Insight in action: proving the value of in-game advertising

In the research world, assumptions just don’t cut it. It’s a schoolboy error to assume just because something seems right it actually is. Instead, a healthy dollop of scepticism and a deep desire for the truth and nothing but the truth are the only way to go. 

Take in-game advertisers, Admix. This rapidly growing UK business offers a platform called “In-play” that enables game builders to monetize their work in cool ways that put the player experience first. The result is higher revenue, better retention, and happy users.

With their platform developed and ready for blast off, Admix’s focus shifted toward drumming up interest and excitement. A key part of this was proving to potential advertisers that mobile gaming – especially the native in-play format which is their sweet spot – is a successful media channel. 

The question, of course, was how?

The problem: challenging misconceptions around gaming

No brand wants to spend good money advertising on a channel that doesn’t pull in the punters. Admix needed to prove that in-game ads are worth advertisers’ attention.

The key word here is “prove”. There are multiple misconceptions around gaming, largely because it’s such a gigantic global phenomena with so many nuances. 

Many people think they understand gaming – which is the whole problem in a nutshell. 

“Thinking” isn’t the same as “knowing” – it opens the door to all manner of mishaps. As Alexander Pope wisely put it, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”.

So a major challenge for Nina Mackie, Global Partnership Director at Admix, was finding the crucial information needed to clear up the misconceptions, and presenting it in a way that was easily digestible. 

Essentially Nina’s mission became showing people the truth, and pointing out why it mattered. As she puts it:

“I genuinely believe because advertising within gaming is so nascent, we need a partner like GWI to confirm what we’re telling clients is true.” 

It’s important to realize that this isn’t a niche issue – on the contrary. 

There’s a huge appetite among advertisers to do something in the mobile gaming space – especially since the pandemic – they’re just not sure what. 

Added to this was a belief that in-game advertising lacked the measurement capabilities advertisers have come to expect in other channels. 

And while that might have been true once, it’s no longer the case. 

The solution: painting a true picture of the modern gamer

Nina had successfully used our platform in the past, and the release of our GWI Gaming data set – revealing gamers in extreme detail and covering 15 global markets – was exactly the solution she was looking for.

The value this delivered was essentially validation – providing the rock-solid research and inspirational insights that would help Admix build credibility and debunk myths, setting them free to be all they can be.

“GWI is way ahead when it comes to surveys and research into gaming behaviors and attitudes. That’s becoming known in the advertising and agency world, and GWI Gaming shows a real commitment to the sector.”

Nina uses GWI Gaming to prove (that word again) that mobile gamers index higher when it comes to using or buying a particular brand. These hard numbers supercharge their pitches to brands and advertisers.

That’s exactly what they did with DAZN  – a highly successful boxing subscription platform.

Nina used GWI Gaming to show beyond any doubt that mobile gamers are big on boxing: they watch it, they stream it (which means they’re prepared to pay), they go to matches, they follow fighters and so on. In her words:

“I showed that for boxing fans, mobile indexes higher than consoles across every gaming genre. So using GWI Gaming, I could prove the mobile gaming channel was worth their attention.” 

The numbers don’t lie, and the knockout proof Nina unearthed built credibility by showing Admix had done their homework to overcome the (erroneous) assumption that mobile gamers and boxing didn’t mix.

“Without GWI Gaming and the insights that data set provides, our involvement with DAZN wouldn’t have happened at all.”

All this was achieved without breaking a sweat. As Nina puts it, “I’m pretty fluent with GWI’s platform. I can usually find what I’m looking for in five minutes. I’d already set up all the audiences I regularly need – mobile gamers by game genre, mobile gamer by age and so on. That made life easier.”

Driving ad sales with the right data

So there you have it – Admix successfully used our GWI Gaming data set to correct audience misconceptions by creating a pin-sharp picture of mobile gamers, their preferences and so on. In Nina’s words:

“We didn’t need just any data provider ; we needed one with real experience in gaming – and that was GWI.”

The result won over an important new in-game advertising client. Instead of the cliche of a spotty teenage boy stuck in his bedroom, our data showed the average gamer is 35+ and just as likely to be female as male. Surprising? Perhaps. True? Definitely. Armed with information like this, Admix can promote their offer with real confidence. 

“I speak for the whole of our business when I say that robust insights from GWI help us educate the market and develop the whole mobile gaming channel. GWI and their Gaming data set are a huge part of our success.”