New York – March 8, 2023 – Two out of every three Americans play video games through various platforms (ESA, 2022), and gaming is third only to TV and social media in terms of where audiences spend their time–yet gaming captures less than 5% of advertiser budgets.

A new IAB study of over forty brands, agencies, ad tech companies, game developers, and publishers conducted in partnership with MediaScience revealed that investments in gaming are not nearly at the levels they should be due to five lingering misperceptions. The reality is that the industry has built an ecosystem that makes it easier to buy at scale and measure than ever before. The study is being released at the IAB PlayFronts today, March 8th.

“The success stories we heard from buyers about gaming were striking — and all the more so because they don’t align at all with the misperceptions of the industry at large,” said Zoe Soon, Vice President, Experience Center, IAB. “Advertisers are missing a prime opportunity to reach and persuade consumers in these dynamic environments.”

Misperception 1: It’s too expensive for brands to get started. 

When advertisers think of gaming, they tend to think of high-end, one-off custom integrations. Yet there are many more affordable and undervalued opportunities. While the first generation of in-game advertising media was fragmented and hard to buy, today’s programmatic channels make it easy to buy, are comparable in cost to other digital media, enable marketers to test and learn, and are cost-effective, efficient, and scalable.

Misperception 2: In-game advertising is too hard to activate with quality inventory. 

Some advertisers feel that ease of activation and quality is only possible in well-known, premium game titles. “Quality inventory and serious reach are possible,” Soon continued. “With new ad networks and technology, it’s easy for advertisers to get both the scale and brand-safe reach they need.”

Misperception 3: Gaming cannot deliver on key objectives throughout the funnel.

“Buyers want to make good quality buys that align with their brands and drive all the way through to purchase,” said Jack Koch, SVP, Research & Insights, IAB. “And while that is absolutely possible in gaming today, perception lags reality.”

While in-game advertising often mimics real-world awareness media — for example, billboards in a driving game or stadium signage in a sports game — gaming offers much more. You can drive mid-funnel objectives by letting gamers feel and interact with your product. Gamers can drive a branded vehicle in a war game, or get a “power-up” from a healthy drink in a running game and become associated with energy. There’s also ample inventory that is lower funnel and clickable, so advertisers can track through to conversions.

Misperception 4: In-game advertising is too difficult to measure.

AdTech and publishers have brought measurement standards and capabilities up to a level that will meet the needs of most advertisers. However, there is still progress that needs to be made. In some cases, the data is not fully consistent and comparable to other media, and in-game advertising doesn’t yet offer the same level of granularity buyers expect in digital marketing. In a joint collaboration between IAB, IAB Tech Lab, and the Media Rating Council (MRC), in July 2022, IAB released its Intrinsic In-Game (IIG) Measurement Guidelines to establish updated measurement guidelines for ads that appear within gameplay.

Misperception 5: In-game advertising is not brand safe and not welcomed by players.

There’s still a lingering misperception that buyers can’t get brand-safe reach at scale and that in-game advertising is unwelcome.

In reality, with proper planning and through third-party monitoring services and/or AI-based keyword blocking, brand safety issues can be easily mitigated. Programmatic makes it possible to reach brand-safe audiences at scale.

Also — just as in any medium — attitudes about advertising depend on an acceptable value exchange. On a free mobile game, players fully expect to see ads in exchange for getting the game for free. The interviewees for IAB’s research shared that ad formats that provide tangible in-game value such as in-game playables, rewards, currency boosts, and skins are well-received by gamers. Where there are billboards in a driving game, gamers enjoy it more if it adds realism to the game. AdTech and publishers are keenly aware of the need for a strong value exchange and develop ad formats that deliver on that promise.

What the Industry Needs To Do Next

• Educate and collaborate
  Sellers need to make clear that in-game advertising has evolved, and can be as easy and cost-efficient to activate as other digital media. Education is needed about the range of buying opportunities and ad formats across custom integrations and dynamic network media buys, and measurement/brand safety capabilities available. The buy-and-sell side should collaborate to reduce friction and boost investment, while publishers and ad tech providers partner to open new player-centric inventory.

• Demonstrate unique value
  Ad tech companies and publishers need to show the quality of their reach and inventory through audience insights and channel profiles, and provide case studies about driving full-funnel success leveraging measurement that’s similar to other digital media.

