In-game ads boost brand recognition

In-game ads are good for business. That is the result of a recent study from Microsoft's Massive, an in-game advertising network. Researchers found that not only do in-game ads increase brand recognition but these ads are also impacting purchasing decisions.

by Kristina Knight

According to the study, brand familiarity increased by about 64%, brand rating increased by 37% and purchase considerations increased by about 41% after viewing in-game advertisements. In addition to increasing brand awareness, in-game ads also helped to increase ad recall (41%) and ad rating (69%).

Researchers broke the results into advertising category - technology, automotive, etc. - and found that the effect was similar across the board. Viewing automotive ads in games increased purchasing decisions by about 69%, viewing consumer packaged goods ads increase purchasing decisions by 71% and brand familiarity by 63% while technology advertisers saw a 70% increase in brand rating.

Cory Van Arsdale, CEO of Massive said, “As marketers struggle to stand out in cluttered media forms, the Massive network provides both a deeply engaged audience and sophisticated capabilities for creative execution and delivery, resulting in memorable, positive impressions among highly desirable demographics.”

In-game advertising is a fairly new advertising medium, however it is rapidly growing in popularity as more studies show that gamers are very open to seeing ads in their favorite games. Users say the ads add a sense of realism to the games. The in-game ad spend is expected to grow to more than $971 million in 2011.