The in-game offer resulted in Microsoft’s Bing page gaining 425,000 fans in a single day, more than tripling the fans it had
Microsoft found a potent way to make friends on Facebook: offer users of hyper-popular social game FarmVille virtual currency.
The in-game offer on Tuesday resulted in Microsoft’s Bing page gaining 425,000 fans in a single day, more than tripling the 117,000 fans it had.
The program, created by digital agency Deep Focus and brand engagement network Social Vibe, shows the potency of the exploding world of social gaming, fueled by currency that lets players buy virtual items. Zynga’s FarmVille is a runaway smash on Facebook, boasting over 82 million players who tend crops and raise livestock on virtual farms.
A FarmVille prompt during the game offered users FarmVille cash, redeemable for items like seeds and virtual tractors to tend to faux farms, if users became fans of Bing on Facebook. Players do not have to leave the game to become fans and earn the currency.
“We know that social environments tend to have more meaningful engagement with the Bing product,” said Ian Schafer, CEO of Deep Focus. “It’s important for us to engage people who are engaging with other people.”
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