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Admazing: Mobile Gaming Deep Dive explores the latest trends, insightful reports, innovative strategies, and compelling stories shaping the mobile gaming ad industry for brands. Each episode is powered by AI-generated audio, delivering cutting-edge insights straight to your ears. Tune in for a deep dive into the world of mobile gaming advertising!
Alright. Ready to dive into something kinda unexpected? We're tackling casual gaming today, but not the games themselves. We're going deep on the advertising side.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's way more than just those little banner ads you might be picturing.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's a whole world beyond that. We're digging into the IAB casual gaming buyer's guide brand new from October 2024, and, honestly, the scale of this industry is wild. Like, did you know mobile gaming is bigger than console and PC combined now?
Speaker 2:It's huge.
Speaker 1:Almost 200,000,000 Americans are playing casual games spending, like, 30 to 60 minutes each day on them. So, yeah, we're breaking down this whole casual gaming thing, who's playing, what they're playing, and why brands are going all in to reach them.
Speaker 2:That's the big question. Right?
Speaker 1:Oh, why.
Speaker 2:The why. The numbers themselves kinda explained it. We're talking about a $136,200,000,000 global market, and it's predicted to hit a $163,800,000,000 by 2028.
Speaker 1:Okay. Hold up. Before we get too far, let's define casual gaming. We're talking games that are easy to pick up, short sessions, don't need a ton of time, or let's be real skill. Candy Crush, Wordle, stuff like that.
Speaker 2:Right. And even within casual, there's hyper casual, which is even simpler. Those just one more time games that suck you in for way longer than you intended.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I know those all too well. But why is this market blowing up now, and why should advertisers care?
Speaker 2:Well, a big reason is reaching Gen z and millennials who are practically immune to traditional ads these days. They're glued to their phones, but casual games are different. There's a value exchange happening.
Speaker 1:Because the games are free, so the ads are less annoying.
Speaker 2:Kinda. Yeah. It's like a trade off. Free entertainment. Gotta watch a few ads.
Speaker 2:Yeah. From an advertiser's point of view, mobile gaming is prime time now. Think about it, waiting in line, on the bus, even just taking a break at work. Yeah. You're on your phone, probably playing a game.
Speaker 1:So we're talking prime time attention, but it's not just about the numbers. Right? It's about who these gamers are.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And this is where it gets interesting. The guide breaks down the audience, and, yeah, Gen z and millennials are the bulk of it. But get this, boomers are 10, 15 percent of the market.
Speaker 1:Really? That's kinda surprising.
Speaker 2:Right. They're into those brain games, the puzzles, keeping their minds sharp.
Speaker 1:Makes sense, actually. But what about when are people playing? Is it, like, that old prime time TV slot thing?
Speaker 2:Nah. Casual gaming doesn't work like that. It's all about those in between moments, you know, waiting for your coffee, stuck in line at the store, even during TV commercial breaks.
Speaker 1:The second screen thing.
Speaker 2:Exactly. The guide says 91% 91% of gamers have their phones out while watching
Speaker 1:TV. No way. That's insane, but also kinda believable. So okay. This audience is huge.
Speaker 1:They're engaged. How are brands actually reaching them without being annoying?
Speaker 2:That's the $1,000,000 question. Right? The guide actually lays out a good framework. It comes down to 4 things, know your audience, set your goal, get creative, and measure the results.
Speaker 1:Sounds simple enough, but I bet there's more to it than that. Like, how do you even define success in this space?
Speaker 2:It's all about the right metrics. Want just awareness, track your reach, impressions, that kind of thing. But for engagement, you need to go deeper. Click throughs, video completion, stuff that tells you if people are actually paying attention.
Speaker 1:Makes sense. But what about the get creative part? How are brands actually standing out?
Speaker 2:It's come a long way from those basic banner ads. Now you've got everything from integrated stuff where brands are part of the game itself.
Speaker 1:Like those branded power ups or whatever?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Or even rewarded video where players choose to watch an ad to get something in return.
Speaker 1:Okay. I've definitely fallen for that one. But, hey, if I'm getting something good out of it
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's a win win. Then there's the tech side, programmatic advertising, which uses all these algorithms to connect the right ads with the right players.
Speaker 1:Programmatic. One of those words I hear a lot but not sure I totally get.
Speaker 2:Think of it as this super smart system that automates ad buying. Instead of brands having to go to each game individually, they can use these platforms to target specific players based on demographics and such.
Speaker 1:Okay. That's actually pretty cool. But gotta ask, with all this data, what about privacy?
Speaker 2:Good question. The industry's taking that seriously. There are regulations, guidelines, all that. Good game developers and platforms are transparent about data, give players control over their settings.
Speaker 1:That's good to hear. And what about brand safety, making sure ads aren't showing up next to, like, shady stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's crucial. Brands have way more control over where their ads appear now than they used to. Okay. We've talked a lot about theory, but let's see it in action.
