Building Successful Cultures and the Future of Gaming: Insights from Dan Barnes
On a recent episode of the Growth@Scale podcast, Dan Barnes,a seasoned mobile gaming executive, unpacks the essence of what makes not just gaming companies, but any company thrive. His decade-long experience at companies like Network, Natural Motion, Zynga, and Machine Zone informs a unique perspective of company culture, gaming, and the cutting-edge automation transforming tech and growth.
Key Takeaways
- Intrinsic Motivation: The success of a company culture relies on intrinsically motivated individuals who execute with unambiguous data and clear objectives
- Live Operations in Gaming: Real-time content updates in games (LiveOps) are a staple of modern gaming, driving player engagement and revenue growth
- Creative Lifecycles in UA: Creative asset optimization is crucial in user acquisition, where iteration can extend a creative's lifecycle but doesn't necessarily ease the creation of new concepts
Isolating Intrinsic Motivation within a Thriving Company Culture
In the podcast, Barnes stresses the significance of intrinsic motivation as a cornerstone of a successful culture. This self-motivation is essential when hiring, ensuring the right fit for the organization—people who don't just wait for instructions but actively seek the right course of action.
Understanding Intrinsic Motivation's Value
Intrinsic motivation goes beyond the typical employee enthusiasm. It's about staff who understand the business's core objectives and identify psychologically safe spaces where they can err and grow. It's likened to a gardener leaving a glass of water out, and the potential employee's decision to clear it up after an interview reflects an innate drive to contribute positively without external prompting.
Cultivating Intrinsic Motivation
In the workplace, fostering intrinsic motivation isn't just about hiring; it's about nurturing. Organizations must provide unambiguous data and objectives, allowing for a culture that encourages proactive behavior. Systems like the ABC 123 prioritization method Dan mentions, which categorizes tasks into 'must, should, and could do,' guide employees towards self-motivated action.
"I think there are three parts to that answer. I think the first one is from a human standpoint, the people that are executing have to be intrinsically motivated." - Dan Barnes
Embracing the Game of LiveOps for Sustained User Retention
The term LiveOps refers to the activities conducted by game developers to sustain and monetize a game post-launch. According to Barnes, LiveOps is not just a fleeting addition to a game but must be built into the software from the start to effectively change player behavior.
The Core of LiveOps
LiveOps is integral in creating a game that continually grows, adapting to player responses and engaging them with new content. It maintains the relevance of games like "Runescape" or "Words with Friends," as they are structurally engineered to evolve with the community—a lesson applicable to various industries.
Data-Driven Enhancements
Using clear, unambiguous data, innovative companies can tailor every new game update to enhance user engagement. This real-time tweaking based on data analytics is how games remain not only fun but also profitable in the long-term landscape of the gaming industry.
"The most important thing was taking an insight to an action in the shortest amount of time possible." - Dan Barnes
Extending the Lifespan of Creative Outputs in User Acquisition
User acquisition is a large part of a mobile game's success. Barnes discusses the use of generative AI tools, like the one developed internally at his company called Draper, which could rapidly produce iterations of existing creative to reduce 'ad fatigue.' However, this machine-aided iteration extended the life cycle but did not solve the conundrum of creating original concepts which remains, as he implies, an essentially human challenge.
Generative AI's Limits in Creativity
The tools Barnes and his team created improved efficiency in creating variations of successful ads, but they faced the ultimate barrier: producing an entirely fresh idea that captivates and converts. Generative AI has not yet bridged the creativity gap that human designers and marketers bring to the table.
The Necessity of Human Intervention
Every optimized ad is only as good as the original concept from which it stems. Generating new concepts to feed the algorithm remains a task where human insight, creativity, and intuition cannot be replicated, emphasizing the invaluable role of creative staff and contradistinguishing them from AI counterparts, which at best serve as facilitators.
"But it doesn't make it easier to create things." - Dan Barnes
The future of gaming distribution, as envisaged by Dan Barnes, acknowledges the inevitability of change in which interactivity is not confined to traditional platforms. It awaits an era of ubiquity—where the very definition of what constitutes a game is broadened and gaming experiences are seamlessly integrated into the fabric of everyday life. This future bucks the trend of the faltering hit-driven gaming model, promising a renaissance of interactive experiences that connect more profoundly with the rhythms of daily existence.
