SEATTLE – Jan. 10, 2013 – Century 21 has taken advantage of social games’ popularity as part of its marketing strategy, partnering for the second time with Electronic Arts to offer a branded fireplace for The Sims Social game.

The goal is raise brand awareness among a group that, according to Century 21 chief marketing officer Bev Thorne, are 27 percent more likely to purchase a house in the next year than other social network users. Up to 40 percent of social game players are in the target 25- to 34-year-old age demographic.

“There’s an intersection between our target consumer and the person who’s looking to buy their first home,” she explains. “One of the nice things about the gaming opportunities we’ve been engaged in is it puts us front and center with the consumers.”

Thorne says people aren’t likely to buy a home simply because they saw the company’s name while playing a game, but viewers see the name multiple times, which can build brand awareness when they decide it’s time to buy a home.

Users of SimCity Social placed nearly 192,000 Century 21-branded structures during the first campaign.

Source: Inside Social Games (01/08/2013) Thompson, Mike

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