In-game video advertising has kept pace with the stunning visual impact and interactivity of the video games they are included in, but until now there hasn’t been a way to effectively measure just what impact those ads have on gamer behaviour. However, that changed this week with the launch of a new data-measurement methodology created by ComScore and video-game advertising network and Microsoft subsidiary Massive.
The research methodology, called Ad Effx Action Lift for Gaming, allows advertisers to see if, and how, in-game advertising motivates Xbox Live users to visit the brand’s website or conduct brand-related search queries, a new capability for audience measurement in gaming.
‘As this rolls out in Canada, marketers will have a consistent, effective and scalable way to measure the impact of their in-game advertising campaigns with Massive,’ Jason Dailey, supplier of cool, Microsoft Advertising, told MiC.
The data is collected by combining Microsoft’s Anonymous ID data, including in Windows Live ID, with ComScore’s database of internet users. The results allow ComScore to monitor the traffic patterns of Xbox Live users who go out of the game and onto a related site, or search for a related site. The methodology, ComScore states, is in line with ad-tracking and measurement standards for other forms of digital advertising.
‘We believe Ad Effx Action Lift for Gaming puts in-game advertising campaign measurement on a level playing field with comparable digital media,’ said Mike Hurt, SVP, ComScore, in a release. ‘With this kind of methodology, we are addressing the need for better standards of ad effectiveness measurement across all forms of digital media. Advertisers can now track post-campaign online activity, including direct website visits, search queries and other consumer behaviours among people who have been exposed to in-game ads.’
