Great IAB
article on the exceptional opportunities offered by the hugely undermonetized in-game advertising market. While the piece offers some really solid insights into how the in-game ad space works, not least its web 2 potential, it also delivers some even better insights – drawn from die-hard online gamers – into how companies need to approach online communities.
In fact, in many respects, it turns out the "synthetic" in-game space is near-identical to the social community space: to succeed within it, you have to blend in rather than stick out (as a result of "a badly executed commercial presence").
The opinions of the gaming community itself regarding in-game advertising, which are applicable to any online social media campaigns, were as follows:
- Advertising in-game is welcomed by gamers if it is in context, relevant and non-interruptive
- Well-placed and thought-out campaigns add realism to synthetic environments
- The presence of common-place brands is sometimes not even considered marketing by many gamers
- Gamers warn against "intrusive" product placement
- Make sure any ads are relevant to the site (or game) in hand — keep it "contextual"
- Always look to enhance the gaming experience, not detract from it
- The world's most famous online gamer, Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel, urges companies to make people laugh, which can lead to 'viral uplift'
When targeting specific online communities or forums, it seems issuers need to become part of the furniture.