Recommendations for advertisers

Throughout this report we have illustrated the things to consider for brands looking to enter the in-game space, and these can be summarised as follows:

• In-game advertising is an exciting prospect for brands, and is a marketing tool currently not being used to its fullest potential.
• Understand the gamer: their knowledge, their expertise, and their reason for playing.
• Always look to enhance the gaming experience, not detract from it.
• Make the ads relevant to the title, and make sure the title is relevant to your brand.
• Don’t interrupt your consumer unnecessarily, as they may die! (Within the game, obviously).
• Don’t assume that it is enough to run your outdoor or TV ads within a game.

It is without question that in-game advertising can add real value to branding - reach, engaged and immersed audiences, targeting, accountability and measurement (although not yet industry standardised) being the most notable advantages

Jennifer McLean at Double Fusion comments that: “In-game advertising combines the branding power of television with the levels of accountability and measurability that advertisers are used to from the Internet. If a brand invests in a 30-second placement, it is guaranteed the ad will be seen on screen for that period of time, a commitment no other medium provides its customers.”

What then, should advertisers and agencies be doing to maximise the potential that this new marketing space can offer their brands? It is not hard to see that the opportunities digital presents have opened up many new and innovative ways for advertisers to communicate with their consumers.

However, experience in an ever-changing media landscape tells us that it is very tempting to get carried away with the ‘next big thing’. Anecdotally the IAB is aware that marketers often ask of their agencies simply to keep them moving with the times, even in some instances asking for a ‘web 2.0’ without fully appreciating the concept. It is essential that the medium through which you communicate is relevant to your brand, its core values, and indeed your audience. Several mistakes made in the advent of blogging and UGC tell us this much.

Derek Morgans, in-game specialist at Carat believes that new media in general is susceptible to “mini-fads”. He warned that motives can often be created for exploring certain media and formats that might not always be appropriate for the brand in question. Morgans uses viral marketing as an example; “I can’t tell you the number of times we hear ‘I think we should look into doing something viral’ in meetings. It is then down to the agencies to extinguish the fire and explain that viral marketing is something that needs to be as considered and as thought out as any other creative execution or media buy.” The point that Morgans is making is that exactly the same thought and consideration needs to be applied to in-game advertising. Simply put, in-game advertising, like viral, is right for some brands and not for others.

The messages coming back from industry experts have been similar – largely that context and content are the two most important factors within in-game advertising. It is essential to ensure that the realism of games are not impacted by brand advertising, and in fact, that brands seamlessly integrate into the foundation of gameplay and add value and/or functionality to the entire game experience. Dan Brown at Universal McCanns commented that “Your brand has to have a fit with the environment otherwise gamers will not engage. Sports brands in football games help to increase the realism so this is a good fit.” As the IAB’s qualitative research earlier in this chapter reveals, the majority of gamers do welcome in-game advertising if it adds to the realism of a game
and providing that it doesn’t interrupt actual gameplay. On the other hand as Carat’s Morgans states “Upset a gamers experience at your own peril – they won’t take it lying down! Better their experience and your brand will be seen in a very positive light.”

It is also important to keep an eye out for new and interesting expansions within the in-game advertising industry. Double Fusion for example, are in the process of developing a new set of gaming experiences called ‘Advanced Online’. These are games that are offered on the internet without the need to be connected to a console and they offer the same high quality 3D creative that you will find in retail packaged games. In addition, they are free to gamers and are supported entirely by advertising revenues. This shows a real potential to expand the gaming market even further and to see possible new demographics of gamer emerging.

“In-game advertising can do many things for a brand. Dynamic billboards are naturally an obvious choice for strategically timed and targeted billboard campaigns to drive awareness, casual games can include click-through banner opportunities but with the added engagement and ‘stickyness’ missing from many websites, and interactive product placement or ‘situational’ placements allows a mass audience of consumers to actually experience product benefits and features within a contextually relevant environment , in some cases even before the product in question is manufactured and launched. And all of this happening within the most engaging entertainment medium we have ever seen.” - ED Bartlett – IGA

There are a variety of ways to reach gamers by advertising in-game and so marketers must be aware of all the different formats that can be consumed, and which are best suited to achieving their marketing objectives, be it to drive awareness or to assist in launching a new product for example. Signage, in-game videos, product placement, plot integration, tournament sponsorship, around game ads, 3D objects, sponsored additional content and so on can all reach gamers in different ways, and they all have the potential to be highly targeted, interesting and engaging to the audience.

It is worth remembering that the video game market has been growing rapidly for a number of years and that static in-game advertising (SIGA) has been integrated into traditional games for some time. However, it is only since the launch of consoles such as the Xbox 360 and the proliferation of the internet within gaming titles, that dynamic in-game advertising (DIGA) is now very much a reality, providing advertisers with a wealth of opportunity. The video games market and in-game advertising have not grown together however. The former has, and will no doubt continue to grow, with or without in-game advertising playing an essential role in this.

And, whilst we have seen that gamers embrace in-game advertising when it is contextually relevant and non-interruptive, it is important to work with good agencies and listen to the experts. Jean-Paul Edwards at Manning Gottlieb OMD comments that “The world of video games has grown without advertising, so marketers have to play by the rules.” This is by no means a negative point, as we have seen that in-game advertising can really add to the gamers’ experience. There are also numerous examples of impressive in-game advertising campaigns that demonstrate how successful it can be.

Jennifer McLean at Double Fusion sums up her recommendations for in-game advertising presence nicely with the following advice: “Think in terms of the overall program, your relationship with the game content and the unique opportunities offered by the videogame medium. Be a part of the storyline and use that program to provide consumers with a meaningful connection to your brand. Go beyond the banner, beyond the thirty second spot – but use those to their fullest extent to broaden reach and add call to action.”