Speaker 2:The guide has some awesome case studies. Like Sam's Club they wanted to boost awareness during the holidays. So they teamed up with Zynga, the company behind Words With Friends and those kinds of games.
Speaker 1:I love those games.
Speaker 2:Right. So they did these high impact ads and wove the brand into the game itself, like special Sam's Club tiles in Words With Friends.
Speaker 1:Subtle, but smart.
Speaker 2:And it worked. They saw a big jump in brand awareness and in store visits.
Speaker 1:So people weren't just playing, they were actually going out and spending because of the ads.
Speaker 2:That's wild. Give me another example. Okay. QuikTrip, the gas station and convenience store. They wanted to reach a younger, mobile first crowd.
Speaker 2:So they partnered with a company called Anzu, who do intrinsic in game advertising.
Speaker 1:Intrinsic. What's that mean?
Speaker 2:Basically, ads that blend into the game world, like a quick trip billboard in a racing game.
Speaker 1:So it doesn't feel like an ad, more like it's just part of the experience.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And they can target those geographically. So if you live in a city with a quick trip, you're more likely to see the ad. They had a 98% viewability rate, which is crazy high.
Speaker 1:98%. So almost everyone who played the game saw their ad. Okay. I'm convinced. Casual gaming advertising is legit.
Speaker 2:Right. There are so many more examples in the guide. One more.
Speaker 1:Hit me.
Speaker 2:Alright, Wonka. For the new movie, they worked with Zynga again, but this time with Words With Friends. Special Wonka challenges, rewards, all about wordplay and candy.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that. It's so on brand.
Speaker 2:Right. It was fun, engaging, and it got people talking about the movie. Tons of impressions and a big increase in ticket sales.
Speaker 1:See? I knew it. Almost any brand can make this work.
Speaker 2:Yep. It's about finding the right fit, the right game, and the right message.
Speaker 1:Okay. Last one, I promise. What about those brands that are, like, a little more glamorous, targeting a younger, trendier crowd?
Speaker 2:Totally. Maybelline had a big win with their lifter gloss. They went all in with Candy Crush.
Speaker 1:Candy Crush. That tracks.
Speaker 2:They did rewarded videos for boosters, and they made a whole custom mini game all about matching those glossy colors.
Speaker 1:So it wasn't even really an ad. It was, like, a fun little extra.
Speaker 2:Right. And the numbers were huge. 98% engagement on the ads. Over 12,000,000 people played the mini game.
Speaker 1:Okay. That's just wow. But did it actually work for Maybelline?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah. Website traffic went through the roof, 552% increase.
Speaker 1:552%. That's insane. And I'm guessing those weren't just casual visits. People were buying that gloss.
Speaker 2:For sure. Big jumps in brand awareness, purchase consideration. It was a huge success.
Speaker 1:Okay. I'm convinced. Casual gaming advertising is a whole thing. It's got the reach, the engagement, results. Brands need to be paying attention.
Speaker 2:And the best part is we're just getting started. This is only the beginning.
Speaker 1:Okay. Now I gotta know what's next. What's the future of all this?
Speaker 2:Get ready for some seriously cool stuff. Imagine, like, augmented reality ads inside games. Brands could literally bring their products right into your living room.
Speaker 1:Woah. So instead of just seeing an ad, I could be, like, trying on virtual clothes from a fashion brand while I'm playing.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Or, you know, using your phone's camera to scan something in the real world, and it unlocks branded content in the game. The lines are getting blurry.
Speaker 1:That's wild. But with all this tech getting even more intense, what about data privacy safety? We talked about those, but they feel even more important with all this futuristic stuff.
Speaker 2:For sure. And the industry knows that. It's all about more transparency, more control for players, making sure brands are showing up in the right places.
Speaker 1:So that contextual targeting thing is gonna be even bigger then.
Speaker 2:Huge. Finding that balance, reaching the right people without being creepy, ads that actually make sense with the game itself.
Speaker 1:It's like good advertising should feel natural, not like an interruption.
Speaker 2:Yeah. A win win. Brands reach their people and gamers actually get a better experience.
Speaker 1:You know, I started this whole deep dive thinking casual gaming advertising was just those little banner ads, but this is a whole world.
Speaker 2:Told you. It's fascinating stuff. Right?
Speaker 1:Totally. We've covered so much ground, the rise of casual gaming, who's playing, how brands are winning, and it sounds like this is just the start.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah. It's gonna be interesting to see where it goes from here.
Speaker 1:So for anyone listening who's thinking about, like, trying out casual gaming advertising Don't just think
Speaker 2:about it. Do it. But be smart. Know who you're talking to, find the right game, and get those creative juices flowing.
Speaker 1:Love it. Alright. One last thought for everyone to chew on. What if advertising isn't about interrupting us anymore, but about actually being part of the fun? What if those minutes we spend playing games actually shape what brands we love without us even realizing it?
Speaker 1:That's something to think about. Until next time. Happy gaming.