Is audio the best way for brands to reach gamers?

Audio advertising is increasingly being seen as a credible way for brands to reach gamers, but what is the right way to go about it?

One of the trends highlighted at Mediatel’s Future of Audio Europe event was the evolving potential of audio advertising within the gaming industry. With a global consumer base of 2.7 billion mobile gamers and over 3 billion video gamers, the prospective reach for brands and advertisers is impressive.

So what exactly is an in-game audio ad? As Christian Facey, co-founder and CEO of AudioMob, explained: “You are now able to play a game, listen to an audio ad, and continue playing the game rather than be blocked by a video.”

There are a variety of specifically “non-intrusive formats” that can mute background noise or a user’s own music,  and ads can be slotted into gameplay in a variety of ways, such as “user-initiated ads” – the user themselves decide they want to see an ad; “auto-triggered ads”, and “rewarded audio” — where, Facey explained, advertisers can leverage a highly critical point: “you can bid on a moment when the user is in need”

Amit Monheit (pictured, above, right), co-founder and CEO at Odeeo, agreed that mobile gaming is a highly engaging form of media — “larger than both music and entertainment”. It also attracts a diverse audience: 58% of mobile gamers are female, 74% are 18-24 years old, and 57% of parents are frequent players.

“Players snack on this medium similarly to Instagram and TikTok, they will come back and forth to a typical game 10 times a week,” Facey commented.

There are a variety reasons as to why gamers play, and which games they play. Sometimes it is dependent on generations: Gen Z and millennials are more likely to play to be social and engage in communal activities, for example. But, as Monheit highlighted, many people are just looking to relax and unwind, especially in the evening, and they often turn to a specific genre to achieve this.

“Out of all the gaming genres, casual games are by far the largest in nominative form,” Monheit said, pointing out that the majority of these are free-to-play and therefore ad-supported. This is particularly helpful for brands and advertisers who can use this knowledge when it comes to targeting their campaigns or informing their bidding practices.

For those worried about measurement and brand safety, Ryan Rummery, commercial DAX Director at Global (who recently partnered with Odeeo), told the audience that certain frameworks are in place: games need to be played at 10% volume or higher for ads to trigger and plays are only counted after two seconds.

Rummery (pictured, above, left) also stressed that games on Apple or Google Play are heavily regulated by store guidelines as well as the official COPPA framework, which provides security. And working with highly vetted partners also ensures that brands also ensures that brands avoid being associated with unsafe content.