Communicating with consumers and using data appropriately are key to gaming brands acquiring and retaining a customer base, according to an industry specialist.

Magith Noohukhan, Product Evangelist at customer engagement platform Braze, says using data in the right way to create personalised messages and establish trust with users is vital.

Noohukhan pointed to research by Forester into what users expect from a brand, with the majority saying communication is key and they would prefer brands who talk to them like a regular person would.

Conducting a talk on personalisation in the age of privacy at the Prague Gaming Summit earlier this month, Noohukhan said: "It’s about creating trust. As a gaming industry, I believe there is a lack of trust when people start to play because that’s coming from the culture of gambling.

"If you could establish the trust from the very beginning, there’s a high chance people will trust your brand and would understand that you respect their privacy and also create more relevant experiences.

"When users download your app, it doesn’t mean they’re giving you permission to send push notifications. If they do not, just don’t send it.

"On the other hand, you can send an in-app message asking for players to opt in for push notifications and if they say yes, you have the right to send. It’s basically respecting the privacy of users from the very beginning of when someone starts to use the app.

"If you don’t put forth best use of data, there is a high chance your client’s customers won’t stay long. How companies prepare themselves to target the customer is crucial because that person is the most important person for every business."

Personalised engagement is also key, depending on the experience of the player. According to Noohukhan, if a player is a beginner, messages sent to them should be tailored to suite their play style.

He added: "Based on that you can create messages you can focus more on the beginner level, so it’s more personalised and tailored to that single audience, rather than putting one million audiences in one segment and sending a batch message.

"This would create a much more relevant experience where users will think the gaming brand is really utilising all the data provided, in creating content which is more relevant to them, rather than targeting a whole other market with their message."