By Bec Zhuang, Strategy Manager Starcom Australia
The media and marketing industry has long painted ‘gamers’ with an overly broad brush.
The casual players who mindlessly tap on mobile games during coffee breaks, versus the hardcore enthusiasts who invest countless hours to master complex console games. While these make for convenient marketing personas, they fail to capture the complexity of the true gaming landscape.
The traditional segmentation model uses a simplistic metric: time spent gaming per week. It suggests that in-game play is the only (and most important) touchpoint – the more hours logged, the more ‘hardcore’ you’re considered. But this is a one-dimensional view.
As marketers, we need to look further than simply what people do and instead look at why people do it. Nowadays, gaming and the reasons why people game have evolved. We have highly competitive e-sports teams motivated by success and achievement, just like any other elite athlete. And we have large-scale online communities that play, watch and chat in real-time, driven by connection and socialisation.
Yet, most advertisers haven’t caught up. The industry continues to badger about the missed opportunity in gaming. Commentators question why more brands aren’t seizing the gaming advertising opportunity, while leaders scratch their heads wondering what exactly is holding gaming advertising back.
The simple truth? Getting brands to truly understand gamers and reach them with authenticity is difficult.
Gamers are some of the most ad-savvy consumers in Australia – they reject ads that feel intrusive, irrelevant, or inauthentic. Overly commercial messaging, forced brand integrations or ads that disrupt gameplay can quickly turn gamers off, leading to negative sentiment that can set brands back years.
Marketers must recognise that gaming has moved well beyond gameplay and become a much richer and vibrant cultural ecosystem. Akin to other cultural pillars like sport or music, the gaming ecosystem is expansive. And just as sport and music’s influence extends far beyond team participation and solo listenership, in-game play is just a tiny slice of the gaming pie.
In 2024, Australia’s in-game ad revenue overtook news media for the first time, with most of the revenue driven from mobile games. But gaming is increasingly becoming cross-platform; in fact, the average gamer plays across 2.72 devices.
Nowadays, players seamlessly switch between mobile, PC, and consoles, with interoperability being the new standard. Emerging cloud gaming services, like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce, now are redefining what’s possible no matter the screen size. If brands don’t get up to speed, they’ll be left behind.
For the brands looking to enter this ever-evolving space, a simple four-step process to craft gaming strategies is critical:
1. Clearly identify and define the brand’s role within gaming environments – Determine how your brand fits naturally within the gaming space. Is it enhancing gameplay, supporting the community, or offering exclusive experiences? Define the unique value your brand brings to players.
2. Segment audiences based on gaming and brand motivations and behaviours – Not all gamers are the same. Understand your audiences’ preferences and how they interact with brands, and tailor media, messaging and creative accordingly.
3. Create value exchanges that resonate with gaming communities – Players expect more than ads; they seek meaningful interactions. Whether through in-game rewards, sponsorships, or content collaborations, brands must provide genuine value that enhances the gaming experience rather than disrupts it.
4. Develop measurement frameworks that capture both media and business impact – Success in gaming isn’t just about impressions. Track engagement, brand perception, and conversion metrics that demonstrate real brand and business impact. Ensure measurement strategies evolve with the dynamic gaming landscape to capture long-term brand growth.
Gaming advertising isn’t just about reaching gamers anymore. It’s about understanding gaming culture itself, where community, content and cross-platform experiences matter as much as in-game play. For meaningful and effective gaming strategies, brands must move beyond impressions and start embracing the full spectrum of gaming engagement. The brands that can adapt will win. Those who don’t? I guess you could say, it’s game over.