For many advertising and media industry veterans, gaming still feels new, despite its steady rise over the last two decades. In part, that’s due to the vast differences between it and more traditional media. But as Samantha Lim, SVP, Gaming Strategy & Innovation, Publicis Media, says homing in on the values that gaming offers to marketers and consumers makes this area of the ad tech landscape more familiar.
In her view, the gaming space is perfectly positioned to capitalize on the advancements in brand safety and measurement. How brands respond to gaming with respect to those capabilities is what will determine its future trajectory in attracting even greater ad support.
“Right now in-game advertising is at a precipice of more partners focusing on brand safety and measurement,” said Lim in an interview with Beet.TV Editorial Director Lisa Granatstein. “That has been the biggest holdback for brands and agencies entering ad dollars into gaming.”
Authenticity Crucial for Gamer Acceptance
For brands looking to engage the notoriously particular gaming audience, Lim emphasizes that surface-level participation won’t suffice. Successful gaming strategies require a deep understanding of both the gaming environment and the player’s state of mind.
“It’s really important for brands to consider what their role is in terms of gaming. You can’t just show up just to show up,” Lim said. “You need to have a good understanding of the game that you’re entering in. What is the environment, and also what is the player mindset.”
This cautious approach stems from gamers’ willingness to vocally reject marketing efforts they perceive as inauthentic or disruptive to their gaming experience.
“You want to give them something that is going to drive value and show meaning, and also an understanding that you get the space because they can be very vocal if they feel like it is not authentic,” the Publicis executive noted. “That’s probably the safest way is to make sure that you understand what you’re doing.”
Value Exchange Drives Engagement
When considering how to engage gamers both inside and outside game environments, Lim points to value exchange as a fundamental principle that guides successful strategies.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on what that value is. So we see a lot of brands and even publishers focusing a little bit more on rewarded video, rewarded ads, because that immediately adds value to your experience,” she said. “We see that we strive for engagement as well as brand affinities because players are receiving something in exchange for their engagement.”
This approach recognizes gaming’s inherent nature and encourages brands to embrace the medium’s playful qualities rather than disrupting the experience.
“Think about other opportunities where you can stand out and be different without actually disrupting the environment,” Lim said. “Have a little bit of fun, is what I recommend brands to do because gaming is fun and so they should be thinking about that.”
Future Innovations in Measurement
Looking to the future, Lim anticipates significant developments in addressing the pain points that have historically limited advertising investment in gaming.
“Brand safety, brand suitability and measurement have definitely been a pain point in terms of advertisers wanting to come into gaming,” she acknowledged. “So we’re seeing a lot more of your traditional digital companies who have done that for digital advertising, offer those same experiences and capabilities within the gaming ecosystem.”
Perhaps most exciting for marketers is the potential expansion of advertising opportunities into previously untapped gaming platforms.
“I do believe that we’ll continue to see even console and PC gaming publishers start to entertain in-game advertising,” Lim predicted. “It’ll be a test like it always is. We’ll have to see what the player receptivity is, but it’ll be phenomenal because that is a place that a lot of brands want to be in.”
You’re watching “Game Changers: The New Age of Gaming,” a Beet.TV Leadership Series, presented by Microsoft Advertising. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
