it is now fully embedded in S&P Global Platts marketing campaign and global events calendar.
The game has achieved over 10,000+ leaderboard scores to date and has racked-up over 30,000+ minutes of gameplay – helping to forge deep connections between target audiences and the S&P Global Platts brand via an immersive experience. Since launch, we have collaborated with the team on three enhancements, including the addition of a new commodity – players now have the choice to trade in oil or LNG fuel, increasing the appeal of the game.
Market Masters has recently been recognised by the marketing industry, picking up a prestigious B2 award in America, which celebrates excellence in business-to-business brand and customer marketing strategy.
