• by Aaron Baar , September 7, 2012

Among hardcore sports gamers, the release of a new version of EA Sports’ Madden or NCAA Football doesn’t require much outreach. They know what’s coming and what features will be different from previous versions. But among the more casual gamers (or those buying games for their children), sometimes it takes a little extra push. 

This year, for the launch of its Madden NFL 13 and NCAA Football 13 titles, EA Sports is trying something new to reach those casual buyers directly at the point-of-purchase. On this year’s packaging and in-store promotional materials, the games will feature “SnapTags,” a QR-like mark giving shoppers access to additional information -- in this case videos on new features, demonstrations and the ability to immediately connect with EA Sports on Facebook.

“EA was looking for a way to really help drive conversion of the new games,” Jane McPherson, chief marketing officer of SnapTag maker SpyderLynk, tells Marketing Daily. “Generating interest in the new features of the game was really important. In order to really give people a sneak peek inside the game, they wanted to use a new technology to do that.”

Using the SnapTags (which require SpyderLynk’s proprietary app on smartphones, but also grant access through simple photographs and texts), gives the more casual game buyers tangible reasons to purchase the game, says Christopher Erb, vice president of brand marketing for EA Sports.

“As we get longer into the lifecycle, [the question becomes], ‘How do we reach the casual gamers?” Erb says. “When people are there at the time of purchase, how do we give them another push over the edge?”

And because the content is dynamic, it can be easily changed to highlight different features, different athletes or to follow the news, Erb says. “If our cover athlete is doing something, we can add that content,” he says. “If we have a new feature, we can add that.”