I can’t say that it’s very shocking that marketers have embraced mobile gaming as a way to expand the reach of companies. After all, isn’t this the same technique our parents used when they wanted us to eat our vegetables, as kids?

They’d fly a fork-full of food around our faces like an airplane, making sputtering noises with their lips as the foodplane caught turbulence and bounced around. Until finally, air traffic control told them the runway was clear to fly that plane of green beans into our little kid mouths. Suddenly, we didn’t mind being force-fed our greens quite as much, as long as it was done in a playful manner.

Now that we’re adults, it’s no different.

We’re more accepting of branding and marketing of messages, as long as it’s presented in a kitschy manner. Mobile gaming is perfect for this. Oh, you want to get people to tell all of their friends about your restaurant, on your behalf? Okay, here’s this bright shiny [fake] badge they can unlock by doing so! And if you do so enough, I’ll even make you [honorary] mayor!

Becoming a mayor is the new punch-card reward for loyalty.

Then there are newsletters. It’s getting tougher and tougher for companies to get people to opt-in to their email newsletters; our inboxes are already busting at the seams. Visitors see this on a site, and often wonder if they need to opt in to another one. So instead, we dress them up in QR Codes so they don’t get mistaken for the rest of the slop out there. Scanning and discovery becomes a game, and before we know it, we’re happily requesting a helping of newsletter stew.

Now to decide if I want to use a train whistle or a sports car noise to get people to give this blog post a chance.

Bruce is the Director of Client Services at Roll Mobile.

He is a lover of good music, bad puns and ugly sweater vests. Want to learn more about adding mobile components to complement your existing marketing strategies? Or have a BLOG@ROLL topic you’d like us to explore?

Contact bruce@whyroll.com or on Twitter via @RollMobile.