In-Game Advertising for Digital Marketing

Traditional digital marketing tactics like search, display and social media ads are effective at generating brand awareness and attracting new customers. But as people spend more time engaging with games on platforms like mobile devices, an opportunity has opened for brands to reach these large gaming audiences through in-game advertising.

In-game ads involve promoting your brand and products within online and mobile games. As gamers devote focused attention while playing, the ads are presented in an entertaining, non-intrusive manner that can positively influence purchasing decisions.

Forms of In-Game Advertising

Common formats of in-game advertising include:

•Billboards & signage: Static brand logos and ads incorporated into the virtual environment of a game as billboards, bus stops and shop signs for players to see as they navigate the game world.

•Branded virtual goods: Creating custom brand-themed skins, weapons, vehicles and other in-game items that players can acquire. In addition, players display your brand every time they use the virtual goods.

•Ads between levels: Showing brand ads as level load screens or in between gameplay stages. Players have a brief interstitial to view the ad before resuming play.

• Item rewards: Granting virtual currency for watching a short brand video or completing an engagement challenge within the game.
• Character sponsorships: Sponsoring a character within the game narrative who promotes your brand through dialogue and actions throughout the gaming experience.
• In-game events: Hosting special in-game promotions, mini-games, quests or trophies around a brand collaboration.
• Playable brand demos: Creating sponsored playable brand demos that players can access directly from within the game.

Generally, in-game ads are unintrusive and part of the overall game aesthetic – only appearing when organically relevant to avoid interfering with player immersion. Brands also have the option to sponsor an entire game in exchange for exclusive advertising rights.

Benefits for Brands

The advantages of experimenting with in-game advertising for your marketing include:

• Access to large, engaged gaming audiences – Over 2.7 billion people worldwide play games.
• Increased brand recall and familiarity – Highly attentive gamers absorb brand messaging while playing.
• New customer acquisition – The ability to promote directly to relevant audience segments within games.
• Cost-effectiveness – In-game ads often have a lower CPM than traditional digital channels.

Finally, by testing in-game advertising campaigns that match your brand personality and target demographic, you may discover an untapped opportunity to boost your digital marketing results through reaching large gaming audiences in an immersive, creative manner.