In the entertainment industry, personalized recaps are here to stay. Think of viral marketing campaigns like Spotify “Wrapped” or Call of Duty’s #MyWarzone Legacy.
These dynamic campaigns perform so well not only because they’re personalized but also because they surface interesting insights about the customer. For “Wrapped,” it could be their listening personality. For gaming recaps, it might be how they compare to other players or their top wins throughout the year.
One thing’s certain — people love seeing and sharing content that puts them in the spotlight.
These recaps come in 2 main formats:
- Infographic,which could be a static visual, like the one Scopely created for MARVEL Strike Force, or split into slides you can tap through, as Spotify does
- Video, which can run for any length, although 1-2 minutes is most common for brands like Ubisoft, EA, Activision and others
Which should you choose for your campaign? In this blog, we’ll take a deep dive into how a data-driven year-in-review video (or season in review, decade in review, etc.) compares with a recap infographic. We’ll share examples from top brands, including tips for how to use both in your digital campaign.
Video vs. Infographic: Better With Both
If you’re trying to decide between data-driven video or data-driven infographics for your campaign, here’s something to consider — why not both? We recommend this dual approach since each one brings something to the table for improving engagement.
To know what will resonate with your target market, there are a few things you need to know first. This includes who your audience is, the amount of time you have before your launch, what you want to cover inside the content and what your goals are for the project.
This information will influence the medium (image or video) that you use for your campaign.
- Audience: For example, if your audience includes younger demographics, video is the way to go. Gen Z and millennials prefer video, flocking to platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
- Time: Infographics are typically faster to complete, although brands like Fortnite have launched data-driven video recaps in as little as 2 weeks.
- Coverage: If you have a lot of data, an infographic will be too packed, but a video will let you include everything in a format that’s still concise.
- Goals: We’ll get into this more below, but infographics and video work differently when it comes to CTAs, social sharing and other features that will directly influence your goals.
One thing is critical with any recap campaign — scale. Especially in the world of entertainment, companies are making recaps that reach millions around the globe. See the Assassin’s Creed video below as one example. This campaign included a possible 13 languages in total. Your content (and any technology provider you partner with to power that content) needs to be able to scale with you.
Benefits of Video
If we look at the data comparing video with infographics, video is a clear winner in almost every use case.
It’s the most popular form of digital media today, especially among Gen Z, a growing cohort of gamers. It’s also a much bigger reward for players than a graphic, prompting users to engage with the content. One of our gaming clients generated over 750,000 sign-ups from players who wanted to get their personalized recap video the following season.
Video is also able to do more than graphics — even animated ones — by nature of its technology. It’s easier to share because users can download the MP4 and upload it to any channel. With our Next Generation Video Platform, it can even be interactive, not just with CTAs that drive action but also allowing the user to customize the video within the player. This enables user-generated content within the campaign, further increasing virality.
Increasing engagement and reengagement is one of the things recap videos do best. Here are a few client wins from past campaigns we’ve supported that proves this point.
- 25x uplift in new users compared to other channels
- 17x more lapsed players returning to the game
- 88% conversion rate
- 56% uplift in app store visits
- 10x higher engagement
- 92% video completion rate
- 169% higher average play hours from previously inactive players
- 2x higher referral rate
- 68% higher sales
And if you’re looking for a medium that reminds players of the game, replicating the high-quality visuals they’ve come to expect, only video can do it, and only Idomoo can personalize that video content at the highest quality and at a scale of millions.
Watch the stunning creative in the #MyWarzoneLegacy video from Call of Duty.
To recap, here are the top benefits of video:
- It’s the most popular form of online content.
- It’s easier to share on social media.
- It can be interactive.
- It’s a bigger reward than an infographic.
- It replicates the high-quality visuals of the game.
- It can be customizable for UGC.
- It delivers on KPIs.
Benefits of Infographics
Graphics have upsides too. Like video, they’re easy to share on social media. Fans can download their Personalized Graphic to post it on X, Facebook, Reddit, chat forums and more.
They’re also quick to produce, a good choice when you want to do a lighter recap or maybe send personalized content with more frequency.
As mentioned above, we’ve seen customers find success combining both infographics and video. If you already have a video with the necessary creative and the data you want to highlight, it’s easy to flip that into an infographic. This way players can share their recap anyway and anywhere they might want, whether on Pinterest or TikTok.
That’s exactly what Ubisoft did for the launch of Ubisoft Connect. They created a Personalized Video and a data-driven infographic to increase its shareability, increasing Facebook and Twitter share rates 5x above the industry benchmark.
Here’s a snippet of one personalized infographic below, but you can view the full graphic and read about this incredible 5-year recap on the blog.
Another strategy is to keep Personalized Video for a select group of users since it’s the most premium type of content. Give everyone the personalized infographic, and then create some buzz around who receives the video. It’s a way to gamify it to make fans engage more in hope of getting the video next time.
Personalized Recaps on the Rise
Recap campaigns are hailed as “marketing genius” because they leverage simple human psychology, putting the customer in the middle of their own story.
Here’s another example we love. See how Hi-Rez made the video a “monument” to players’ achievements.
We’ve seen rapid adoption of this marketing tactic among gaming giants like Ubisoft, Epic Games, Activision and many more. Done well, Personalized Video recap campaigns empower brand advocacy, boost player retention and increase retention. The video format reminds players how much they enjoy playing and increases awareness and referrals through social sharing. It can also promote new games and seasons, as you saw in the videos above.
Adding in a data-driven infographic only enhances your personalized marketing campaign. It lets players enjoy and share their recap in multiple ways. And allowing players to share these personal stories strengthens the broader sense of online community — an important part of the connecting gaming experience.
Pro tip: When you’re sharing your Personalized Video, try a personalized GIF as the thumbnail to catch attention if you distribute it via email, as Huuuge Games for their incredibly successful campaign.
For more tips on how to enhance your recap campaign, take a look at our guide on 7 tips for a stellar personalized year in review.
Upgrade Your Year in Review
Check out more of our personalized recap videos for inspiration from some of the world’s top gaming brands.
When you’re ready to learn more, schedule a call to chat. We’d love to talk about how we can revolutionize your player experience with the power of video.