• Build for interoperability
  Ad tech companies and publishers should help advertisers understand how to efficiently leverage first and third-party data, and how data can be interoperable so brands can make smart cross-platform decisions. Standards, like IAB’s Intrinsic In-Game Measurement Guidelines, are vital to helping align in-game metrics to other digital media for consistency and comparability.

• Quantify why gaming, and why now
  Empirical effectiveness research is needed to illuminate how the engagement and context of in-game ads can drive significant impact, and how to ensure that in-game advertising is brand-safe. Gaming offers sizable audiences and can be a future-forward leader with strong engagement, creative, contextual alignment, and performance.

Koch concluded, “High quality audiences at serious scale, brand safety, easy buying, and defensible measurement are all finally in place. As the misperceptions dissipate, we expect spending on in-game advertising will begin to catch up to the opportunity.”

The report was released at IAB PlayFronts 2023 and can be downloaded here.

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post New IAB Study Reveals Five Misperceptions About Video Game Advertising appeared first on IAB.

NEW YORK – February 16, 2023 – Digital gaming is growing exponentially, and it does not plan to slow down anytime soon. Advertising revenue in gaming across mobile, digital video, and esports totaled $8.6B in 2022 (nearly double that of 2019) and is projected to climb to $9.5B in 2023, per eMarketer. In addition, the branded digital goods market is projected to surpass $147B by next year with brands leaning into immersive and metaverse environments as an additional revenue channel for digital clothing and products. Back by popular demand, IAB welcomes the IAB PlayFronts – the annual marketplace dedicated to showcasing the near limitless possibilities of advertising in the gaming industry – for two days of thought leadership content and presentations.

On March 8th-9th, at Convene in New York City (1221 6th Avenue), thought leaders from game companies, streaming platforms, and ad tech partners will gather to present new consumer insights, demonstrate creative ad innovation, and define the future of the gaming landscape for brands.

“Gaming is at the epicenter of the next cultural zeitgeist. From music and fashion to film and sport, gaming is informing how we interact with each other and the world around us,” said Zoe Soon, Vice President, Experience Center, IAB. “Marketers can no longer consider gaming as an add-on media strategy. The IAB PlayFronts is a must-attend for anyone looking to keep up with where consumer attention is going and stay ahead of the opportunities this channel offers.”

In its second year, IAB PlayFronts continues to lead as the venue for industry experts to take a front-row seat in this rapidly growing arena. More than 20 presentations will emphasize the effectiveness of gaming, showcase new audiences turning to the medium, and highlight best practices for driving campaign ROI.

“Despite tremendous scale, attention and engagement, gaming remains a highly underutilized asset for marketers.” said David Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, IAB. “In a world of exponentially growing engagement opportunities, gaming is simply too big to ignore. IAB PlayFronts will illuminate how to leverage this channel to win with gamers and drive business results, today and in the future.”

All times are in ET; Speakers and timing are subject to change. For up-to-the-minute agenda, please refer to the IAB website.

This event is invite-only for qualified brand marketers and agency professionals. For more information on IAB PlayFronts or to request a pass, please visit: https://www.iab.com/playfronts/

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post Back by Popular Demand: IAB Brings the Advertising and Gaming Ecosystems Together with “IAB PlayFronts 2023” appeared first on IAB.

NEW YORK, December 14, 2022 – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the digital media and marketing trade association, today announced two new additions to its senior team – Pam Zucker joined IAB as Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, and Jack Koch joined as Senior Vice President, Research & Insights. In addition, IAB announced the evolution of Chris Bruderle’s role as Vice President, Industry Insights and Content Strategy.

Pam will oversee the evolution of the IAB point of view through the creation of industry guidelines, standards, and marketplace education by protecting and enabling growth for an open, ad-supported digital ecosystem. Pam will be responsible for connecting and building relationships with members across the advertising landscape to elevate IAB as the center of discussion, information, and advice to address the greatest challenges of our industry. Pam will be reporting to Sheryl Goldstein, EVP, Chief Industry Growth Officer, IAB.

Leading into the New Year, IAB is enhancing the Centers of Excellence, Research & Insights programs as well as re-launching the Measurement, Addressability & Data (MAD) Center, previously known as the Programmatic+Data Center. This Center provides essential industry guidance and education on changes in underlying technology and privacy regulations in a constantly evolving ecosystem. Under its new name, the center will provide guidance and education on new addressability and measurement solutions to enable revenue growth, efficiency, and scale, with a focus on retail media networks and Advanced TV.

