Massive Inc. and comScore prove in-game advertising ROI for Bing
Massive Inc., creator of the one of the world's leading video game networks and a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. and one of the leading networks for video game advertising, and comScore Inc. today, 21 May 2010, released a case study that showcases campaign results for Bing, Microsoft's decision engine. The study highlights comScore's AdEffx Action Lift for Gaming, a digital advertising measurement methodology designed specifically for console in-game advertising, developed in collaboration with Massive.
The results verified that Massive's in-game advertising campaign for Bing had a direct impact on consumer behaviour, including site traffic and query searches, and emphasises Massive's ability to measure return on investment (ROI) as effectively as other forms of digital marketing, such as online display or video advertising. The case study also includes separate findings from Interpret LLC that show substantial ad recall, impact to gamers, and increased brand and engagement metrics.
"We've always known that Massive's broad in-game network is a powerful force in helping brands successfully engage with the hard-to-reach gaming audience," said JJ Richards, general manager at Massive. "Now, we can precisely measure gamers' response after seeing those in-game ads, in the same way marketers like to measure their other media. These apples-to-apples results validate just how good in-game ads are compared to more traditional media."
Noteworthy results from the case study include the following:
- After exposure to the Bing ads in-game, the percentage of gamers visiting and searching on Bing.com increased up to 108% - two-thirds of whom were new Bing users;
- 71% of gamers recalled seeing the Bing ads;
- 60% of gamers had a more positive opinion of Bing after seeing the brand advertised in their games.
"The gaming community embraced the in-game ads and interacted with the brand," said Kirsten Ward, director of digital advertising for Bing and MSN at Microsoft. "The campaign exceeded our expectations across the board. The fact that we're able to measure that kind of ad effectiveness is truly compelling for brand marketers."
The campaign ran title-specific in-game ads for Bing in several blockbuster Xbox 360 video games, including Activision's DJHero and 2K Sports' NBA 2K10, from November 2009 to December 2009. comScore's AdEffx Action Lift for Gaming methodology matches ad- serving data from Massive with third-party panel data from comScore to track and measure in-game advertising effectiveness via online activity before and after ad exposure. The methodology is equivalent to the ad-tracking and measurement standards that are currently used for other forms of digital advertising and strictly maintains consumers' anonymity in the process.
"We believe the AdEffx Action Lift for Gaming research methodology is a 'game-changer' for in-game advertising," said Mike Hurt, senior vice president at comScore. "Companies will now be able to measure campaign ROI in a standard, comparable way to other digital media and further realise how effective and influential in-game advertising is at reaching targeted gaming audiences."
comScore, Inc is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, go to www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
Interpret is a leading entertainment, media and technology measurement and market research firm that applies proprietary, cutting edge methodologies and extensive category knowledge to help companies plan, text, and measure their business strategies. For more information, go to www.interpretllc.com.
