Rethinking In-Game Advertising: an interview with Saurav Dutta from InMobi

As part of Rethinking InGame Advertising month we take a dive into a PocketGamer.biz interview surrounding the ongoing evolution of in-game advertising with Saurav Dutta, the Director of Product Marketing at InMobi

Saurav’s insights allow us to find out more about the numerous ways in which in-game advertising is changing and how the gaming and marketing industry will need to adapt to keep up. Let’s take a look at what Saurav had to say.

What is the current state of play with regard to in-game advertising?

The in-game advertising sector has seen an increase in growth over the past few years however is still in its very early stages and to be more specific “this market is expected to grow at an annual rate of approximately 20 percent between 2020 and 2024”. With around 2.6 billion mobile gamers around the globe, the use of in-game advertising will be one of the most sought after ways to reach this massive audience.

What are the key challenges of in-game advertising?

The biggest challenge of in-game advertising is measurement, the reason being that there is still no specific way of verifying the viewability of an in-game ad. The Interactive Advertising Bureau guidelines were updated all the way back in 2009, and due to the extreme technological advances over the last decade, committees are forming to make sure there is a standard set for this new coming age of advertising.

Where are the opportunities for in-game advertising?

Native in-game advertising is premium inventory, and it can be effective even without individual identifiers. For example, the use of billboards are effective in the real world as a mass advertising option, and the same is true of an ad programmatically placed onto a billboard in, say, a racing or sports game. The use of “Native mobile in-game advertising is still quite nascent, and I think brands have not yet fully grasped what it is and how it can create an impact.” 

What are the biggest mistakes devs/pubs make when considering in-game advertising?

There are a few big mistakes that we see app developers and publishers make regarding in-game advertising. The first one is that some are not offering up this inventory programmatically. We’ve repeatedly seen the benefits that programmatic offers, and it would be a shame if ad publishers are leaving money on the table by not embracing this style of advertising.

Saurav’s insights address many of the issues that advertisers face and also some of the common misconceptions people still have about in-game advertising. The potential of this market is astounding and people need to realise this key fact before they miss out on the chance to pioneer in one of biggest marketing outlets in the world. 

For the entire interview visit: InMobi’s Saurav Dutta on rethinking in-game advertising