Games & Names #3 - Ad Creatives Research Tips & Tricks!
Stan’s Dispatch ??
Ahoy, Digital Quirites! Stan is here, bringing you the 3d issue of our cozy-and-cool newsletter. Last week was all about PGC Helsinki, where I met a lot of wonderful people and had the honor of participating in a monetization panel, talking about upcoming trends. Hope to get the video soon!
In this issue, we talk about two interesting topics. Firstly, we tackle ad creative research and come up with some practical advice together with our friends from Mobile Game Doctor . Secondly, there's a wonderful piece on creating new puzzle games in the ruthless red ocean of Match-3's. So buckle up, grab your favourite cup, and let's go!
Mobile Apps Market Tidbits ??
As we navigate the myriad of ad creatives available, selecting the right one for the project can become daunting. Ad creatives should reduce the cost of acquiring new users (CPI) and extend their longevity within your app (LTV). However, it can be challenging to pinpoint the optimal advertising campaign and craft creatives that align with certain goals.
The solution lies in research! When done correctly, it can save both time and budget. So, let's discuss today how to best approach the analysis process for ad creatives to ensure optimal results.
Step 1. Choose your tools
Start with complimentary tools, such as those offered by Facebook or Meta. While they might not offer exhaustive data, they do enable you to observe your competitors' chosen ads and gauge which ones were the most effective.
Later, if you find yourself needing more comprehensive data, you can always turn to paid tools (like AppMagic ) for insights on impressions per ad, network, geographical distribution, trends, etc. Also, try to consider which product pillars, pop culture references, audience feedback, or even a spontaneous idea from an artist were applied by the competitors.
The idea here is that the more your competitors invest in a particular type of ad, the higher the chances that it provides them with the best results – it's as simple as that.
Step 2. Structure your analysis: try out the top-down approach
After segment leaders are detected, use these questions to refine your competitor creatives analysis:
Step 3. Don't forget about 'neighbours' genres!
When you study the market, also look at closely related genres. Audience research allows you to find overlap. Explore these genres for advertisement inspiration that could resonate with your players. Using fresh ad concepts from 'neighbours' genres could set you apart.
Step 4. Ready to move to the testing stage?
After the first three steps, you'll likely have insights about genre-specific ad creatives. For instance, you might observe that “gameplay-focused ads outshine 3D animations” or “ads introducing characters early on are effective.”
With these hypotheses in hand, pass them to the creative lead for testing. Ensure you create several ad variants based on strong assumptions. I know, it's a demanding process! But you wouldn't want to miss out on impactful ads because, say, a character's early appearance deterred viewers. So, analyze, create, test, adapt, and repeat!
Still not sure how to do ad creatives analysis? Turn to AppMagic's new case study for more actionable insights!
Author's Vertical ???
This time, Nikita Tolokonnikov , Product Director at Tripledot and our good friend, came by to drop some knowledge on how to approach creating a new puzzle game and survive in the red ocean of Match-3’s. Nikita, the floor is yours!
By the way, don’t miss the upcoming ‘Games & Names’ podcast episode, where we’ve invited both Nikita and Vicent from Supercell to talk about creating new hits!
Thank you, Stan, appreciate it! It’s 2023, almost 11 years since Candy Crush was released on mobile devices and oh, what 11 years these were. We’ve seen many new great casual puzzle games released, and now, it has been more than 2 years since the last big hit – Royal Matc h.
领英推荐
Puzzle games took over the Western market and remain one of the most significant categories nowadays, attracting big and small companies to try to take their own piece of that delicious pie.
And while everybody talks about Match 3 games, Royal Match in particular, Dream’s new game, Royal Kingdom , or even a new recent entry, Chrome Valley Customs , there’s so much more to the puzzle genre than Match 3 games.
Starting from the hyper-casual and evolving into the hybrid casual, there are games like block puzzles, three tiles (Mahjong evolution), collect 3 objects (in 3D), and many others that piqued player’s interest in recent years.
Even more interesting is that people started transforming these games into IAP games, applying the Match 3 playbook of metagame and LiveOps events. Great examples are Triple Match 3D , Tile Busters , Zen Match , and others that are not as significant as yet.
This trend highlights that very few are ready to make another Match 3 game and bet that they can monetize it to a degree that will justify $15 and higher CPIs to compete with the market giants. To prove the business case with these CPIs, it takes years to create a few thousand levels and all side retention and monetization features, which only a few could afford.
A much more thoughtful approach is to get lower CPIs by introducing players to a new gameplay. Many more ideas still need to be explored of what a puzzle game could be. Many would assume it’s a higher risk to take something nobody has done before and try to innovate in core gameplay.
And partially, it’s true it’s not an easy task. However, it’s almost impossible to create unique value in Match 3 core gameplay; that’s why many successes rely on the metagame innovation, such as Chrome Valley Customs , that attracted more male players by selling their game as a car renovation first and foremost.
So, how should you approach creating a new puzzle game? I’d focus on these requirements:
Of course, these don’t guarantee results, but it’s a good starting point. Making new games in the current market is as challenging as ever. But that makes it even more fun, right?
If you're looking for more articles like that, don't forget to visit Nikita's blog where he shares useful insights and thoughtful analysis!
Reading recommendations ??
Smarter every day ??
Don't forget to catch up with 'Games & Names' newest episodes:
In an informal 'friday-dinner-with-friends' atmosphere, we chat with industry experts and share actionable insights. Game design, UA marketing, narrative, production, running a company, or creating one – our topics are wide and broad, just as our smiles. So grab a cup of tea or coffee, tune in, and spend an hour with us!
Acknowledgments and farewells ??
Many thanks to you, dear reader, for staying with me until this part - I hope it was worth your time! :)
Also, grand merci to everyone who participated in the creation of the content:
See you in two weeks, get ready for the upcoming blast!
One more thing! ??
We’re really curious about your feedback. So don’t forget to like, share, and tell us what you think in the comments! Good luck and have fun ??