Marketing, advertising, and branding in Fortnite: how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse?

The rise of digital marketing has significantly impacted the audio-visual industry, particularly in the online video game sector. This study, focusing on Fortnite as a case study, explores the connections between brands’ strategic practices and immersive gaming in the metaverse. The research adopts...

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Main Authors: Pavel Sidorenko-Bautista, Bárbara Castillo-Abdul, José-María Herranz-de-la-Casa, María Abellán-Hernández
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Cogent Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2458058
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author Pavel Sidorenko-Bautista
Bárbara Castillo-Abdul
José-María Herranz-de-la-Casa
María Abellán-Hernández
author_facet Pavel Sidorenko-Bautista
Bárbara Castillo-Abdul
José-María Herranz-de-la-Casa
María Abellán-Hernández
author_sort Pavel Sidorenko-Bautista
collection DOAJ
description The rise of digital marketing has significantly impacted the audio-visual industry, particularly in the online video game sector. This study, focusing on Fortnite as a case study, explores the connections between brands’ strategic practices and immersive gaming in the metaverse. The research adopts a qualitative methodological approach to analyze the typology of advertising and marketing efforts undertaken by brands and companies through disruptive digital platforms in the metaverse. Beyond being a simple digital entertainment, Fortnite has become a key space for socialization and experimentation for young and emerging audiences. The concept of ‘transmedia’ is revisited considering the revitalization that new technologies bring to the field, highlighting the importance of emotional and social bonds that consumers of this type of content practice. The study emphasizes the role of user participation and the participatory logic required by transmedia strategies as a formula to explore the interactions between brands and users in the metaverse. The fragmentary nature of metaverses, derived from the multiplicity of interfaces and environments, is also discussed. The research underscores the importance of user engagement in the narrative, as users frequently become creators and disseminators of content both within and outside the metaverse, forming a community and providing feedback on the space and narrative in which they interact with other users.
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series Cogent Social Sciences
spelling doaj-art-28e72cf9433e4864bd36210d0473a76e2025-02-03T09:54:37ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Social Sciences2331-18862025-12-0111110.1080/23311886.2025.2458058Marketing, advertising, and branding in Fortnite: how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse?Pavel Sidorenko-Bautista0Bárbara Castillo-Abdul1José-María Herranz-de-la-Casa2María Abellán-Hernández3Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Logrono, SpainUniveCrsidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología, Madrid, SpainUniversidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, SpainUniversidad Internacional de La Rioja, Logrono, SpainThe rise of digital marketing has significantly impacted the audio-visual industry, particularly in the online video game sector. This study, focusing on Fortnite as a case study, explores the connections between brands’ strategic practices and immersive gaming in the metaverse. The research adopts a qualitative methodological approach to analyze the typology of advertising and marketing efforts undertaken by brands and companies through disruptive digital platforms in the metaverse. Beyond being a simple digital entertainment, Fortnite has become a key space for socialization and experimentation for young and emerging audiences. The concept of ‘transmedia’ is revisited considering the revitalization that new technologies bring to the field, highlighting the importance of emotional and social bonds that consumers of this type of content practice. The study emphasizes the role of user participation and the participatory logic required by transmedia strategies as a formula to explore the interactions between brands and users in the metaverse. The fragmentary nature of metaverses, derived from the multiplicity of interfaces and environments, is also discussed. The research underscores the importance of user engagement in the narrative, as users frequently become creators and disseminators of content both within and outside the metaverse, forming a community and providing feedback on the space and narrative in which they interact with other users.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2458058Fortnitemetaversevideogamemarketingsocial mediasponsorship
spellingShingle Pavel Sidorenko-Bautista
Bárbara Castillo-Abdul
José-María Herranz-de-la-Casa
María Abellán-Hernández
Marketing, advertising, and branding in Fortnite: how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse?
Cogent Social Sciences
Fortnite
metaverse
videogame
marketing
social media
sponsorship
title Marketing, advertising, and branding in Fortnite: how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse?
title_full Marketing, advertising, and branding in Fortnite: how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse?
title_fullStr Marketing, advertising, and branding in Fortnite: how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse?
title_full_unstemmed Marketing, advertising, and branding in Fortnite: how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse?
title_short Marketing, advertising, and branding in Fortnite: how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse?
title_sort marketing advertising and branding in fortnite how do brands and companies connect today to audiences through the metaverse
topic Fortnite
metaverse
videogame
marketing
social media
sponsorship
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2458058
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