Development and validation of an advergames framework for persuasive branding

Research on persuasive advergame elements has been minimal, even though researchers should pay attention to some elements. Even with changing technology and the gamification strategy, there is still limited research on how the persuasive advergames framework holds the key to persuading players toward the brand. The lack of proper understanding of essential elements leads to uncertainty and failure of advergames. Hence, this research study filled these gaps by conducting a study that highlights the advergames element that can persuade the player's perception as persuasive branding strategy. The objectives of this study are to identify the key elements of advergames as a persuasive strategy for brands, to develop a Persuasive Advergames (PAG) framework by enhancing the chosen framework, and to evaluate the PAG framework through the implementation of a persuasive advergame application. Four methodology phases, Phase 1: Problem Investigation involved identifying all related items through journals, articles, and proceedings. Phase 2: Framework Development involved the extraction of persuasive advergames elements of the PAG through the content analysis method. The initial draft of the PAG framework has been validated by the expert review through the process of face validation and content validation. This phase also involved the experts reviewing the elements and items of the PAG framework in terms of relevance and clarity to ensure this research study is reliable. The validation of the PAG framework consists of seven elements, which are Brand Positioning with Integration, Autonomy Brand Message, Games Brand Congruence, Entertainment, Social Influence, Commitment Consistency, and Transfer Effect. Phase 3: Framework Evaluation involved the user evaluation through a demonstration of the advergame application, namely Farm Fresh Adventure. The advergame application comprises the validated implementation of the PAG framework. The prototype evaluation yielded an overall mean score of 4.71, which indicates a 94.2% level of persuasiveness among users toward the brand. Documentation is the last phase in proposing the PAG framework, where all the gathered data and findings was documented appropriately. As a result, the development of the PAG framework is expected to help marketing practitioners and advertisers persuade their target customers with their marketing strategy, including enhancing their campaign, engaging traffic websites, while designing an entertaining source that contains advertisements in the form of digital games for the game developers and game designers. This research study could contribute to academia advancing the literature on gamification advertising with the persuasive effect on players through advergames.