Publicis Groupe SEA and Mana Partners roll out gaming and metaverse offering

Publicis Groupe Southeast Asia has collaborated with Web3 marketing consultancy Mana Partners to unveil Publicis Play. "Play" is a deliberate articulation as both parties see the offering as critical for a generation whose preferred means of social networking, entertainment, and commerce will soon be grounded in Play.

Additionally, Publicis Play does not see gaming and the metaverse as two silo solutions, but as one integrated offer as the content and fandom from gaming are the foundation for metaverse experiences. The new offering has already been piloted with several Publicis Groupe clients, including Singapore Tourism Board, McDonald’s, and PepsiCo.

Publicis Groupe has three pillars:

1. Fan-first strategy: Through education and understanding of what is valued in this space, solution consulting, and bespoke workshops, Publicis Play helps brands discover and define opportunities where they can play in the long term.

2. Player-first experiences: Publicis Play helps brands execute a fan-first strategy by designing purposeful and immersive gaming and Web3 experiences to engage, reward, and resonate with consumers.

3. Real value exchange: Publicis Play has established robust relationships with key publishers, developers, esports teams, and ad tech partners that ensure an advantage for brands, players, and fans alike.

Publicis Groupe explained that the new offering is not just about badging brand presence but a belief that the future's most successful brands will master Play - behaving authentically and earning attention and love from their consumers. This Southeast Asia partnership builds on the offering of Publicis Play in the UK, which launched last January and draws from a core team of specialists and tools from within Publicis Groupe globally.

(Read also: #ExplainIt: What Web3 means for marketers [Video])

Ian Loon (pictured left), Publicis Groupe SEA's chief transformation officer, explained that connecting its Groupe capabilities with Mana Partners, who are intrinsically plugged into this rapidly evolving economy, ensures all its clients are welcomed into the community with access to true expertise.

"With the launch of Publicis Play, we can immediately deliver new ways to integrate and deliver between Web2 and Web3, provide measurable value, and drive business outcomes for brands," he added.

Meanwhile, Jamie Lewin (pictured centre), co-founder and chief strategy officer of Mana Partners, said The Play Economy is the new modus operandi. According to him, the company's decision to parther with Publicis Groupe Southeast Asia was "a real meeting of the minds on how [they] collectively view the opportunity.

"Publicis Play is the gateway for brands keen to explore the full spectrum of opportunities, from gaming, esports, creators, and content, to participative digital experiences underpinned by Web3 philosophies and concepts," he added.

At the same time, Matthew Zatto (pictured right), co-founder and chief commercial officer of Mana Partners, added that by the end of 2022, players will have spent one trillion hours and US$200 billion playing games, as well as 25 billion hours watching gaming content. Also, ad spends are forecasted to grow significantly in the coming decade to more than US$214 billion annually.

"It is a huge opportunity but one that needs the right partnership between brands, agencies, and fans to create true value," he added.

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