How would you increase the monetization of Zynga CityVille (over and above the current features) by 10-15%? Detail out 3 possible ideas.
I think monetization completely depends on engagement and user acceptance to a feature. I believe future of monetization is advertising because Social Games have huge user bases so brands need to be there.
- Customized and controlled Brand Experience
- Cost Per Engagement and in-Game branding
I can not think of a better place to advertise or obtain brand awareness for any product or company then in online games. Gamers spend so much of their time in a games that brands will pay a tremendous amount of money for exposure.
While ideating on this question I came across lots of ideas but as I played more realized that ideas were already implemented and why will they be not. I was think on something which is successful and must have passed through many brainstorming sessions. Finally, I made a list of some ideas. I hope these are over and above the current features.
Monetization Ideas for CityVille
- CityVille Awards: User can Participate for CityVille awards with participation fee in form of City Cash.
- Brand Platform: User can add billboards on road, banners on buildings as a decorating good and earn coins, experience etc. for their city. These Billboards and banners will have real ads. A Platform that allows advertiser to upload their logo, message, etc. in a specific dimension and pay per impression. Also the brand message can be demographically shown on advertiser request.
- CityVille lucky Draw: User to participate in CityVille lucky draw and get rewards. There would be an assured gift and some big prizes to be won. Prize could be 40 cash to completion on pending buildings.
- Localization: Make things affordable for gamers in other region like India, so that even they start spending money on buying things by making it affordable. The Theory of mass production applies here and will end up increasing over all revenue.
- Customized virtual goods: User can buy some customized virtual goods to get a feeling of personalization.
- Second hand Selling: Allowing user to re-sell their completed buildings to neighbors. The purchase will happen in coins and tax on purchase will be paid via Zynga cash.
- Decorating Tips: Buying tips or suggestions to beautify city or suggestions to improve via Zynga cash.
- Vastu/Fengshui Consultancy Or Architect: User to buy in cash and apply Vastu/Fengshui consultancy to house, business and factories to get more rent, experience and happy population.
- Become a State Governor: Taking CityVille to next level. Zynga will have some predefined States . Name of state can be based on brands e.g. Adidas or Nike State. City can join state and stand in Governor election. Joining state will have advantage and Governor will have special powers.
- Valuate and Sell City: A valuation House that will valuate user’s city and specific area 12X12 in terms of CityVille coins. Based on the Valuation user can sell his area to any CityVille user in coins and registration fee would be charged in city cash. This city replica can be add to his existing city after purchase.
Out all the ideas I shared, I will detail out only 3 for now:
- CityVille Awards
- Brand Platform
- CityVille lucky Draw
Getting social Fame, some popularity and becoming a celebrity is a very usual desire of any human. Everyone wants to excel or be known for whatever he/she is good at doing. My idea on Cityville awards idea is focused on our same internal desire.
How this idea works?
- User need to participate for the competition available by Zynga.
- There will be a time limit to join a competition before it starts e.g. 5 days.
- Competition details will be notified to every user via message when user re-visit his city.
- User can participate in the competition by paying competition fees of 30-50 Zynga cash.
- Fee will be refundable in following conditions:
- If his 15-25 neighbors join in the competition.
- Winners will get refund of competition fee.
- Winners will be selected globally, locally and in neighborhood.
- Global Winner’s profile will be announced and promoted like a celebrity on CityVille Globally. Similarly locally and in neighborhood.
- They could be awarded with some real rewards and these rewards can be from the competition sponsors.
- Such Competition can be conducted monthly or quarterly.
What will be the competition?
Competition could be a medium or a big goal.
An example: To improve infrastructure and businesses you need to setup a Special Economic Zone adjacent to your city. SEZ needs to completed in 20 days before our investors meeting. SEZ should look attractive and must have 50% housing/community area and 50% businesses/factory area. SEZ should be able to generate 25000 coins every two days. Requirement:
- Use area with 4 expansion of size 12X12.
- Must have a boundary wall
- Must have a police station
- Must have 25 decoration
How will monetization happen?
- Via Participation fee
- Competition Sponsors
- Purchases done by user to win competition.
User can add billboards on road, banners on buildings as a decorating good and earn coins, experience etc. for their city. These Billboards and banners will have real ads. A Platform that allows advertiser to upload their logo, message, etc. in a specific dimension and pay per impression. Also the brand message can be demographically shown on advertiser request.
How this idea works?
- User can purchase billboards and banner to decorate their city from build under decoration section.
- These billboards will pay them rent in coins, experience and sometimes gift every hour.
- Billboards can have logo or animation of any brand for 1 hour in their city.
- User will click to collect rent and experience.
- On click it will also open a pop up with ad message or ad image or video with okay button to close.
- On other hand advertisers will have a platform to upload their ad, message, logo, video.
- Advertiser can choose its display demographically and geographically.
- Advertiser need to pay to Zynga based on users click and logo impression
- Neighbors can also help in collection and will have benefits from the collections.
How will monetization happens?
- Advertiser will pay for users click and impression based on decided pricing.
User to participate in CityVille lucky draw and get rewards. There would be an assured gift and some big prizes to be won. Prize could be 40 cash to completion on pending buildings.
How this idea works?
- User will setup a lottery building in their city.
- User can daily buy lucky draw ticket from the lottery building.
- The cost of ticket would 3 City cash.
- Lucky draw claims one assured gift to user for motivation to buy tickets.
- Assured gift could be any item like a book, sun glasses, cap, etc.
- A random tickets number will be selected everyday as a winners of draw.
- Winner could be global or local or can select 3 – 50 winners for motivation of user to join
- Top winner
- Runner up
- Second runner up
- Top 25
- Top 50
- Reward to selected users could be something exclusive even bundle of city cash which will tempt users to play everyday.
How will monetization happen?
- User will buy lucky draw ticket
- Since price to buy is low chance of buying more will be high
- Hence will generate high revenue.