A Massive Opportunity in Gaming – Advertisers are Missing the Boat

Posted by Victor Z Glenn • Jan 9, 2025 2:24:19 PM

Gaming had a market value of $185 billion in 2022—eclipsing the combined revenues of the music and film industries. It is a global cultural force which has continued growing. Consider this: Subway Surfers boasts four times the active user base of Netflix’s ad-supported tier, and the global gaming market dwarfs podcast listenership by over 80%. These numbers are beyond impressive; in fact they demand a reevaluation of how advertisers target and engage, even cater to, the gaming community.

Gaming represents an untapped goldmine.

The problem isn’t the audience. Gamers are plentiful, and highly engaged and loyal – and therefore highly valuable. What is lacking is a cohesive strategy for promoting gaming as a lucrative advertising vehicle for marketers and the right advocacy/procedures to drive wider participation within the advertising ecosystem.

The media ecosystem is quite complex and requires a great amount of detailed planning to execute big budgets smartly and efficiently.  Gaming’s issue is the relatively singular gaming approach and the inherent customization across an immense universe to take advantage of its huge audiences. Unlike podcasts or out-of-home advertising, which have risen by forming strong coalitions and promoting their value through dedicated initiatives, gaming hasn’t had the same industry-wide support. This oversight leaves a big gap in in using gaming to reach one of the most lucrative and diverse demographics available to advertisers.

Advertising within games or around gaming culture requires a tailored approach. Platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and even in-game ecosystems have shown that ads perform best when they are bespoke to the platform and resonate with the specific audience’s culture.

With regard to their level of engagement? The Game Awards, which drew record viewership this year, lost half their viewers when “Helldivers 2” unveiled a new update. Gamers immediately left to log-on & play, proving their devotion to gaming content.

Advertisers must dig a bit deeper to access the scale and enthusiasm that honor this passion. However, this requires focus, creativity, and customization. It is not a case for plug & play traditional ad formats. In order to capitalize on this immense opportunity advertisers must invest in creative partnerships, understanding of platform-specific dynamics, and above all - how to craft authentic experiences that enrich rather than disrupt gameplay. The opportunity is too vast—and too valuable—to ignore. 

Topics: Brand Safety, Technology, Consumer Experience, Brand Suitability, content, gaming, content creators, content moderation, mobile gaming, advergames, awards

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