Why adopt an audio advertising strategy in mobile video games

11 April 2021

In the field of mobile video games, audio is the new advertising format that gives brands the opportunity to reach a potential audience of nearly 2.6 billion people worldwide. How can you benefit from this?

The mobile video game industry is powerful: it is now worth US$65 billion and reaches a diverse and committed audience. Mobile gaming is gaining in popularity, and this is especially due to the lockdown obligations and social distancing rules that have been in force for several months.

The market has remained strong and resilient during the global crisis and has actually experienced two important areas of growth. On the one hand, use has risen by 75% since the outbreak of the pandemic. On the other, time spent in front of video games has increased by 45% in the same period. The figures for mobile devices are equally impressive: 13 billion new downloads in the first quarter of 2020 alone.

Gamers prefer audio ads

A study based on a sample of more than 2,200 gamers was conducted by Yougov this summer. It confirms that audio is the new strong trend in in-game advertising.

Two major lessons are:

  • 86% reject full-screen advertising during the game;
  • 67% generally prefer advertising formats that do not force the game to pause.

The results also show that 61% of players listen to music while gaming. This naturally favors the insertion of audio ads in a non-intrusive context and allows the game to continue.

In-app – the relevance of audio ads

In-app advertising still accounts for a significant proportion of mobile video game revenues. In fact, it has always been a major challenge for publishers and advertisers, who have long sought to reduce the negative impact of ad insertion in gaming. This is because frustration can generate negative feelings towards the advertiser. It can also distract the user from a game, causing them to abandon the game.

But here’s the thing: ads in mobile gaming applications are here to stay. Gamers don’t seem to be willing to pay high prices to indulge their passion. Developers and publishers, therefore, need to find inventive solutions to make their investments profitable.

As the results of the YouGov survey prove, audio advertising makes sense, since its distribution is both fluid and accepted in the game. For brands, now is the time to create audio ads in their campaign plans. Advertisers like Google, Adidas and even Spotify have already seized this opportunity.

What is the answer for advertisers?

Audio advertising in mobile gaming, as part of a targeted and planned advertising strategy, capitalises on the strengths of audio advertising and optimises the mobile gaming experience.