No. 152 / Jun 7, 2021
What kind of animal am I? Or what kind of Disney character am I? Nowadays, various types of self-diagnosis tests, including Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) tests, are appearing. In other words, people’s interest in finding their identity is growing and these tests are trending among people who spent most of time at home after an outbreak of COVID-19, especially among the Millennial generation and Generation Z (MZ generation). These self-diagnosis tests are called “Labeling Games” in modern marketing terms.
Labeling games are games to find self-identity in a diversified modern society. In other words, it is a game that one interprets one’s identity as a particular type and sympathizes or follows the lifestyle that type has. Hence, we find our identity by living followed our MBTI types. Nowadays, in addition to multiple choice labeling games such as MBTI tests, labeling games using balance game methods or simulation game methods are appearing. “Plant Your Personal Flower”, a test which helps to find one’s identity with flowers, is not a just selection, but a simulation-type labeling game that could give people both relaxing and fun.
How did these labeling games become popular especially in MZ generation? The MZ generation who are suffered a lot in employment and social life needed to resolve uncertain identities. Therefore this game, which was easy and fun to categorize self-identity in a game format, was bound to be trendy. Due to COVID-19, many young adults feel lethargic about their lives but through this game, they were able to set the direction for how they should live.
Then, how is the labeling game developing? It plays a major role in promoting various brands. For example, “Work Survival Type Test” which uses NCSOFT’s character named Doguri drew sympathy from many beginners in society, and received high responses, with various NCSOFT goods sold out within 15 days of launch. What should be noted here is that most of the beginners in society are from the MZ generation. The labeling game, which stands side by side with the MZ was considered one of the “Ten trends in the new year of 2021” by a professor of Department of Consumer Science at Seoul National University. Also, corporate marketers are making it easier for people to access brands by making participatory labeling games instead of video advertising. This game is shared by influencers, which will spread to people in their highly influenced MZ generation, and consequently, they voluntarily become interested in the brand. To increase the voluntary movement of these consumers, the marketers are producing labeling games with materials that are easy to stimulate people’s psychology, such as first impressions. Thanks to this popular and influential marketing method, marketers’ steps toward the MZ generation are one step ahead, and consumers who encounter such labeling games will be able to take the first step toward getting to know themselves.
However, labeling games do not have scientific evidence and are hard to believe completely. Therefore, consumers who encounter labeling games should not conclude that the results of labeling games show their exact characteristics. It should be remembered that labeling games are not a game to trap consumers, but a fun game to help people who cannot find their self-identities.
By Lee Ga-eun, AG Cub Reporter
dlrkdms2231@ajou.ac.kr
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