Because of the failure of banner ads to deliver conversions, as well as of changing target audience behaviour, advertisers in the United States and Europe drew their inspiration from one of the fastest-growing segments of the online industry: gaming and created advergaming.
Advergaming, ad-funded gaming or casual games are a purpose-built game developed to promote an issue, product, service or brand. According to the Mobile Advergaming and Ad-Funded Gaming Report 2010-2015, in 2010, the advergaming industry had revenues in excess of $3 billion on mobile, iPhone and social networks platforms.
Little research on the use of advergames in South Africa exists and Bianca Wright, a doctoral student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, is hoping to address this research gap through her doctoral work.
She is conducting a study on the perceptions of advertising executives on advergaming as part of her thesis work, which looks at games as communication. Wright's study seeks, in part, to investigate the advertising industry's attitudes towards advergaming as a viable advertising medium in South Africa. The study does not include an investigation of the use of product placement in commercially released independent computer and console games.
Participants do not need to have developed advergames or even have played them to participate, but they do need to work at an advertising agency in South Africa. Advertising executives willing to participate can access the survey on the Esurveys Pro site. Fore more information, email Bianca Wright at az.ca.ummn@thgirw.acnaiB.
