Since the 1980's video game technology has immensely improved, and continues to do so today. This has resulted in two things that make in game advertising a potentially great opportunity for marketers looking for new ways to place their ads and target consumers. First, there are more people playing video games, with an estimated 132 million gamers in the United States alone. Second, improved technology has led to better ads in video games.
While more consumer analysis is needed to gauge the absolute effectiveness of advertising in the gaming environment, the market for product placements in video games has been increasing every year. What is the theory behind in game advertising and how does it work? Are there any drawbacks to this promising new advertising technique that both marketers and gaming companies should consider? How do brand placements affect the gaming experience for players?
What Is In Game Advertising?
In game advertising, also known as IGA, is simply the placement of different brands within games. This technique started with billboard advertisements along race tracks, a standard visual ad for the consumer to be exposed to. It has evolved into an actual brand experience — while playing, consumers can actually interact with products. According to the 2010 article in the Journal of Interactive Advertising, "Online In Game Advertising Effect: Examining the Influence of a Match Between Games and Advertising," more than half a billion dollars was spent globally on ads in video games in 2006. It is expected that nearly two billion dollars will be spent in 2011.
When Product Placement in Video Games Works
There are many reasons that placing products in video games can serve as an effective advertising technique. Video games are a source of entertainment. Being exposed to a brand while enjoying a leisure activity can put a positive connotation in the mind of the consumer, thus increasing the likeliness of a purchase. Especially when a brand is well-matched with a game, such as the simulated use of Soni Ericsson cell phones to access info in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, brand placement is effective.
Also, in game advertising is a brand experience. The average consumer is exposed to dozens of ads during the course of a day from television commercials to images plastered along public buses. This overexposure can cause potential buyers to tune out the messages marketers are trying to send. With advertising in video games the messages can be integrated into the playing experience. From a game character drinking Red Bull to wearing Tommy Hilfiger clothing, purchasing with a Visa card and driving around in a Dodge, the medium of the video game offers a type of advertising influence through simulated experience, rather than merely visual exposure.
How Far Will Advertising in Video Games Go?
Ads in video games offer a new medium for marketers and a source of revenue for the gaming industry. While creative product placement may be accepted by gamers, and in some cases enhance the gaming experience, poor placement can have a negative effect for both the marketers trying to encourage the purchase of products and for the gaming companies trying to sell video games. If an ad takes away from the sense of realism then a brand may annoy a potential consumer. If in game advertising continues to grow, leading to more and more products in games, gamers may choose the video games that are not saturated with commercialism.
References
Townsend, Justin. "Let the In Game Ads Begin." (Mediaweek, March 18, 2007).
Brown, Erika. "Product placement on the rise in video games." (Forbes, MSNBC,July 2006).
Glass, Zachary. "The Effectiveness of Product Placement in Video Games." (Journal of Interactive Advertising, 2007).
Brenna Coleman - Brenna is a freelance writer focusing on natural health and beauty. She has written hundreds of articles, helping readers find ways to ...
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