The ARG or, alternate reality game, has proven an effective marketing tool that has become more prevalent as the years go on. Film industries have used these interactive forms of advertising to push their new releases and a few authors have relied on these mysterious little games to spark interest in their books; even an internet company or two has used other forms of media to get people interested and excited.

But what makes an ARG work? Well, first we must look at what makes and alternate reality game so appealing…and how is it alternate reality? Let’s look at the example of the website that was released for the Christopher Nolan film The Dark Knight. Initially the site was a strange picture of what some believed was a picture of the Joker and a black background, however people interacted with the site and found a hidden message. Another time a scavenger hunt was issued by the Joker where people had to take pictures of different signs and letters and send them to the Joker. Later the Joker revealed a hidden message using these photo snippets.

ARG’s are so appealing because they require the player to make real-life actions and decisions to impact a fictional world. It is one of the strongest forms of immersion and one of the best ways to get people excited about something.

What Goes On Behind The Scenes Of Marketing? Companies normally use various reports to manage their marketing. Maps of current customers are often used when marketing because who ever needs your product normally falls within a financial bracket, or local demand for that product or service. If you can see on a map where you are heavily concentrated you can better understand where to focus your marketing efforts.

Other companies may use more web based programs. Each and every webpage you (more…)