Gaming stands to be one of the few winners in an environment where consumers are confined to their homes – and brands are undergoing a mental shift in the way they think about this channel, according to AdColony’s Tom Simpson.
A recent survey of APAC consumers by the mobile advertising platform found a massive uplift in mobile gaming: a 45% increase in the number of consumers playing mobile games multiple times per day, with 68% of users playing new games on their smartphones and 44% playing mobile games daily.
“Now that everyone plays games regularly, gaming offers a huge opportunity for brands to connect with consumers,” says Simpson, VP/Brand & Exchange, APAC at AdColony, in an exclusive WARC article, Levelling up in-game advertising during a pandemic.
“Gaming is a static professional environment for brands to get into,” he says. “You know what the game is about, you understand what the brand safety considerations are, and where you’re placing your advertisement for consumer eyeballs at massive scale.”
But leveraging mobile games should not be a straightforward digital media play, he adds, as there is more scope for interactivity and creativity.
Mobile gaming is all about engagement and consumers are used to rich digital media experiences, he points out.
“If you can work with a mobile specialist to add interactive and engaging elements to your display or video creatives, you will get the most from the channel. These could include end cards or next-generation video gestures like taps and swipes.”
Mobile app inventory also offers the opportunity to create live games within the ad. And since consumers are already in a gaming environment, such fully playable experiences can prove popular with the mobile gaming audience, driving great outcomes for brands, Simpson advises.
“Think about this in the same way brands dream of having a viral video hit on social media – the new version is a viral gaming hit within mobile gaming,” he explains. “Look to hyper casual games for examples of how even the simplest mechanics can keep users coming back.”
Sourced from WARC
