Brands are playing their cards right with advertising on mobile games, says InMobi report

3 in 4 have significantly increased their investment in mobile gaming advertising in the last year, owing to higher audience attention and engagement

Bengaluru, September 22, 2022: InMobi, a leading provider of content, monetization, and marketing technologies that help businesses fuel growth, released the findings of its latest Mobile Game Advertising 2022 report for India. According to the report, 75% of brands have been advertising on mobile game apps for more than a year, which has led to a two-fold increase in gaming ad spends since the pandemic. InMobi surveyed 205 Indian Mobile Marketing leaders, including senior executives from brands and media organizations, as part of this study. The report also reveals how brands and agencies are addressing the four most common myths associated with mobile game advertising that might be preventing wider adoption.

Commenting on the rapid expansion of the mobile game advertising industry, Rishi Bedi, Managing Director, Asia Pacific at InMobi said, "Brands have taken notice of the gaming industry's rapidly growing consumer adoption and engagement. Hence, mobile game advertising is evolving into more than simply a trend as audience reach keeps growing, ad formats diversify, and ad budgets keep rising. And over time, more and more advertisers are including mobile game advertising in their media mix owing to the positive outcomes and impactful results."

Brand awareness lift ranks as the key objective with gaming advertising

According to the report, gaming witnessed a 32% YoY growth in average spending by advertisers. While completion rates and viewability are the most sought-after campaign metrics by advertisers, the lift in brand awareness is used as a benchmark for campaign success on mobile gaming.

Doubling down on gaming ads with programmatic and diverse formats

When it comes to buying methods, 42% of advertisers stated that they used programmatic trading on open exchanges while 38% used programmatic private marketplace deals for gaming advertising. On the other hand, blended in-game ads are the most popular format that advertisers want to use in the future. Blended in-game advertising allows brands to create immersive experiences without interrupting the gaming flow. This format gives brands the freedom to place their messaging on various objects within the game, such as billboards or buildings, making them more flexible than traditional banners and having a higher recall.

Despite myths around mobile gaming advertising, it is emerging as a rapidly growing channel

Some brands are hesitant to take the plunge and invest in mobile game advertising due to misplaced notions around measuring its return on investment, allocation in the media mix, investment in creating ads assets, and brand safety around placements. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The study shows that advertising on mobile gaming delivers better performance compared to non-gaming environments with up to 2x higher completion rates and engagement. Moreover, 97% of the marketers that advertise on mobile gaming are satisfied with their experience and results.

About InMobi:

InMobi is a leading provider of marketing and monetization technologies reaching more than a billion consumers around the globe. With deep expertise and unique reach in mobile, it is the trusted and transparent technology partner for marketers, content creators, and businesses of all kinds. InMobi’s mission is to power its customers’ growth by helping them engage their audiences and build meaningful connections. Its affiliated businesses – Glance, the world’s leading lock screen-based content discovery platform and video-platform Roposo – help InMobi create new content and commerce experiences in a world of connected devices. Headquartered in Singapore, InMobi maintains a large presence in San Francisco, Bangalore, New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai, Jakarta, Singapore, Metro Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Melbourne, Seoul, Tokyo, London, and Dubai.