• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, March 26, 2024

While digital game advertising continues to blur some lines, ad execs say the medium has matured in recent years and is now as easy to plan and buy as other major digital media options such as CTV and online video.

The finding, which comes from a new report -- "Changing The Game" -- being released this morning by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), is derived from surveys with 300 ad brand and agency ad execs participating in a study conducted by Advertiser Perceptions for the IAB.

Not coincidentally, it's being released to coincide with the IAB two-day PlayFronts presentations beginning today.

The study finds that digital game advertising has matured to the point that more than a third of its budgets are now derived from dedicated game-specific allocations, while nearly as much (33%) comes from overall media budgets. Nearly a quarter (23%) of game advertising budgets come from device-specific allocations, while only 9% is deemed "experimental" or R&D budgeting.

Interestingly, brand advertisers (41%) were far more likely than agency media execs (29%) to describe game advertising budgets as being dedicated.

In a related announcement that could help advertisers and agencies clarify some of the lines delineating digital game ads, the IAB this morning separately released "Creative Guidelines and Best Practices in Advertising in Gaming."