WATCH: Teaser Video
Leveraging the proven influence of the youth when it comes to family holidays, Wesgro will become one of the first destination marketing organisations globally to launch a presence on Roblox. The marketing effort sees a series of educational, nature-themed games starring some of the Western Cape’s best loved destinations brought to life in a gamified way. Starting with a ‘Climb Table Mountain’ experience, the series will feature child-friendly destinations, while emphasising the unique diversity of the natural spaces of the Cape. As Africa’s Tech Capital, it is only fitting that Cape Town’s Table Mountain be digitised for all to enjoy. Find the “Climb Table Mountain” game here -> https://bit.ly/3MVaP1U
A recent study by Expedia shows that the world’s youngest generation is strongly influencing family travel, with up to 87% of parents giving their children a say in family vacation planning. One third of US millennial parents even give their children full control over the final holiday decision. As children of millennials, “Generation Alpha” – or those born after 2010 – are completely digitally native, and tech-enabled from a young age. Roblox cleverly captures this market with immersive gaming experiences.
Pioneering digital marketing and putting the Western Cape firmly on the digital “map” through innovative platforms, Wesgro hopes to engage and inspire this audience to ultimately lead their parents to choose the Western Cape as their next holiday destination. Aimed at both the local and international markets, the first game will see players “experiencing” a hike up Table Mountain. Gamers will be able to fully immerse themselves in the beauty of this World Heritage Site including the breath-taking nature scenes. There will also be a heavy focus on educational content.
Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro commented, “The world is changing, and we’re ready to meet that change. With immersive digital experiences already creating a captive audience, our game will allow kids to learn about the incredible biodiversity of the province. This includes learning about our national flower, the King Protea, and over 1460 different species of plants, 300 of which are highly endangered. On the fauna side, special attention will be given to species such as the Leopard Frog and tortoise, dassies (the distant cousins of elephants) and the elusive Cape fox.”
The game will start with Cape Town’s Table Mountain Climb and then will move into the Western Cape, as the team is already hard at work on iterations that include exploring the beaches and kelp forests of the Garden Route as well as camping and stargazing in the Cederberg.
Wesgro’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Jean Scheltema says, “Edtech and gaming are more entwined now than ever before. We’re building assets for audiences of the future, turning to the popular Roblox platform as first port of call to let kids experience the diverse natural spaces of the Western Cape. Globally, we’re seeing the move to an Internet that’s less flat. We want to use the potential of the metaverse as an immersive, 3D, online learning space, accessible to a large audience and leverage new ways to connect the physical world with the online one. Gaming is a great way to tell the rich, biodiverse story of Cape Town to tweens and younger teens, sparking curiosity and consideration.”
Developers have worked closely with a well-known local botanist to ensure scientific and factual accuracy. Renowned Cape Town Conservationist Alex Landsdowne concludes, “Cape Town is one of the most biodiverse cities in the world. It is also the only big city in the globally unique Cape Floristic Kingdom. Therefore, it’s fantastic that the world gets to experience our unique flora and fauna through this innovative game.”
Wesgro will be piloting the uptake locally, using influencers in tech and gaming like Kairo Forbes (1 million youth market followers) and Grant Hinds (Tech YouTuber and Twitch Streamer), as well as presence on TikTok, Google and Roblox Social. The game will also launch in the USA later this year to an already game-savvy audience.