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Naj Kidwai is the Founder of Real Time Content, a leading provider of personalized video ad technology based in New York City.

He can be reached via email at nkidwai@realtimecontent.com.

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Integrating Targeted Video Ads Into Browser-Based Gaming

Written on
Sep 30, 2009 
Author
Naj Kidwai  |
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Integrating Targeted Video Ads Into Browser-Based Gaming



ADOTAS – Technology innovation can be a tricky thing. It generally moves along slowly, reaching incremental advances that make our jobs easier or our lives more enjoyable. Occasionally, it takes a noticeable leap forward; making a significant impact that paves the way for a new market to emerge. You may not have noticed it, but the reality is that we may be in the middle of one of those leaps in technology innovation. Why? Because video advertising is now ready for primetime use in online browser-based gaming.

 

Research indicates that the overall in-game advertising market is hot and the market will continue to grow in the next few years from $77.1M in 2006 to $971.3M by 2011, according to 2007 research from the Yankee Group. The Browser gaming segment has also never been more popular and advertisers are jumping on board trying to reap the benefits of new revenue streams. As new technology has made the gaming world more innovative through sharper graphics, faster speeds and simulated real-life game play, the market has become ripe for advertisers to join in. However, despite the leaps in technology innovation, online video has not been ready for integration into the gaming world.

 

Previously, due to stringent requirements on bandwidth, using video in online gaming has proved difficult to provide a seamless experience for the consumer. Slow loading times would test the patience of users and were not a conducive platform for advertisers. The classic Orbitz Games integrated into the company’s banner campaigns used dynamic graphical elements and sound, but the use of video in an online browser-based gaming environment has been rare and difficult – until now.

Today, in-game advertising is a proven model and with advancements in gaming technology, developers, publishers and brands are giving video a serious look.

In June 2009, the Sony Ericsson WTA World Tour launched a global media campaign that included an interactive browser-based sports trading card game featuring real-time video highlights and updates of the players’ actual real-world statistics, such as their numbers of aces and percentage of serves won. The game engages consumers and empowers them to interact by giving them a say in the players and video highlights they want to watch.

 

Why is that important? Interactivity leads to deeper brand engagement with highly relevant content that keeps consumers on the site longer. Brands and publishers can then measure the campaigns effectiveness based on any number of different metrics. Plus, they can use the data to monitor the campaign’s success and optimize in real-time to maximize results and evaluate criteria for future campaigns.

The secret to targeted integrating video into the online gaming experience is made possible by transforming video into segmented micro media content that can be tagged and then played back in a sequence determined by the user. By turning video into a malleable, flexible form of media, consumers can watch the fragment they want, when they want it, while influencing the order in which the content appears - turning video into a personalized, targeted medium.

 

The typical production process for the integration of targeted video into browser gaming includes three basic steps:

 

  • Campaign Development: During the campaign planning stage, video clips are segmented, tagged and categorized based on the nature of the game and goals of the campaign.

 

  • Ad Creation: The video segments are assembled using a storyboard technology platform that creates different game sequences, which can be personalized based on viewer interaction and user profile data. The platform will deliver the content based on a number of different game criteria, including geographic location, date/time, language or viewer input about what they want to watch.

 

  • Real-time Delivery: The technology instantly delivers the video that directly reflects the user’s interests and behavior. Consumer reactions are measured for the advertiser and used to optimize future game content.

 

This new application changes the DNA of video from “shoot it, edit it, store it, play it” to “shoot it, prepare it, edit it on the fly as it plays” It’s a big change, and it enables personalized video to be used in browser games as easily as if it was a static picture or a sound. The Sony Ericsson WTA campaign included the first game to take advantage of this latest leap in technology innovation, but it certainly won’t be the last. 

Naj Kidwai is Founder of Real Time Content, a leading provider of personalized video ad technology based in New York City. He can be reached via email at nkidwai@realtimecontent.com





Reader Comments.

Have you heard of Mochi Media? They’re already making huge strides with targeted video ads in browser based games.

http://topnews.us/content/25391-mochi-media-achieves-enviable-growth-attracts-nearly-100-million-monthly-online-gamers

My son plays Flash games all the time so I end up seeing their ads quite often.

Posted by Karen Donahue | 11:44 pm on October 2, 2009.

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