Additionally, Pam will be responsible for directing the other IAB Centers of Excellence (COE):

• Experience Center which focuses on evolving consumer behavior and emerging technologies (AR, VR, Voice and Games/Esports) to help define the advertising experiences of tomorrow.
• Media Center which creates the thought leadership, advocacy, and forums that make and shape the video and audio marketplace; help improve efficiency, consistency, and relevance in how media companies and marketers engage with audiences across all forms of digital video and audio (including CTV and podcasting).

“As the industry evolves, so must our Centers of Excellence to meet member needs,” said Pam Zucker, SVP, Chief Strategy Officer, IAB. “Once a former IAB member, I have benefited greatly from the research, networking, and reports that these centers provide. Now, as their leader, I am looking forward to ensuring that center participants and IAB members at large receive the tools and guidance they need to navigate changes in technology and responsible data use amid a shifting privacy landscape.”

Joining IAB’s leadership team, Jack is responsible for all research related initiatives and overseeing strategic direction and output of products such as the annual IAB PWC Advertising Spend and Revenue Research. He will continuously identify new research areas for IAB, helping future-proof the digital ecosystem and supporting the COE’s strategic priorities.

In 2023, the IAB Research & Insights team will focus on initiatives including ad spending related to gaming, podcasting, and video, as well as IAB’s coveted “State of Data” report. State of Data will be released during IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting in January 2023. This report is designed to help the industry prepare and navigate changes in privacy legislation, the deprecation of third-party identifiers, and platform policies affecting data collection, addressability, measurement, and optimization.

After nearly four years at IAB, Chris Bruderle takes on an expanded role as Vice President, Industry Insights and Content Strategy. In his new role, Chris will work closely with the Centers of Excellence and IAB Tech Lab to create industry education for brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech participants. Chris will help educate the marketplace by leading member education meetings on various research-based discussions.

“At IAB, we’re focused on addressing industry issues most important for driving growth, educating all stakeholders, and mitigating risks by offering high quality solutions and relevant research to the entire advertising ecosystem,” said Sheryl Goldstein, EVP, Chief Industry Growth Officer, IAB. “Pam, Jack, and Chris each bring unique perspectives to the IAB team. With their years of experience and insights, we are excited to feel their impact – bringing our industry together and continuing to create solutions and educate the marketplace in this highly dynamic time.”

About Pam Zucker
With more than 30 years of experience, Pam comes to IAB as a highly regarded industry veteran across digital, programmatic, and traditional platforms. She’s known for her innovative approaches to media and marketing challenges that turn the complex media ecosystem into understandable ideas for both the C-Suite and day-to-day tacticians. Pam spent her first 25 years on the agency side at Publicis Media leading clients such as Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Activision, Yahoo, and others. During her time at Publicis Media, Pam built new practices for the agency, including Advanced TV and Experience Design. Pam also spent part of her career leading Media for Starcom Mediavest Group in Russia when that market first opened to media in the mid-1990s. Following her work on the agency side, Pam spent five years consulting for media and technology companies (NBCU, Fox, Viacom, Double Verify) helping them design custom programs and market their digital assets for growth. Most recently, Pam has been at Amobee leading their marketing and sales strategy efforts to bring new identity, performance, and new targeting techniques to the DSP and cross channel planning marketplace. Pam received her BA at Carleton College and resides in Hastings on Hudson, NY.

About Jack Koch
Jack joins IAB with more than 20 years of experience at platforms, brands, and agencies leading global research and insights initiatives that foster smarter business decisions. As an enthusiastic data-driven storyteller, Jack’s passion for pushing the boundaries of research and inspiring action through insights is paramount to elevate industry intelligence. Prior to joining IAB, Jack led and scaled global research, insights, and measurement teams at rapidly emerging digital media platforms including Microsoft, EA, LinkedIn, and Spotify. Most recently, Jack was at Reddit, where he established the Marketing Sciences organization responsible for advancing ad measurement capabilities and partnerships, producing research amplifying industry awareness, and understanding of online communities, uncovering contextual insights, and identifying audience trends that tell the world about their world. Jack earned his BSBA and BFA degrees from the Olin School of Business and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com 

The post IAB Hires Industry Veteran Pam Zucker as SVP, Chief Strategy Officer, to Lead IAB’s Thought Leadership Engine Including Centers of Excellence and Research Team appeared first on IAB.

