Responses to an advergaming campaign on a mobile social networking site: An initial research report Shintaro Okazaki ⇑ , María Jesús Yagüe 1 Department of Finance and Marketing Research, College of Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain article info Article history: Available online 7 September 2011 Keywords: Advergaming Brand fit Brand value Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) Mobile device Social networking site abstract Advergames are a form of branded entertainment that feature advertising messages, logos, and trade characters in a game format. This paper reports a preliminary examination on the effects of an advergame on perceived brand value in a context of mobile social networking sites (SNSs). Drawn upon categoriza- tion theory, the study posits that, while mobile SNS engagement stimulates electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention among game players, perceived brand-game fit also drives eWOM intention, which in turn positively affects perceived brand value. Furthermore, perceived brand-game fit is contemplated to be a direct driver of perceived brand value. A research model is validated by a large-scale online survey. Using a real promotional campaign for a popular consumer good (Procter & Gamble’s Pringles), the authors create an advergame for one of the most popular mobile SNSs in Japan. The results from struc- tural equation modeling corroborate all hypothesized relationships. This article closes with some theoret- ical and managerial implications, as well as recognition of important limitations. Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The present study addresses how advergames could increase perceived value of the sponsor brand in a context of mobile social networking sites (SNSs). Advergaming is defined as ‘‘the use of interactive gaming technology to deliver embedded advertising messages to consumers’’ (Chen & Ringel, 2001). This unique form of branded entertainment ranges from simply featuring a brand in the gaming environment to creating more elaborate virtual experiences with that brand (Wallace & Robbins, 2006). The logic behind advergaming states that games can represent content that will attract and retain consumers, so the positive associations and feelings gained from game play should transfer to the sponsored brand. Games are also less obtrusive than other web forms, because consumers try them for fun, social escapism, social inter- action, and relaxation (Nelson, 2005). Yet, despite its increasing importance, the role of advergaming in marketing efforts has still been underexplored. This study attempts to get to the heart of this issue by examining the effectiveness of an advergaming campaign embedded in a mobile SNS. Specifically, we consider three primary research questions: (1) When embedded in SNSs, are advergames effective in improving the perceived value of the sponsor brand? (2) What factors would influence such effects? (3) What is the role of SNSs? We address these research questions by proposing a causal model which is empirically tested with data collected in Japan. The focal point is the perceived fit between the game and the brand. The theoretical rationale is drawn upon categorization the- ory, and a series of hypotheses are posited. A real campaign for Procter & Gamble’s (P&G’s) Pringles chips provides the stimulus; after playing the advergame, which was designed and uploaded to a mobile SNS, users could participate in our survey by complet- ing a questionnaire. We believe that such field study in collabora- tion with industry substantially increases ecological validity. This study makes several important contributions to the litera- ture. First, advergaming, which combines advertising and gaming, represents an attractive form of branded content, though its actual success as a branding tool remains uncertain. To date, studies of advergaming center mainly on exposure, recall, recognition, and attitude, related to brand placement effectiveness (Mallinckrodt & Mizerski, 2007; Mau, Silberer, & Gödecke, 2010; van Reijmersdal, Jansz, Peters, & van Noort, 2010; Wise, Bolls, Kim, Venkataraman, & Meyer, 2008); scant attention focuses on its ability to enhance brand value. Therefore, the heretofore undiscovered determinants of advergaming success represent an important research inquiry and could provide insights to help managers reduce failure rates of branded content. Second, SNSs are a web-based service that allow users to construct a public or semi-public profile and exchange information. SNSs represent the most popular forms of consumer-generated content, and are explicitly recognized as an 0747-5632/$ - see front matter Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2011.08.013 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 91 497 2872; fax: +34 91 497 8725. E-mail addresses: shintaro.okazaki@uam.es (S. Okazaki), maria.yague@uam.es (M.J. Yagüe). 1 Tel.: +34 91 497 5000; fax: +34 91 497 8725. Computers in Human Behavior 28 (2012) 78–86 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Computers in Human Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh