Eddy Prado
Author
3 min read
So it’s a new year and you’re back at your desk staring at 2024’s campaign results. The metrics (kinda like the weather) are a little chilling. The TV commercials aren’t generating the same impact as they once did, social media is kind of a disaster, and digital banners are essentially invisible. It’s been an interesting year.
Your target craves something new—something that breaks through the noise. You take a sip of your coffee and flip through the industry headlines.
A stat catches your eye. "Over 200 million Americans play casual games every day.” But what are “casual games”? They’re the games you (and everybody you know) plays. The quick round of Candy Crush while you’re waiting in the coffee shop line, a little Words with Friends before bed, that five minutes of Angry Birds while you’re picking up takeout.
But would that really be a good place to advertise? The numbers are pretty impressive. According to a 2021 Statista report, 2.6 billion people play mobile games worldwide. Mobile gaming is bigger than PC and console COMBINED–with a market share of $136.2 billion. And it’s quickly becoming the place for brands to reach the “immune-to-advertising” target: Gen Z and Millennials (along with even Gen X and Boomers). Everyone from ages 2 to 54+ are playing mobile games.
But you’ve seen these so-called “ads”–they’re just annoying pop-ups?! Turns out, gaming ads are now more organic and integrated. They can happen during natural breaks in the game AND even offer rewards – like currency or extra lives. It turns into a win-win: players are motivated to view ads without feeling interrupted or annoyed, and advertisers benefit from higher ad completion and engagement.
They even have ads called “playables” where you can create custom games and subtly promote your brand. It’s one of the most effective ways to connect with consumers, show a brand’s personality, and give the audience a memorable experience.
And when it’s time to start setting some new year’s goals for your brand–an immersive, interactive, fun environment that reaches billions of people worldwide, sounds like a pretty great place to play. Here’s to more click-throughs and engagement and people (lots n’ lots of people!) talking about your brand in 2025.
To hear even more fun facts and learn about the world of mobile gaming advertising, check out this nine-minute podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3c7jTAX6PGZkleAYKaFU7W?si=6dGwBnZWQxO7ke3Abw2DwQ
SOURCES:
https://pixune.com/blog/casual-games-marketing-guide/
