Research Claims In-Game Ads Are Not Effective

Bunnyfoot, a behavioral research consultancy in the UK, claims that current in-game ads have almost no impact on consumers.

In a press release aimed at drumming up some attention for their ’emotive engagement model’ which measures consumer response when viewing ads, Bunnyfoot claims that current in-game ads are not placed well enough and recognition rates are exceedingly low. Because in-game advertisements fail to “factor in emotional engagement and moments of peak excitement” the 120 gamers used in their study had very low recall rates after playing games containing ads.

Bunnyfoot claims that by using their “Sponsor Fixation Index” system, they can solve this problem and optimize the ad delivery system: “By monitoring visual and emotional responses during game play, the Sponsor Fixation Index correlates excitement and receptiveness with isolated game events or game play dynamics. Once these peak ‘receptiveness events’ have been identified, the delivery of in-game advertising can be re-engineered for greater impact and emotive engagement.”

With in-game advertising only just beginning to gain momentum, studies like this one are likely to gain more notice as publishers look to show return on investment to advertisers.