Which types of in-game advertising do users love (or hate)?
Gamers are not very positive about in-game advertising, but there are formats they prefer. And they make up a huge audience.
Gamers “can’t stand” video ads. They don’t like banner and display ads either. A new report from data.ai and IDC examines the in-game ad formats most popular with marketers and users. It also confirms that the gaming experience is very much a mobile experience and that consumer spending on mobile gains is set to reach $108 billion this year.
Why we care. For some reason, marketers seem to talk a lot more about social media advertising and CTV advertising than game-based advertising, even though the global gaming audience has surpassed three billion (compared with a global social media audience of almost five billion). There are huge opportunities, especially as this can be a somewhat captive audience once immersed in a game.
The challenge is finding ad formats that aren’t an immediate turn-off for Minecraft addicts or other members of a large and diverse audience.
Dig deeper: In-game advertising: A marketer’s guide
Unpopular with users. Of course, user preferences don’t necessarily signal outright rejection of a particular ad format. But there are some that people really don’t like:
- Although over 80% of users reported seeing in-game banner ads, 24% more users dislike them than like them.
- 85% of users acknowledged seeing in-game video ads; 32% more users dislike them than like them.
- These preference gaps have grown YoY.
Popular with users. Let the audience win something and they’re on your side:
- Rewarded video ads are the most popular of formats with 20% saying they like them. These opt-in ads provide a reward, usually in the context of the game, such as an extra life or more power.
- Playable ads rate second with users; 16% say they like them. These interactive ads give users a chance to sample a mobile game experience before committing to downloading the app. This isn’t just for gaming brands; it’s an opportunity for brands in general to serve playable ads.
Read more about the findings here.
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About the author
Kim was Associate Editor at a New York Times hyper-local news site, The Local: East Village, and has previously worked as an editor of an academic publication, and as a music journalist. He has written hundreds of New York restaurant reviews for a personal blog, and has been an occasional guest contributor to Eater.