The insights shared by Dan Barnes emphasize innovation that transcends mere feature updates in games and the use of data in iterative creative processes. They call for a dynamic, intrinsically motivated culture across industries, attuned to the providential shift towards ubiquitous gaming experiences. With his finger on the pulse of gaming's future, Dan Barnes predicates the dawn of a new genre—one that breaks free from the stagnant parameters and flourishes in the free flow of unfettered interactivity.
Unpacking Lifecycle Marketing: Insights from Latoya Bowlah's Expert Perspective
In a world constantly vying for the consumer's attention, businesses face the challenge of not just reaching the customer but also adding meaningful value. LaToya Bowlah, an authority in digital transformation and lifecycle marketing, recently shared her insights on this subject. As a leader who has developed go-to-market strategies at Nasdaq and Bloomberg Digital, among others, Bowlah understands the intricacies of customer engagement and the balance required to drive growth. On the latest episode of Growth@Scale, she dissects this multifaceted approach, offering strategies that can pivot a company towards success.
Key Takeaways:
- Lifecycle marketing sits at the intersection of content, automation, and personalization, and mastering it can significantly reduce customer acquisition costs.
- Knowing your audience is paramount. Targeting must be refined to avoid the "speaking to everyone, speaking to no one" pitfall.
- Technology investment should align with growth stages, ensuring integration complements capability needs and that the team can fully utilize its potential.
Finding Harmony Between Conversion and Value
Marketing is not just about getting the word out; it's about creating a resonant story that aligns with the consumer's journey. As Bowlah explains, there's an ongoing crisis where companies focus on driving conversions at the expense of providing true value—"so much garbage in, garbage out." For her, achieving the balance between converting customers and adding utility is critical. This balance ensures the customer not only makes a purchase but also enjoys a fulfilling brand experience.
"There needs to be this balance between converting and providing utility, providing usefulness to your customers."
This assertion is supported by the realization that customers may often be bombarded by promotions, causing them to lose sight of what they were initially looking for—whether it be an update on a recent purchase or relevant information about financial investment. To strike this balance effectively, marketers must understand where a customer is in their lifecycle and tailor communications to enhance the experience, not detract from it.
Audience-Centric Marketing: The Bedrock of Your Strategy
Bowlah emphasizes the significance of starting with the audience—understanding not just who they are, but where they are and what they need. By identifying the "watering holes" and honing in on the audiences' preferred platforms, businesses can refine their channel strategy with precision. This is not about being in all places at once but rather about choosing the right channels that lead to meaningful engagement.
"Really start with the audience. There were many points in my career where it was proven that we needed both that digital paid arm, we needed that lifecycle owned marketing content engagement arm, and we also needed that traditional marketing mix arm."
The lesson here extends beyond mere channel selection to understanding the essence of your customers’ needs. Identifying the different segments and customizing the approach accordingly can dissect a seemingly large audience into manageable, targeted groups that can be served more personally and effectively.
The Art of Investing in Technology and Growth at the Right Time
One of the most recurrent themes in the evolution of a successful marketing strategy is knowing when and how to invest in your tech stack. Bowlah warns against the allure of technology as a magic bullet for growth, noting that companies often rush to onboard new technologies without having the necessary structures or teams to maximize their potential.
"For the tech stacks you're bringing on, making sure that you are investing in the teams and partners to take that tech stack to market… that's also critical."
This brings us to the concept of growth alignment—ensuring that the timing and depth of tech stack investments are coherent with the company's stage and strategic goals. The key is to foster a marriage of capability and utility, where technology serves to propel forward an already coherent and audience-aligned marketing strategy.
As we engage with the implications of these insights, it is evident that the marketing landscape is one that demands agility, an in-depth understanding of the audience, and judicious tech stack investments. With these in mind, leaders can steer their companies through the tumultuous waters of growth and change, anchored firmly by a well-crafted lifecycle marketing strategy.
Bowlah and Widdoes' discussion culminates in a call to action for marketing professionals to keep learning, stay audience-focused, and build a marketing practice that grows in tandem with the company's needs. In navigating the dynamic world of marketing, it's clear that while there may be many tools at our disposal, nothing replaces the fundamental need for strategic insight and a customer-centered approach.