Dentsu Reveals Attention Economy Gaming Research

Dentsu today announced new research measuring attention in various gaming formats conducted in partnership with Lumen Research. The new study measured attention across livestreaming on Twitch, rewarded video with Activision Blizzard, and intrinsic in-game advertising with Anzu to help brands better understand how they can reach consumers across these different gaming environments. The research highlights the unique potential of each platform, illuminating valuable pathways for brands to tap into new spaces and uplevel their media planning. 

The studies found that advertising across gaming environments, inclusive of streaming, rewarded video, and intrinsic in-game, drove significant attention compared to other ad  platforms:  

• Viewability: Gaming is 99% viewable, higher than dentsu norms 
• Attention: Gaming has an APM (attentive seconds per 1,000 impressions) of 6736, higher than dentsu norms  
• Cost: Gaming aCPM (attentive cost per 1,000 impressions) of $3.38, more efficient than dentsu norms 
• Brand recall: Gaming recall of 21% is highly variable across gaming environments, and lower than dentsu norms  

The studies found that each environment has its own unique strengths for driving attention and brand impact:  

• Livestreaming, measured on Twitch: Leveraging livestreaming channels can be a gamechanger for brand recall. Livestream ads soar above the norm, generating an impressive average of 57% correct brand recall, compared to a dentsu norm of 38% across media environments. When considering brand choice uplift, live stream ads provided an average increase of 17%, compared to dentsu norms of 7.25%.  
• Rewarded Video, measured via Activision Blizzard: Rewarded videos provide strong engagement, with four in five individuals willingly opting to view these videos to  advance within their gameplay. They have a strong visibility, with 100% on screen impression rate, compared to a dentsu norm of 87%. Rewarded videos also garnered an average of 10,043 attentive seconds per (000) APM, compared to online video advertising, which averages at 6,100 APM. 
• Intrinsic In-Game, measured via Anzu: Studies found that in-game ads captivated attention for an average of 3,442 seconds, outperforming traditional online ads lasting 1,416 seconds. Online display and social media ads ensured high visibility on screen, with Anzu hitting 99%, above the usual benchmark of 87%.  

"Dentsu has been at the forefront of measuring attention for over five years now, and we are thrilled to be releasing these insights across gaming,” said Kevin Villatoro, director of global media partnerships for dentsu Media US. “Each format has its  own unique strength for driving attention, and with these findings we can help our clients and other brand marketers to better navigate the intricate gaming world to strengthen and diversify their media mix.”  

Expanding dentsu’s Attention Economy research into gaming, the media agency network worked with research partner Lumen to devise a methodology to measure attention in  gaming that is equivalent with measurement across other media platforms. Partnering with Lumen, dentsu led a number of research studies where respondents could watch  video in a simulated livestream environment and play real, publicly available, games on mobile and PC. Researchers leveraged eye tracking software to track respondent’s  attention levels when ads were served. The studies found that each environment has its own unique strengths for driving attention and brand impact as outlined above.  

You can learn more about the study and its findings in the research report published here.  

“These results reinforce what we’ve been saying to the industry for a long time - that  gaming is one of the most engaging and impactful media channels for brands. We’ve seen an increasing appetite amongst brands to understand how attention metrics can measure the effectiveness of in-game advertising, and this study will allow us to continue to educate the industry on the power of gaming.” - Jordan Shlachter, head of research, Activision Blizzard Media.  

“This ground breaking study with Lumen and dentsu, pioneers in attention measurement, is a critical milestone for in-game advertising. It showcased once again that intrinsic in game ads work and resonate with gamers. In addition to being non-disruptive, they drive high attention and significantly boost brand awareness and consideration,  demonstrating the proven media value needed for advertisers to adopt gaming and  make it a larger part of their marketing mix.” said Natalia Vasilyeva, EVP of marketing and Strategy at Anzu. 

The study is the latest to be released by dentsu’s Attention Economy which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year since launching in 2018. The Attention Economy was the  industry’s first attention-focused study and is the world’s largest in scale and scope of its kind. The program has defined the true value of attention across channels, platforms, and formats and revolutionised the way the advertising industry plans, measures, and buys media. Visit the Attention Economy website to learn more.