Interactive ads have been used in the Gaming Industry for several years now, however, they have only recently begun demonstrating their true potential.

Such advertisements present their viewers with the option to interact with the content being presented – mostly through short, playable demos of other games or an interactive component to a video ad. They can be utilized online, as well as on mobile platforms.

With technological advances such as VR rising in popularity, we would like to explore the increasing value of interactive ads as an advertising tool.

We will first discuss some of the current benefits associated with said ads:

User Engagement, Retention & Conversion

We have observed several instances in which interactive ads have contributed to substantially increased user conversion rates.

This is because the very nature of interactive ads entails a level of fun, which is not typically synonymous with advertisements. In fact, many people generally try to avoid ads through the use of ad blockers.

Interactive ads, on the other hand, are often presented as games themselves. This encourages a significant part of the audience to continue playing, or to download the full version of the promoted game. It also implies that these users are more likely to experience the advertisement in its entirety, allowing its creators to gather more valuable data.

Brand Awareness & Recall

Speaking of which, such prolonged exposure tends to lead to higher brand awareness and brand recall levels. While the fun factor distracts the viewers from the realization that they are interacting with an ad, they still tend to remember and recognize the brands participating in the interaction.

Cross-Promotion & Rising Applicability

It is also noteworthy that non-gaming businesses have recently started using interactive gaming ads as an alternative method of promoting their brands. Grubhub, a food delivery service, is a great example of this.

One reason this strategy has great potential is because of the advertisers’ opportunity to reach new audiences. In the case of Grubhub, people who might not necessarily use food delivery services can still find something appealing in its playable game. Interactive advertising allows Grubhub the potential to draw gamers’ attention to the brand, and in the best-case scenario, convert some of them into customers.

As the implementation of playable ads becomes more popular in other industries, it will likewise become more crucial for companies within the gaming industry itself to begin implementing it, more specifically targeting their dedicated gamer audiences.

A Point of Differentiation

The previous example can also be used as a case for differentiation. While interactive ads have indeed gained some popularity recently, they are not fully-adopted.

Companies which demonstrate their advertising versatility through such non-traditional or sophisticated strategies usually stand out from the crowd, not only in the eyes of consumers, but also other businesses.

This can be seen in Tuia, which took advantage of China’s fast-developing gaming industry, allowing the company to experience significant growth through its interactive advertising strategy and unique offering.

A Future Through VR

With VR gaining widespread popularity in the world of gaming in the past few years, it is only a matter of time before virtual interactive ads do so as well.

A recent study determined that interactive ads, among other types within the context of VR, were highly-memorable among 70% of the participants.

In that sense, VR has the potential to enhance all the aforementioned benefits of interactive advertising, plus make them much more effective.

Inevitably, the costs to develop such complex advertisements are not low. However, as the practice further develops, and more companies begin integrating their businesses into VR, it will not take long for an affordable advertising solution to become available.

In short, interactive ads can make users more responsive, interested, and aware of your brand, while also enabling companies in different industries to receive positive attention and to grow. Upon further development, their significance and role will continue to rise in the future.

More importantly, it demonstrates how adopting the right advertising strategy can not only improve your business performance, but also help you to create and cultivate lasting customer relationships, ultimately guaranteeing your long-term survival. Nevertheless, one of the most important first steps to achieving this is through generating an exponentially-higher click-through rate (CTR).

And that is exactly why iQU is here: To assist you with enhancing your online advertising performance and developing a competitive edge for your business.

Interested in a creative development consultancy? Then contact iQU and schedule a meeting!

The post The Current Performance and Future Potential of Interactive Ads in the Gaming Industry appeared first on iQU.