In-game ads

What is in-game?

In-game advertising refers to advertising in the computer, video, or mobile games. It is often seen as pop-up messages, cut-scenes, on-screen adverts, billboards, background displays.

In-game advertising provides an effective, nonintrusive, and creative way for brands to connect with their target audience. In-game advertising enables advertisers to grow awareness, unlock previously unreachable audiences, all within a brand-safe and immersive context. In-game advertising gives brands a better chance of building valuable relationships based on shared goals.

In-game advertising offers businesses the opportunity to reach out to a very wide demographic with eclectic tastes. This means that in-game ads don’t have to be limited to products targeting a tech-savvy audience. In-game ads are used to promote FMCG products, lifestyle brands, healthcare, and far more. Almost any product, catering to any demographic can be promoted effectively through in-game advertisements because gaming itself has become a universal pastime.

Why in-game?

Viewability

In-game ads are integrated seamlessly into the game, there’s no way to skip past them. The interactive nature of games keeps players’ attention glued to the screen as their eyes dart around, taking in every piece of information. Looking away, even for a split second, could negatively impact their game, so they just don’t behave that way. This means that players are always exposed to every ad, even the one on the digital billboard that they pass as they hug the track and race towards the finish line.

The in-game suppliers connected to eskimi is serving only viewable impressions. That means that viewability of your in-game campaign should 90%+.

Noninstrusive

There was a study done to find out how in-game advertising results in brand recall and brand awareness. Participants were playing two different versions of the game (less interactive - walking around the city and more interactive - walking and shooting), during the playtime they were exposed to some ads. After the game, they were asked to name the brand names they have recognized. The results showed that the higher game interaction results in higher brand recognition and user’s experience. Users did not feel that ads were interrupting the game or any other negative perceptions about ads being in the game.

The brand-safe environment with high engagement

Overall mobile game users hold the highest session lengths across all app categories, the time spent on mobile game apps has increased to 62% due to the current situation. This gives advertisers the chance to create many touchpoints inside a single session. Moreover, brands can benefit from the industry's innovative approach when it comes to mobile creatives there is an opportunity to create engaging and non-intrusive ad formats to create a genuine interest in the audience.

In-game features

Creative options & requirements

In-game advertising allow standard IAB creative sizes.

Banners: 300x250, 320x50, 728x90, 160x600, 970x250, 320x480. These can be jpg, gif, HTML, Tags (DCM, Adform and others) ads that are non-interactive. Engagement from Rich Media won't be tracked.

VAST Video: 320x480, 480x320, 1024x768, 768x1024.

Targeting

In-game advertising supports all the programmatic advertising options except site targeting, first party remarketing, site remarketing.

Bidding

In-game advertising is based on the CPM bidding method.

Reporting

In-game report includes all standard metrics (impressions, reach, etc.), video metrics: first quartile, midpoint, third quartile, complete, VTR, CPV, views, pause resume. It also includes all the standard programmatic analytics - operator, OS, browser, device price, SEC, location, gender, age and etc.

Setup & optimization

In-game advertising is reach through two main exchanges - Admix & Anzu. Additional supply can be reached through PMPs. The standard optimization can be applied. However, auto CPC, CTR, CPA, CPI optimization cannot be applied.

Limitations & troubleshooting

In-game ads are not clickable therefore the KPI of in-game campaign can not be related to clicks and CTR, CPC metrics.
In-game ads are displayed on apps only.
In-game can be reached only through two exchanges - Admix & Anzu.
In-game supports tobacco, alcohol and betting advertising only through PMPs.
PC and concolse devices do not support DMP targeting.

In-game ad examples