CorpComms Magazine

The Nurofen-to-Finish manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser is branching out with a new social media marketing game to give budding brand managers a virtual flavour of life in the corporate world.

The Facebook application 'poweRBrands' is aimed at 18-30 year olds and is intended to mimic life as a marketing executive in a large-scale consumer goods company. Players are delivered tasks via email and phone calls, and can also enlist the services of their team (composed of Facebook friends) to perform additional jobs. Assignments get progressively harder forcing players to take a few risks, make bold decisions and build strategies for negotiating the perils of PR.

The game challenges players to prove their business acumen, sales and decision-making skills and team-playing credentials and work their way up the corporate ladder, from marketing executive raw recruit to global company president, travelling the world, earning lots of cash and even upgrading their office to match their new career status along the way.

The application links up to Reckitt Benckiser's careers pages on the social networking forum along with further information about the company.

Andraea Dawson-Shepherd, global communications director at Reckitt Benckiser, said: 'poweRBrand is part of a serious initiative to make learning about our industry and marketing both relevant and fun. It is not a direct recruitment tool, but is a great way to introduce students and early careers sales people and marketers to our culture - and we hope that some of them may look further at our website and other career information.

'We are looking to push the boundaries and find innovative, effective ways to communicate - particularly with the 18-30 age group. The game is the logical 'next step' in building a strong online presence and it's totally in keeping with our commitment to continuing innovation. We hope that the lure of fun challenges, tasks and the competitive element of playing with your friends and colleagues will prove a real draw.'

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