Apptica Talks. Episode #5. Experimental IAA strategies for games with Giuseppe Martoriello from iion

"Demand is a key for publishers. When you talk to publishers, the first questions they ask are what is the CPM, what is revenue opportunity, what demand you have, what is unique about you. We think that this direct relations with the agencies and the brands will be vital in the coming future".

In this episode Apptica Talks about experimental IAA strategies for games with Giuseppe Martoriello, co-founder at iion.

What we have talked about:

• The best-performing ad formats for monetization
• Different approaches in terms of game genres
• New monetization channels: in-game ad (video, audio, banner); integration with brands
• Securing long-term success with in-game integrations
• How to make your game more attractive to brands
• Trends to follow in 2023
• Tips for monetization managers

Key takeaways:

• Hyper-casual/casual games tend to have more banners, interstitials, app open ads to monetise the apps, whereas less casual games, arcade, mid-core type and alike are more likely to have IAP as a main monetisation strategy. The latter does use a lot of rewarded videos as they reinforce in-app purchases.
• The rewarded videos are the most liked type by users. App open ads are also popular. It is basically an interstitial that will show up when an app opens. They have a high viewability and efficiency rate. However, they might cause an early drop-off of some users.
• Monetization managers should work closely with UA team to make sure 2 strategies go hand in hand.
• You need to offer a reward to a user for listening to an in-app audio ad (a new ad format) bearing in mind the fact that around 50% of gamers tend to a mute mode.
• In-app advertising is still new and demand needs to pick up. It’s hard to integrate it: you need to work with the agencies, advertisers to get specific campaigns for your publisher. In-app won’t work in isolation, it should go and be tested along with traditional ad formats - full funnel approach: e.g. you run a billboard ad in a racing app and add a rewarded video when a user loses a life, hence we get a re-engagement within the same game.
• There are 3,5 bln gamers out there, that’s why for brands games turn into a new venue for awareness. E.g. Gucci campaign with Tennis Clash, Louis Vuitton campaign with League of Legends. Publishers need to reconsider their building game process and monetization strategy to make their product more enticing for brands.
• You need to think over a monetisation strategy at the inception phase:
  1) Define ad slots that could be potentially interesting for brands
  2) Leverage data: make sure you know who is your target audience and what audience you will be selling to brands
  3) Partner with ad tech companies and ad networks that are strong in specific regions where you have strong traffic.

Trends to keep an eye on in 2023:

• More integrations with brands as a new monetization channel
• No neglect of minor regions that bring less revenue, but still secure a stable traffic
• A movement towards competitive bidding

You can learn more about iion on the website and get more insights in its blog.

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