Report: App users warming up to 'value exchange' ads

Consumers are willing to click on a mobile ad in an app if it gives them access to some kind of premium content, according to the MediaBrix Social and Mobile Gaming Report, H1 2013. The company surveyed just over 700 mobile gamers in June and found the following:

  •  42 percent of mobile gamers, 44 percent of social gamers and 33 percent of online casual gamers feel value exchange gives them an advantage in game play.
  •  28 percent of mobile gamers, 34 percent of social gamers and 20 percent of online casual gamers agree value exchange allows them to do more with their family, children and friends by reaching an advanced level in a shorter period of time.
  • 37 percent of mobile gamers, 34 percent of social gamers and 26 percent of online casual gamers think value exchange ads provide them with a better playing experience that makes them happier around family, children and friends.

"The rapid increase in social gaming consumption means more monetization opportunities for gaming publishers and a greater ability for brands to reach their consumers and create connections across platforms," the report says. "This will require a solid grasp of the social and mobile gaming landscape and an understanding of how metrics are shifting. Those who fail to employ an effective cross-platform strategy will likely be left behind."

Guess who can help you set up value exchange ads? The full MediaBrix report is largely drawn from other sources like Flurry, Virtue and others, with the third party data wrapped around the core numbers from the survey it conducted with a firm called Interpret. That poll looked exclusively at whether people liked the process of watching a full ad in exchange for some kind of virtual good. Though the company suggests value-exchange ads are soaring in popularity, in many cases more than half the respondents remain unconvinced that watching ads is worth their while. There's enough data here for developers to seriously consider value-exchange ads as a monetization strategy, but they probably still need to strike an appropriate balance between inserting ads and making sure they aren't impairing the gaming experience. 

For more:
- download the complete MediaBrix report here

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