Returning Bigger and Better, IAB PlayFronts will be a Two-Day Event Addressing the Growing Gaming Industry

New York, December 7, 2022 – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the digital media and marketing trade association, today announced its lineup of events for the first half of 2023. Known for gathering the entire advertising and marketing ecosystem together, IAB’s 2023 events will help agencies, publishers, platforms, ad tech companies, and brands understand the evolving audience and market trends, and provide a game plan for the future of the industry. This year’s event slate promises to bring the biggest names in media, marketing, policy, and culture to provide insights and thought leadership.

“It feels like each year, the industry faces unprecedented change, new consumer expectations, and a shifting economic picture. Next year is no different, and we have developed an event series that will equip buyers, sellers, and the entire digital ecosystem with the tools, insights, and inspiration to thrive in this new reality. It’s an incredibly interesting time in our industry, and we are eager to continue our collective growth trajectory,” said David Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, IAB.

IAB ALM 2023: IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM) occurring January 22-24, 2023 in Marco Island, Florida will stimulate important discussions and address alignment, consensus, action, and follow-through from all stakeholders. ALM is where the digital industry first debated hot topics such as the rise of mobile video, DTC brands, the demise of the cookie, eliminating fraud in the digital ecosystem, fake news, digital storytelling, government regulation in the data economy, and making mobile work for advertisers and publishers. 2023 is no different as this year’s theme “It Starts Here” explores a vision for the industry, uncovered opportunities, paths forward, new connections, and big ideas.

“This year we have reached an inflection point with significant regulatory changes, challenges around consumer privacy, data use, and a host of new ad-supported opportunities including the explosion of retail media networks and the evolving metaverse. What this ever growing ecosystem tells us is that we must decide what we want the industry to become before it is decided for us. This is the time for proactivity and action, and that is exactly what we will be addressing at ALM 2023,” added Cohen.

Speakers already confirmed for ALM include:

• Matthew Ball, Pioneering Tech Authority, Venture Capitalist, and Bestselling Author, The Metaverse
• Erin Egan, Chief Privacy Officer, Policy, Meta
• Jeremi Gorman, President, Worldwide Advertising, Netflix
• Michael Kassan, Founder and CEO, MediaLink
• Greg Lyons, Chief Marketing Officer, Pepsi
• Alex Rodriguez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, A-Rod Corp
• Stephanie Ruhle, Host, 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle and Senior Business Analyst, NBC News
• Fiji Simo, Chief Executive Officer, Instacart
• Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, Co-founders and Co-Chief Executive Officer’s, TheSkimm

IAB PlayFronts: Due to the success of the inaugural IAB PlayFronts, the unique buyer marketplace is returning to help advertisers navigate the gaming landscape. IAB’s PlayFronts will be held in-person on March 8-9 in New York City. Leading members of this exciting ecosystem, from game publishers to streaming platforms and ad tech partners will define the gaming landscape, elevate the effectiveness of gaming, and demonstrate creative opportunities for brands.

IAB Public Policy & Legal Summit 2023: With pending regulations, including five state privacy laws taking effect next year, advertisers and publishers need to be ready for all the legal, policy, and technical challenges impacting businesses. IAB’s annual Public Policy & Legal Summit will take place on April 3, 2023, bringing together leaders in advertising, media, technology, and the government to address how to continue building a sustainable consumer-centric media and marketing ecosystem. This event will be held in-person – expanding IAB’s presence in Washington DC.

IAB NewFronts and IAB Podcast Upfront: IAB NewFronts is a one-stop-shop for media buyers eager to get a first look at the latest digital content taking place from May 1-4, 2023 in New York. In addition to the live events taking place on stages around NYC, for the first time, IAB will have its own stage on Wednesday May 3rd to host a selection of presenting companies. Committed to the creation of valuable partnerships between brands and native digital content, this event hosts some of the biggest names in media and entertainment. Over four days, attendees will have discussions about issues critical to the industry, in person and live streamed to a virtual audience.

Then on May 11, IAB Podcast Upfront will showcase leading voices in podcasting, demonstrating the power of audio to connect brands to consumers. This one-day event returns in-person and virtually, designed for brands, media buyers, and agencies eager to preview what’s next in the ever-expanding podcasting space.

More information and updates regarding IAB’s events can be found at: www.iab.com/events.

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post IAB Unveils Reimagined Events Schedule for First Half of 2023 appeared first on IAB.