Mobile gaming is a massive opportunity for advertisers to reach consumers, but many are still not taking advantage of it. This is due, in part, to a lack of clarity around effective creative and execution.
The mobile gaming industry reached $41 billion in the first half of 2023, with revenue figures reaching $90 million in May. This represents the highest sales figure since 2020, signaling that the industry is once again on the upswing. Despite these figures, advertisers are still reluctant to dive into mobile gaming advertisers, due in part to a lack of clarity around effective creative and execution.
In a recent analysis of U.S. advertisers and marketers, we found that advertisers were unsure of the type of advertisements that would resonate most with mobile gamers. More than half of advertisers surveyed said that case studies of successfully implemented gaming ad campaigns and executions would be useful in the exploration of gaming advertising. By understanding the types of effective advertisements through case studies and other examples, advertisers can create better activations on this channel.
For instance, advertisers and their agency partners might not be aware of the formats or sponsorship opportunities available to them in-game. Case studies could help illuminate the fact that mobile games come in a number of different forms, including banner ads or reward ads, where users can watch a video to gain another life or in-game currency. They would also learn that there’s a valuable opportunity to drive engagement as users who play free mobile games are more willing to engage with in-game advertisements. Shining a light on these campaigns through case studies and training can help drive adoption of in-game mobile advertising and show advertisers the numerous possibilities available to them.
Similarly, our insights also found that advertisers struggled with how to properly execute a mobile gaming ad campaign. While seven in ten advertisers believe that mobile apps are an impactful gaming advertising platform, a quarter don’t have dedicated ad creative specific to mobile games. Given the different types of ad formats, advertisers need a better understanding of the expected metrics of in-game advertising and how to best reach consumers using this ad type. Many gamers report wanting advertisements that feel authentic to the gaming experience, like product placement or ads that tie into the story of the game. Additionally, consumers expressed an interest in ads that provide rewards as it can help them progress in the gameplay. To activate these types of ads, advertisers need to understand the metrics these ads are measured against and when to best place them into the game in order to maximize that ROI. Again, advertisers would be more willing to use in-game mobile advertising if they were able to see examples of successful ad campaigns or case studies.
Despite skepticism, in-game mobile advertising represents a valuable opportunity for marketers to reach an engaged group of consumers. To get full buy-in, it’s important to highlight successful use cases and showcase the potential of this medium.
John Bishop is VP Business Intelligence at Advertiser Perceptions
