Report: Advertisers Must Include Mobile Games in the Media Mix

It looks like the mobile channel is undervalued or at least under-utilized in advertising. Who knew? More specifically, the mobile gaming audience is being overlooked. According to a report by Digital Turbine called, “The Game-Changing Shift Report Series: CPG Edition. Why Brands Need to Consider Mobile Games in Their Media Mix,” ad campaigns miss up to 60% of mobile, gaming-first audiences.

Adjusting their media mix spending to account for this oversight, brands could increase their total audience reach by 20% according to the report.

Digital Turbine (NASDAQ: APPS), a mobile growth and monetization platform, has data that shows how brand advertisers can and should prepare to capitalize on mobile channels for ad “high seasons,” such as national election cycles, tentpole sporting events, and holiday shopping.

The mobile market has a significant reach, but 82% of U.S. B2C marketing executives indicated concern about marketing their brands during the U.S. presidential election cycle, according to Forrester.

“This year’s election cycle made an already competitive ad landscape more saturated,” said Victoria Beyer, Vice President of Digital Turbine’s West Coast Brand Business. “Political ads drive up costs for ad placements, risk brand reputation to brands that are advertising near politically charged ads and induce fatigue in consumers making them harder to reach.”

The company works with brands including Samsung, Motorola, Zynga, Playtica, Unilever, KFC, Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Ford Trucks.

Its report cites top brands that have committed the sin of omission by not serving ads to gaming-first users and instead to YouTube-first users: Amazon (64% fewer ads shown); Old Spice (63% fewer ads); Disney+ (58% fewer ads); and Domino’s (57% fewer ads).

The report advises CPG brands in particular to review media-mix spending “to confirm and address any gaps within current channels, and/or address this under-delivery by adding mobile games to the media mix. By addressing such under-delivery, brands will reach 9% more retail-using consumers that play mobile games but don’t use YouTube.

“Nearly 6 in 10 CPG consumers that use YouTube spend more time playing games than they do in YouTube,” the report said. Of CPG customers, 58% spent more time in mobile games while 42% spent more time on YouTube.”

A Forbes Business blog post supports the premise of the power of the small screen, saying, “67% of consumers watch video on their small screen daily, compared to 50% who watch on their big screen. The need states and motivations for viewing also varies by screen type. When viewers want to be entertained or want to relax, they turn to either their small or big screen to watch videos. However, when viewers want to stay connected and find new or interesting topics to consume, they turn to watch videos on their small screen. This changing behavior highlights the need for a dual-screen approach when planning media due to the importance and preferences for both screens.”

Beyer added, “Mobile channels are often overlooked when marketers are creating media mixes, with more traditional platforms like CTV or social media usually taking priority. Mobile, and especially mobile games, provides a unique opportunity to be more interactive and engaging.”