A novel advertising media selection framework for online games in an intuitionistic fuzzy environment

Research background: The critical role of online games in e-commerce and the great competition among providers to enhance market share has significantly increased the need to use effective advertising patterns, techniques, and tools to attract users. There are two significant challenges to planning online media game selection. The first challenge is that there is no agreement on media selection criteria for online game advertising. The second challenge relates to the complexity of choosing advertising media. Purpose of the article: Given the multidimensionality and uncertainty in evaluating and selecting advertising media, especially in the case of online games, the need to provide a systematic framework for evaluating and selecting media is critical. Methods: The present study aims to provide a systematic framework based on multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) methods to evaluate and select the appropriate media for online game advertising. For this purpose, first, by reviewing the literature, a relatively comprehensive list of media selection criteria for online game advertising was extracted and then provided to experts in online game marketing and advertising in the fuzzy Delphi questionnaire. Then, based on their opinions, a localized decision model was obtained. Also, the Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method helped to determine the criteria' importance. In the next step, a preliminary list of online game advertising media was prepared and evaluated by experts based on the criteria obtained in the previous step. Finally, the media was ranked using the Additive Ratio ASsessment (ARAS) method. Findings & value added: Awareness of the criteria affecting the selection of online game advertising media and having a systematic framework for applying these criteria in advertising media selection decisions play a vital role in practical decisions. This research addresses one of the main gaps in the field of study by proposing a quantitative methodology for integrating information based on the knowledge of experts in the decision-making processes select advertising media for online games. Most traditional media selection processes are based solely on experience and estimation, and in practice, they are unable to systematically prioritize the alternatives due to the multiplicity of media available and the complexity of the decision-making process Interval-valued triangular fuzzy numbers (IVTFNs) can address the shortcomings of previous research while considering the uncertainties in this decision-making process. The findings of this framework can be good support for e-commerce managers and online game advertising practitioners