Summary of "(Portuguese) Building Branded Experiences on Roblox (feat. IsadoraOhata1) | Inspire 2025"

Summary of “Building Branded Experiences on Roblox (feat. IsadoraOhata1) | Inspire 2025”

Overview

This video is a Portuguese-language workshop focused on how to build branded experiences on Roblox, featuring Isadora (Isa) Ohata, a product executive at Hermit Crab studio. The session serves as a guide for developers and brands interested in creating immersive, interactive brand experiences on the Roblox platform, highlighting strategic, creative, and production insights.

Key Technological Concepts and Product Features

Roblox as a Media Platform Roblox is positioned as a new, immersive media channel with over 97 million monthly active users and 3.5 billion hours played monthly (figures subject to growth). Average user engagement is around 144 minutes per day, far exceeding traditional media ad exposure times. It primarily caters to Generation Z and Alpha, who prefer interactive brand experiences over traditional advertising.
Brand Experience vs. Advertising on Roblox
- Playable Experience: Fully interactive, immersive game environments where users authentically engage with the brand narrative.
- Advertising: Static brand elements like logos and banners within the game environment. Both can coexist, but interactivity drives deeper user connection.
Figital (Phygital) Integration Bridging digital and physical worlds through Roblox experiences that unlock real-world rewards or events. Examples include:
- NFL game tie-ins unlocking exclusive items
- Chipotle’s maze experience with real-world burrito rewards
- Brazilian Olympic Committee’s mall activations linked to Roblox gameplay
Marketplace Integration Shopify integration into Roblox (e.g., Adidas experience) allows seamless connection between in-game brand experiences and physical/digital product purchases. This represents a next step in User Generated Content (UGC) experiences, merging commerce and gameplay.
Community-Driven Content Example: Atlético Mineiro football club’s official jersey launched simultaneously in physical and digital form, with fan-designed jerseys voted on via the club’s app. Roblox communities validate and drive brand decisions, making audience participation central to success.

Brand Strategy and Development Guidance

Brand Objectives on Roblox
- Renewal: Update brand perception to align with cultural and technological trends.
- Expansion: Reach new audiences or markets.
- Engagement: Strengthen and deepen existing consumer relationships.
Understanding Brand and Audience Key factors include target audience demographics (age, region), brand values, identity guidelines (colors, typography, tone), and tone of the experience (fun, educational, community-building). Aligning gameplay mechanics, narrative, and aesthetics with brand identity is crucial.
Production Considerations Clear deadlines tied to brand campaigns or product launches must be respected. Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams beyond game development (legal, finance, marketing, external suppliers) is essential. Frequent alignment meetings and multi-layered approval processes are common and necessary for brand inclusion.
Measuring Success Use analytics and data cross-referencing: player demographics, retention, impressions, click-through rates, social media engagement, influencer reach, and campaign performance. Data-driven insights guide updates, feature adjustments, and communication strategies.
Long-Term Ecosystem vs. One-Off Experiences Brands must decide between single-season, campaign-specific experiences or ongoing ecosystems with continuous content, events, and collaborations. Long-term ecosystems allow sustained community engagement and iterative development.

Challenges and Insights from Development

Challenges
- Managing community expectations and interactions on Roblox.
- Navigating complex brand approval processes with multiple stakeholders.
- Balancing brand fidelity with engaging gameplay (e.g., adapting comic book IPs with high fan scrutiny).
- Scaling team management as projects and teams grow (Hermit Crab grew from 5 to 40+ members).
Opportunities
- Brands are increasingly open to creative ideas and listening to developers to reach younger audiences authentically.
- Collaboration among multiple brands in the same event or experience is possible and beneficial.
- The evolving ecosystem and new platform features (like IP verification and marketplace integration) streamline brand partnerships.

Tips and Recommendations for Developers

Getting Started
- Play Roblox regularly to understand player behavior and platform dynamics.
- Keep detailed records of game experiences and platform updates.
- Use Roblox’s comprehensive documentation and AI tools for learning.
- Join multidisciplinary teams and listen actively to all roles (designers, programmers, artists, producers).
Career and Monetization
- Monetizing on Roblox takes time; outsourcing brand projects is a viable entry point.
- Developing games with long-term monetization and maintenance in mind is recommended.
- Local markets often lack sufficient Roblox brand development, representing opportunities for developers.

Main Speakers/Sources

Isadora (Isa) Ohata Product Executive at Hermit Crab studio, with 8 years in gaming and extensive experience working with 40+ brands on Roblox.
Moderator/Interviewer An unnamed host facilitating the workshop and Q&A session, providing translations and managing audience engagement.

Summary

This workshop offers a comprehensive guide to building branded experiences on Roblox, emphasizing strategic alignment with brand identity, community engagement, and leveraging Roblox’s unique interactive platform. It covers production challenges, emerging trends like phygital activations and marketplace integration, and provides practical advice for developers entering the Roblox ecosystem. The session highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making and long-term ecosystem thinking for sustained brand success on Roblox.