Video game advertising: a real game-changer for businesses?

Published: July 11, 2023

min read

As technology advances, digital platforms proliferate, and the business world is being fuelled by innovations from AI to VR to Web 3. As an impact, audiences have a myriad of options to spend time on, and their expectations are just mounting.

And businesses are spending a remarkable amount of their marketing budget to gain their attention, maximise the impact of their campaigns, and drive business growth.

Despite declining TV viewership, the channel still receives a disproportionate share of a brand's advertising dollars. Consumers, on the other hand, are turning to gaming environments, making them one of the fastest-growing media channels.

According to PwC reports, video game ad revenue will nearly double between 2022 and 2027. In spite of this, gaming accounts for only about 5% of a brand's media budget.

Gaming is also far in front of other forms of entertainment in terms of active engagement, which indicates that it is an extremely high-attention format.

In the last few decades, video games and advertisements have come a long way. Because it has become a universal hobby for audiences, any product serving any demographic can be effectively promoted through in-game advertisements.

Although consumer brands are very interested in gaming, many brands continue to ignore it. As opposed to trying something new, these brands are stuck in their old ways.

However, it is critical for brands to find ways to creatively and meaningfully meet audiences’ expectations in environments that consumers find attractive instead of pushing their wishes upon audiences.

Why should businesses focus on video game advertising?

In the spirit of catching up with innovative ways to gain audience attention, sometimes businesses tend to ignore the long-existing channels that still have craze among audiences, thereby losing the path to impeccable results.

Video game advertising is one such example.

The above statistics shed light on it, and we believe now is the time for brands to begin adopting this channel as it can offer various benefits for them.

Video games have become part and parcel of the lives of this digital generation. Thus, leveraging video game advertising can significantly help brands reach a wide range of demographics, especially tech-savvy audiences. And by curating compelling campaigns with eye-catching creatives, brands can easily capture their attention, increase their visibility, and build a strong connection with potential customers.
Video games can provide advanced targeting capabilities for brands, as they can carefully analyse and choose specific games or categories that align with their target segments’ interests and preferences to promote their brand's products. This enables them to ensure their ads are seen by relevant users. As a result of this precision targeting, brands can boost their return on investment (ROI) and conversions.
Video game advertising is relatively cost-effective when compared to other traditional advertising channels and has less competition. Thus, by leveraging it, brands can increase their reach at a lower cost and attract high-value audiences.
By leveraging the extensive data provided by video game advertising platforms, brands will be able to measure the performance of their campaigns in real-time and make tweaks accordingly. Besides, it can provide them valuable insights into user behaviour and engagement levels, which in turn can help brands make data-driven decisions so as to refine their marketing strategies and maximise the impact of the campaigns.
The usage of AR and VR technologies in the gaming space is only increasing as it keeps attracting the eyeballs of the younger generation. Interestingly, these games allow for immersive brand integration, where brands can seamlessly integrate their products or services within the game environment. Thus, by leveraging this, brands can have a good chance of increasing their brand recognition and loyalty among their target audiences.

In a nutshell, as the gaming industry keeps evolving by the day, without any doubt, video game advertising is something brands must not hesitate to dip their toes into if it has yet to be explored. Ignoring this space at this point can just risk brands becoming disconnected from the world of the young generation and losing potential opportunities. The sooner, the better.

Author

Bill Walker

Bill is a marketing strategist who believes in the power of storytelling. He's known for his creativity, wit, and ability to connect with audiences across all channels. When he's not crafting marketing campaigns, you can find him hiking in the mountains or reading a good book.