How Text-Based Games Win Without Graphics: Live-Action Strategy

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Deniz Kural, Director of Product Marketing at Candywriter, the Miami-based studio behind BitLife. BitLife is a text-based life simulator that has captured millions of players with its unprecedented depth, cultural relevance, and ability to let players role-play literally any life path imaginable. Seven years after launch, the game continues to dominate its category through hyper-culturalization, consistent community engagement, and innovative marketing approaches that bridge traditional entertainment marketing with mobile gaming's unique demands. Kural shares hard-won insights from his journey through consumer goods giants like Coca-Cola and Durex, to mobile gaming powerhouses like Supercell and Rovio, revealing how entertainment marketing must balance immediate ROI pressures with long-term brand building. Topics Discussed: Structural differences between traditional consumer marketing and mobile gaming marketing The tension between tactical ROI-driven marketing and strategic brand building in gaming Building and scaling influencer-first content strategies for text-based games Hyper-culturalization as a competitive moat in mobile gaming Community management as a cost-effective growth driver vs. paid user acquisition The role of product marketing in entertainment companies Adapting live-action video creative for games without traditional graphics Creating revenue-share creator programs to drive sustainable content generation