In-play advertising platform Admix has revealed its findings surrounding a survey of the video game advertising market.
Admix conducted a survey of over 400 participants with responsibility for media buying in their company across the UK and US.
One of the key findings from the report is that 81 per cent of media buyers plan to maintain current, or increase in-game advertising spend within the next 12 months.
Additionally, 93 per cent of respondents stated intent to run in-game advertising by 2025.
A fifth of media buyers cited the main reason for not investing in in-game advertising was due to a lack of understanding, with 31 per cent calling it a “grey area”.
Admix claims that the majority of media buyers “drastically underestimate” the scale and diversity of gaming audiences. They suggest that the typical perception is that a “typical gamer” fits the profile of a male console gamer.
Furthermore, a third of respondents believe that there are between 100 million and 500 million active daily gamers, whereas 27 per cent believe that the figure rests between 500 million and 1 billion.
According to Admix, this figure sits at 3 billion, 2.8 billion playing on mobile devices with an even gender split.
Drastic underestimations
“Just as the desktop web was the dominant media channel for the 2000s, surpassed by social media in the 2010s, video gaming is now on the cusp of claiming the crown of key media channel,” said Admix co-founder and CEO Samuel Huber.
“However, although buyers are broadly aware of this, the survey reveals that they appear to underestimate how close we are to it becoming a reality.”
The survey suggested that US brands are more cautious compared to UK brands, with 23 per cent of US brands not spending on in-game advertising due to clients’ resistance, compared to 9 per cent in the UK.
Moreover, 52 per cent of UK media buyers’ clients are requesting in-game activity within the next 12 months, compared to 33 per cent in the US.
Commenting on the findings, Huber added: “With over three billion gamers generating hundreds of billion dollars in annual revenues, it’s impossible to ignore video gaming as the next key media channel. Indeed, it’s no surprise that Netflix sees Fortnite as a bigger competitor than other video-on-demand platforms.
“But while media buyers are certainly aware of gaming’s potential as a media channel, it’s clear from the findings of this survey that they’re less certain about how to access it. Gaming is still a massive, intangible opportunity in the minds of many advertisers. Education is needed, therefore, to give them the knowledge and confidence they need to access it in a meaningful way with In-Play; and reap the rewards it represents.”
For the full findings of the survey and to read the full report, click here.
This article was first published on PocketGamer.biz.
Steve is an award-winning editor and copywriter with more than 20 years’ experience specialising in consumer technology and video games. With a career spanning from the first PlayStation to the latest in VR, he's proud to be a lifelong gamer.
