iion releases new adtech offering for the gaming space

Adtech company iion has recently debuted immersiion, a first-of-its-kind self-serve advertising platform that's purpose-built for the gaming ecosystem. 

With its time-saving campaign builder, immersiion is said to help redefine the way brands connect with their audiences in any gaming environment at scale. 

immersiion is the first platform that scales in-game advertising by enabling brands to find their target audience in all gaming environments. As a result, advertisers can select the right games to reach audiences, build and serve rich creative options that speak their customers' language and deliver contextually relevant, personalised messages.

The company says the end result is a fun experience for the brand's audience to engage with advertising campaigns without disrupting the gaming journey.

Implementation of this new technology comes at a time when there is significant demand in the gaming sector. According to the In-Game Advertising (IGA): Global Market Report 2022, video game usage has increased by 75%, and demand for interactive games has also soared since the pandemic. 

Even more, nearly all game genres have seen a boost in revenue from in-game advertising over the last two years, and it's predicted to increase further through 2027. Valued at AUD $296 billion in 2021, the Gaming Market is expected to reach a value of $507.5 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 8.94% over 2022-2027, according to a new report. 

By combining 'in-game, around-the-game and away-from-the-game gaming environments' (the official gaming environments according to IAB), the immersiion platform enables developers and advertisers to scale their mobile gaming revenue with a custom-fit approach.

The company says the new technology reaches all areas of the gaming experience as well, with options for in-game, away-from-game and around-the-game advertising opportunities that are seamless and effective.

As the first game advertising platform of its kind, immersiion offers advertising solutions catered to the entire gaming ecosystem, including in-game ads at scale across mobile, PC, console, cloud and e-sports across display, video and audio formats.

Its smart capabilities also allow it to capture every audience segment across all IAB gaming environments. This is achieved via its proprietary suite of buying and selling game-tech, which it uses to power brands, enabling them to reach an estimated three billion-plus highly engaged gamers globally.

Zero creative technical expertise is required to operate the technology. With its ad creator, brands can work their magic with just words and colours while the platform does the rest. 

Another benefit of the technology is that it offers a completely automated experience through which users can seamlessly launch ad campaigns, track key performance metrics and optimise their campaigns for maximum ROI. Through brand awareness, performance and forecasting capabilities, immersiion helps advertisers achieve scalable growth. It also comes with ad-fraud detection capabilities, ensuring that brands are immediately alerted of malicious activity.

"For advertisers, the exponential rise in the gaming community represents a massive opportunity," iion Co-Founder Giuseppe Martoriello says. 

"As the first-ever advertising platform that connects game publishers and brands through a holistic targeting experience within all IAB-defined gaming environments, immersiion provides brands with an entire new channel that is comparable to online and TV - but more fun and innovative."

Martoriello highlights the significant opportunity that immersion brings to the market, and he says the company is excited to help businesses scale their advertising potential. 

"We're excited that immersiion is the first platform to really scale in-game advertising - where you can run innovative types of campaigns across Mobile, PC and Console Games with Display, Video and Audio formats," he says.

"The latest research shows that gamers spend twice as much time watching intrinsic in-game ads than on other digital channels. Gaming viewers are in front of the screen with 100% attention on the screen. You won't find that opportunity anywhere else in today's digital environment.". 

iion Co-Founder Sanjaya Molligoda says that the growth of in-game advertising has led many companies to enter the space, and immersion can assist by helping meet the demand.

"IGA is one of the most rapidly expanding fields of marketing today. It helps brands to communicate with their target market, building familiarity with those who play these games," he says.

"And this growth rate is the direct result of the adoption of digital transformation technologies worldwide, the popularity of mobile gaming and increasing strategic alliances among game developers and advertisers.

"We are excited to debut immersiion to the market. It offers brands a new and exciting way to create meaningful connections, find their audience in all gaming environments, select the right games to reach them, serve rich creative options to speak in their language and deliver the right message in the relevant context."

iion Co-Founder Wout van Damme, adds that the company's partners play a crucial role in helping brands achieve success.

"Brands need new innovative ways to connect with their target audience, beyond traditional media. Gaming is that new channel that helps advertisers and consumers to connect while the audience is wearing the gamers' hat," he says.

"At iion, we understand these dynamics and don't just connect brands to gamers, we connect them to their target audience when they are playing their favourite game and their focus and brand recollection is high. We also have a robust partner network to help move brands forward, supporting them every step of the way along their journey."