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Is Draw Something set up for brands in the long-term?

Games are consistently ranked as a top application category for consumers and with the emphasis on pictures and social media, Draw Something could shake out to be a hit for brands to advertise in. But is Draw Something here to stay or is it just another gaming fad?

Similar to other mobile gaming opportunities, one of the primary ways that marketers are using Draw Something is by running mobile banner and full-page ads. Additionally, the games let users draw pictures of words that are associated with brands, which could be used by marketers to press a message directly into content.

?While there is a certain amount of added value for brands to have their slogans or brand names played in Draw Something, there isn?t the opportunity there to influence the consumer,? said Charlotte Miller, research analyst at Juniper Research, Hampshire, Britain.

?While consumers may not pay as much attention to a banner ad as to the game, at least here you have a chance to present the consumer with information about your brand or product,? she said.

?A much better form of advertising on games is the interstitial ? you get more screen real estate and the consumer isn?t distracted by the game.?

Zynga-owned Draw Something would not comment directly on the advertising model behind the game.

Engaged users 
According to Zynga, the company focuses on four types of advertising: reward advertising, brand integration, display and video platforms and offline/online partnerships.

For example, Dreamworks Animation recently partnered with Zynga on a campaign for the upcoming film ?Madagascar 3.?

The film studio ran in-app banner ads that let users learn more about the film, play movie-related games, watch a trailer and find tickets through sites such as Fandango and Moviefone by using their location.

Additionally, users could draw four words that are associated with the film. Not only does this help ingrain the marketing campaign into a user, it also helps spread the word about the movie to user?s friends and family that they are playing the game with.

Other brands that have used the sponsored word feature include KFC, Dorito?s and the National Hockey League.

Encouraging consumers to draw words associated with a brand flips the model of most mobile gaming advertising being used. Instead of shoving a message down a consumer?s throat, it puts a marketing campaign in the control of a consumer, which can either positively or negatively impact a brand.

Branded opportunity
Draw Something offers both a paid and free version of the app, which both have different ad models.

The paid version of the app does not include advertisements but still includes the sponsored words, making the feature a hit for brands looking to target both paying and non-paying users.

Mobile games are growing at a huge pace, which although has large implications for brands, could also be an sign that eventually mobile gaming will wear out.

One of the main challenges that mobile game app developers have faced is finding a way to create a strong-enough value proposition to keep users coming back to the app for long periods of time.

In the case of Draw Something, one of its challenges will be finding ways to keep the game from becoming repetitive.

Draw Something claims to have been downloaded more than 50 million times, many of which are by international users.

Therefore, the company will need to find ways to include international brands to appeal to a wide variety of users, according to an analyst from IBISWorld.

?Mobile games do tend to peak, so there is a thought that Draw Something might eventually fade out? said Nikoleta Panteva, analyst at IBISWorld, Santa Monica, CA.

?One thing that might make the game stick around is diversifying the types of words that they use ? whether they are sponsored or not,? she said. 

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York