Gaming Public Relations
There are still some people that don’t really know how big the video game industry truly is. In general, about ten newly released games make as much, or more, as Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster every year.
The gaming industry revenue reached nearly $200 billion last year, and in comparison, both the NBA and the NFL combined made about $24 billion the same year.
Behind all of the familiar franchises, names, and corporations of the gaming industry, there are teams of PR experts that have to face the same challenge as their PR colleagues in other sectors.
Most PR rules apply across various industries.
However, video games create some extra opportunities for companies to engage with media outlets and the public, and to leverage those relationships for publicity purposes.
Gaming PR
The popularity of gaming media is just as big, proportionally, as the gaming industry.
This industry includes its top journalists, an extensive community of amateur enthusiasts, casual fans, and super fans. Because of today’s rapid news cycle, the lifespan of most articles tends to be quite short.
Every single outlet that’s dedicated to covering stories about the video game industry is constantly looking for new content ideas. Game releases can be turned into news stories, providing companies with a lot of opportunities for coverage.
Companies can release photos of characters or other game elements, news about the voice actors behind the characters, a clip of the gameplay, details about the game settings, news about beta versions or early releases of the game, third-party reviews, and more.
The biggest challenge for public relations in the gaming industry isn’t finding a news story or an angle that will attract media outlets and journalists. It’s actually prioritizing the content pieces that companies need to share with the target audience.
PR tools
When it comes to companies in the video game industry streamlining their PR efforts, it’s no different than PR work in every other field.
One of the most helpful tools for video game companies is a dedicated online presence that can be branded to match the company’s visual identity.
That means creating a website that is specifically dedicated to sharing information with the public and the press.
Instead of companies having to send out things like press releases in the form of email attachments, or asking journalists to download those press releases, companies can simply include a link to any press release or news story that will guide the journalist straight to the company’s news website.
Businesses in the video game industry can also benefit from creating a professional and curated database of journalist contacts, which is searchable by whatever criteria making it easiest for the company to create a strong media contact list.
It’s easy for businesses to spend too much time searching for the right reporters or publications to cover video game stories. Creating a database saves a lot of time, and is a lot more efficient.
As Co-CEO at 5W Public Relations, Dara Busch oversees 5W’s Consumer Practice, which includes Travel & Entertainment, Apparel & Accessories, Non-Profits, Home & Housewares, Health & Wellness, Mom & Baby, Beauty & Grooming, and Consumer Packaged Goods.