IBM’s video game seeds market (Sandy Carter)

Drew’s Note: Here’s part three of Sandy’s grab the mic guest post. (see parts one and two here)

Without further ado…enjoy Sandy Carter!

Case Study 3: IBM video game seeds market

This holiday season, buying a Nintendo Wii, or the latest online games need not make you feel guilty. According to The Apply Group, at least 100 of the Global Fortune 500 will use gaming to educate their employees by 2012, with the USA, the UK and Germany leading the way.

With that in mind, we decided to leverage social marketing in education with a serious game. Thousands of universities around the world now have access to Innov8, IBM’s new "serious game.” Now students of IT management who grew up playing video games can benefit in learning activities in a fun way, like flight simulators teaching pilots to fly airplanes.

By interacting with the video game, students can make real-life business situation decisions.

They can see the results of their decisions right away, and if they make a mistake, it’s much more private than “failing” in front of a classroom of their colleagues. Because a love of gaming is shared around the world, professors have told us the game can help to bridge cultural barriers.

While it is too soon to measure the full implications, there’s a new business environment emerging. We cannot ignore the changing group dynamics and social implications. In fact, we should tap into the most innovative ideas to redefine the fundamental nature of educating the market.

Just as games present us with situations that invite players to make choices, consider the advantage of using graphics and decision-making steps of games in business. Using Social Media, we could allow decision makers to immerse themselves in the real-world simulations, judging cause and effect before making decisions.

Check out the Innov8 trailer.

Sandy Carter is author of the new book, The New Language of Marketing 2.0, which leverages the ANGELS methodology (ANGELS stands for: Analyze the Market, Nail the Strategy, Go- to- Market socially, Energize the Channel & Market, Leads and Revenue, and Scream with Technology.) Sandy is IBM’s Vice President, SOA and WebSphere Marketing, Strategy, and Channels. She is responsible for IBM’s cross-company, worldwide SOA initiatives and is in charge of one of IBM’s premier brands, IBM WebSphere.

Sandy blogs at Marketing 2.0: From a whisper to a scream and you can catch her on Twitter too!

Every Friday is "grab the mic" day. Want to grab the mic and be a guest blogger on Drew’s Marketing Minute? Shoot me an e-mail.

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