Gaming companies level up to ads

‘A big step forward’: Gaming ecosystems are increasingly opening up to ads

By Travis Clark

Gameloft, a mobile games developer, recently?partnered ?with in-game advertising company Anzu to bring ads to its mobile game “Gangstar Vegas.”?

Itamar Benedy, co-founder and CEO of Anzu, says the company is on a mission to educate game publishers about the benefits of opening up their advertising ecosystems. He says they’re “stronger together,” because partnering with companies like Anzu opens opportunities “to have a better yield, better results, [and] better performance, which will eventually make your ad revenue bigger and more meaningful.”?

Video games are a burgeoning space for advertisers. Research company?Omdia ?projects that global in-game advertising revenue will reach $71 billion this year, compared to?$67 billion ?in 2022.?

But gaming can be a tricky channel for advertisers because not all games are accessible via the open internet; some are operated instead within closed ecosystems, or walled gardens. On the open internet, outside of walled gardens, advertisers have more control over decisioning, budget allocation, and access to consumer data. The future of gaming on the open internet is being led by the companies that support omnichannel campaigns, where advertisers can use the same identifiers to reach audiences across CTV, gaming, and more.?

More opportunities are emerging for advertisers to be in the driver’s seat. For instance, Roblox — which has been a closed advertising ecosystem — recently?launched ?an immersive advertising format in which eligible developers could place ad units within their games on the platform, calling it a “potential way for our developers to earn incremental revenue from their experiences.”

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Just briefly?

In a recent?op-ed , Robert Bareuther, SVP of business development at?iSpot.tv, discusses the status of TV and video measurement.

The rise of successful?sports presenters moving to podcasts in the U.K. marks a potential change in the British media landscape.

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The year of Nintendo: What brands can learn from the gaming giant

By Travis Clark

More than a century since it was founded, Nintendo is still hitting new highs.?

The Japanese gaming giant recently reported?record profits ?for the second quarter. Three moves fueled that growth: “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which debuted in theaters in April and grossed over $1 billion worldwide in ticket sales; the video game “Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” which the company sold 18.5 million units of since its release in May; and increased sales of its Switch console compared to the same quarter last year.?

“Nintendo holds such high trust among consumers due to its proven ability to develop and curate iconic game franchises — the company is responsible for several of the bestselling consoles of all time,” Kevin Tran, media and entertainment analyst at Morning Consult, tells?The Current.?

Marketing experts say Nintendo’s earnings are a reminder of the company’s brand trust and longevity, which other brands should take note of. Lesson No. 1 seems to be the value of striking partnerships that allow for cross-promotional opportunities.?

Martin Harbech, a group leader at Meta and a LinkedIn “Top Voice” in tech and innovation, wrote in a LinkedIn?post , “Much is written about companies that fail to reinvent themselves […] but we rarely celebrate the ones that [succeed].”?

He added, “Nintendo is one of my favorite examples.”

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This content was originally produced in The Current’s weekly newsletter.?Sign up ?to get the latest?in modern marketing delivered to your inbox.