Trap Plan, a prominent video game marketing company, recently admitted to using fake Reddit accounts to promote the game WarRobots: Frontiers. They aimed to appear as genuine fans sharing their love for the game. This plan backfired when Reddit users caught onto the scheme.
On November 9, Trap Plan’s CEO, Pavel Beresnev, shared insights on how they executed their strategy. He revealed that the team created over 40 posts across various subreddits, including r/pcmasterrace and r/PlayStation5. Their goal was to generate buzz ahead of an upcoming Twitch event. The posts featured everything from gameplay clips to casual discussions about tactics and mechanics, trying to blend seamlessly into the Reddit community.
“We played the game and recorded our sessions,” said Beresnev, emphasizing the effort to make their content feel authentic. He noted that many players were unaware they were engaging with a marketing campaign.
However, the post detailing this marketing strategy was soon deleted from Trap Plan’s website. Fortunately, it was archived, allowing us to see the original content before its removal. This kind of astroturfing—using fake accounts to create a false sense of grassroots support—is not new in the gaming world. This incident raises questions about how often social media platforms are influenced by similar tactics.
In a follow-up email, Beresnev clarified that while they worked with My.Games, the marketing activities related to Reddit were not approved by them. He described their approach as a misguided experiment in organic promotion, expressing regrets over the confusion it caused.
It’s important to recognize how marketing practices like these can undermine trust within online communities. A recent survey found that over 60% of social media users feel manipulated by misleading content. As gaming continues to grow, understanding the tactics behind promotion becomes crucial for fans.
For anyone interested, you can read more about the implications of these marketing strategies and how they affect community trust in articles from sources like Kotaku and Gamer’s Advocate.
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Astroturf,Marketing,Reddit,Trap Plan,WarRobots
