Display ads have come a long way when it comes to certain devices, but Celtra believes that they can go even further.
Lena Hofman, a product analyst for the group, has provided a few tips on how marketers can make their ads more interactive, according to Native Mobile. It has posted a new infographic that breaks down how display ads don’t just have to sit there, as they can be turned into game-based experiences, allowing users a unique way to interact with them.
Titled A Marketer’s Guide To Gaming In Display Ads, the piece breaks down how marketers can take advantage of the format. “In a market increasingly carved up into smaller and smaller pieces along demographic lines, marketers are hungry for techniques with more universal appeal,” Hofman says. “And one thing is pretty true for all of us: From the cradle to the grave, we all love to play games.”
With the help of this new format, Hofman believes engagement can rise to a new high with display ads. “It follows that display ads that include games should take advantage of this natural affinity by translating it into brand engagement,” she advises. “In a recent study, we put this theory to the test by comparing the performance of AdCreator 4-powered standard HTML5 display ads with minigames against standard HTML5 display ads without gaming elements. Here’s what we learned. Games significantly enhance ad engagement rates.”
By allowing users to play along (rather than just opt out of the ads), the “fun feature” can relate better to them, and particularly get them more directly involved with the product. “(Our) results show that gamifying the creative — whether it’s to introduce different versions of the product, create a positive memorable experience with the brand or simply take advantage of a fun feature — leads to higher overall engagement rates,” Hofman explained. “Users are more likely to engage with the ad’s content when a call-to-action comes in the form of an invitation to play, to wipe the surface to reveal what’s beneath, or solve a puzzle.”
Of course, it all comes down to how much consumers like games – and judging by the success of certain apps in the market, that’s definitely the case. “Including a game in an ad can be a powerful way to set the stage for more interaction, from watching a video to clicking through to a mobile destination,” Hofman concludes. “In fact, click-through rates are nearly seven times higher in ads with gaming features, while video play rate is over three times higher in gaming ads.”
More information can be found here, on Celtra’s site.
