Video games have become more than just a pastime over the years – they’re a massive industry, with big budgets, high stakes and even higher expectations. Companies are investing more resources than ever before in creating and promoting their games, and the use of digital advertising is one of the cornerstones of their success.
Although video game marketing has come a long way since its humble beginnings, there are still some areas that need improvement. Chief among these is brand safety – the idea that brands should be protected from being associated with anything likely to damage their reputation.
In this blog post, we’ll look at the challenge of brand safety in video game marketing, including:
• What is brand safety?
• Why is it important for video game marketing?
• What can be done to ensure brand safety in the video game industry?
What is Brand Safety?
Brand safety is an important concept in the world of digital marketing. It refers to the notion that companies need to protect their brand from appearing in contexts that could damage its reputation. This means ensuring that advertising and marketing campaigns do not appear in places where they could be associated with controversial, hateful or otherwise damaging content or messages.
Why is brand safety important for video game marketing?
Video games often target a fairly young demographic – teenagers and children – which means that companies have to be careful about what ads they display, and where they display them. However, video games are also incredibly popular with adults, with some genres even being considered “mainstream” among older players. This means that brand safety is important for video game marketing, as companies don’t want to be associated with anything that could cause offence or damage the reputation of their products.
What can be done to ensure brand safety in the video game industry?
There are several measures that can be taken to ensure brand safety in the video game industry. These include:
• Working with third-party companies: Companies should work with third-party companies that specialise in ensuring brand safety within the video game industry. These companies can help a brand to proactively monitor the use of its advertising within the game, as well as helping to detect any potential issues.
• Using game data: Companies should use data from the game itself to monitor the content of their games. This will help them to identify any potentially offensive or distasteful content that could damage their brand.
• Establishing guidelines: Companies should also create explicit guidelines around brand safety. This should include establishing rules for content, as well as setting out which types of websites and other platforms are deemed acceptable for advertising.
Conclusion
Brand safety is an important consideration for any company, especially those in the video game industry. By working with third-party companies, using game data and establishing guidelines, companies can ensure that their ads are displayed in a way that is both positive and appropriate. This will help to protect their brand, and ensure that their video game marketing campaigns are a success.
