Mobile games versus social media
Or why in-game advertising wins when it comes to visibility, brand safety and engagement.
The same audiences that enjoy mobile gaming are also found on social media. So, is in-game advertising even worth it?
It most certainly is, because these two platforms have very different user interaction, that are ultimately complementary. In this regard, gaming advertising has four big pluses.
Attention versus scrolling
Often, social media ads feel like obstacles we must surpass as we scroll maniacally through our newsfeeds or flip through stories at the speed of light. In that context, brands have only one second to catch the user’s attention.
Instead, in mobile games users aren’t just passing by, they’re focused. Videos take up all of the screen and the player’s attention, at a time when they are relaxed and happy. That is why ad visibility is higher and the window to get a message across rises up to 15 seconds.
Session duration
Another important variable is how long people stay on the app. “Social media is between one and two minutes per session, and a 30-second ad in that environment just doesn’t make sense”, said in an interview Activision Blizzard Media’s EMEA commercial director, Greg Carroll.
According to Statista (the data is from the US, but might illustrate global trends), the average Facebook session is barely under 5 minutes. On Twitter it’s 3,34 minutes and on Instagram it’s 2,9.
When it comes to gaming, though, session duration depends greatly on the type of game. Very casual ones are usually easy to pick up and put down, while others demand a bit more commitment. Let’s keep in mind 41% of Latin American mobile gamers play for over 1 hour each day, while 16% take between 40 and 60 minutes.
Choice vs. interruption
Another advantage of in-game advertising is that, in many cases, it’s what we call opt-in. That means the user voluntarily chooses to watch a video in exchange for a benefit or virtual good. When it’s not optional, it pops up at natural pauses in the game, such as between turns or matches.
Besides, those who don’t want to see ads can sometimes download a premium version of the game. They know that in free-to-play apps ads are part of the deal.
As one might expect, users’ attitude towards ads they agreed to watch is a lot better than towards those that interrupt them while they are trying to do something else. That is why in games we have a completion rate over 95%.
Brand safety
It’s almost commonplace by now that 99% of marketers worry about the context in which their brands appear, and a good way to guarantee brand safety is to have a whitelist of authorized media.
Mobile games offer a particularly safe environment for brands, because of their zealously looked after content. By caring after their user experience (UX), video game developers are also taking care of the context ads appear in.
These are just a few of the differential advantages of in-game advertising, a medium with lots of potential that is still underrated in Latin America.
“This is an industry on the rise: it has the second biggest revenue share in entertainment. Still, lots of people don’t really know about it and are wary to include it in a marketing strategy”, explains Constanza Pina, Head of Direct Sales at Flame Ads. “Gaming exists and it challenges us towards new horizons. I have no doubt those who refuse it today will soon think of it as a must in their digital advertising”, she concludes.
