Gaming should be part of every marketing strategy in 2023, here’s why.

Each day the gaming industry attracts 3 billion unique users who are on average four times more engaged than a TV audience, and while it's expected that the gaming industry will be worth $321BN by 2026 (PwC),? currently gaming attracts just 2% of the total ad spend driven into TV.?

At AdWeek NYC 2022, Nicky Bell of Meta described technology’s “connective power” as being key to enabling people, brands and culture to get closer to each other and TikTok was a topic of discussion, coming out on top for effectiveness due to its ability? to “harness the power of real people in an authentic way.”?

So why at a time where technology, innovation and effectiveness are reaching dizzying heights of importance for brands and marketers, is the overpowered gaming industry not being integrated more into advertising and marketing strategies?

Recap: Key Topics from AdWeek NYC 2022?

At AdWeek NYC 2022 there were four key topics that with further exploration and consideration, could help us answer this question.?

1. Effectiveness - What channels are actually driving business results and what opportunities exist beyond traditional platforms that will open up new audiences & engagement??
2. Measurement -? What are the true markers of success for marketers and are there better ways to measure effectiveness??
3. Technology - What tools do we need to better understand the array of touch points available, both at an individual and a holistic level?
4. Creative Strategy - ? Cool vs effective, ? the topic of Clayton McLaughlin’s Next Level panel at AdWeek NYC,? is an age old conflict for gaming marketers? - but are there strategies we can create that allow us to achieve both??

So, why aren’t marketers spending on gaming?

Despite ongoing conversation around gaming as a key opportunity to reach engaged audiences, it’s often perceived as an elusive gateway to a thriving community of consumers that offers little ease in the way of access. Compared with ad marketplaces like Meta or Google which dominate the news cycle and are openly proven, gaming can appear fragmented, complicated and risky when it comes to measuring effectiveness.?

In the wake of COVID, marketers trended toward ultra conservative mode, opting to prioritise tried and tested mediums over emerging technologies and the overwhelming amount of data at our fingertips has meant marketers are also choosing uncomplicated metrics such as? clicks as key indicators of success, despite more meaningful measures being available.?

Marketers face a myriad of challenges relating to cross-platform measurement, even major networks such as Paramount confess there is still difficulty in accurately measuring total audience (AdWeek APAC Trends Report 2022) and privacy remains a top priority on everyone’s to-do list, ultimately keeping risk-taking at bay when it comes to ad spend.?

All things considered, it’s easy to see how gaming can err quietly into the “too hard” territory.?

Why should gaming be a consideration for marketers in 2023?

But more than ever, customers are prescribing how they want brands to interact with them and they expect brands to align with their values and enhance their experiences in a relevant way.?

At the coalface of the conversation is Gen Z, now the biggest and most influential cohort on the planet,? who have cut the cord on traditional marketing to pursue a deepening relationship with digital technology and who expect brands to deliver ‘seamless, innovative and personalised experiences’ according to a recent YouGov study.?

As a result,? many are shifting toward subscription based, ad-free environments that do not interfere with their experiences. In order to reach these highly valuable audiences in ways that are relevant and authentic, marketers have to think and act outside the box.?

Enter gaming. An industry that fosters one of the most passionate and influential communities available to marketers and offers endless ways to creatively engage with audiences.?

Virtual in-game court signage, physical uniform brands and virtual in-game billboards are just some of the ways Livewire executes creatively for its clients. These are extremely high impact assets for brands aim to enhance the user experience, rather than detract from it. Communicating with gamers in a way that authentically integrates relevant messages into their world can unlock exponential returns for brands.?

How can ‘gametech’ help marketers reach engaged audiences in highly relevant ways?

As we heard at AdWeek, limited measurement tools and the need for business goal alignment can present challenges for marketers considering gaming as part of their channels strategy.

?Solving this challenge for marketers was a major driving force behind the creation of Livewire, a ‘gametech’ platform which offers marketers a single entry point into in-game advertising and some 55 billion impressions, in an authentic and highly measurable way.?

In partnership with publishers such as Activision Blizzard Media, AudioMob, Roblox and programmatic inventory across Xbox and Playstation, Livewire opens up access to engaged global gaming audiences and provides creative, effective and trackable solutions that both enhance and excite users.?

In summary…

As technology rapidly advances and consumers demand more than ever,? marketers must reflect and reset their goals and priorities. .?

Marketers more than ever need to deeply understand who their audiences are and what matters most to them and then discover the most effective and authentic ways to communicate with them.?

Meta offers us obvious and safe-bet channels and exciting future prospects in the Metaverse, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s a whole universe of gamers out there ready to consume.?

It’s time to rely on smart media that works.?