Advertising Week New York 2024 Recap

Advertising Week New York 2024 honed in on the critical role of attention in modern media, with gaming emerging as a central platform for capturing and sustaining it. During the session “Play It Forward: How Gaming Immersion Unlocks Player Attention,” a diverse panel of industry leaders explored how brands can leverage gaming's immersive environments to connect with fragmented audiences following new research from Activision Blizzard Media of the same name.

Panelists included Jordan Shlachter (Head of Gaming Business Success, Activision Blizzard Media), Jeremy Lockhorn (SVP of Creative Technologies & Innovation, 4As), Najee Stephenson (Director, Media & Performance, CeraVe | L'Oréal), and Pete Basgen (Global Gaming & Esports Lead, Wavemaker).

The discussion centered around how brands can effectively utilize the power of attention to drive consumer engagement, moving beyond traditional approaches to create deeper, more authentic connections within the gaming ecosystem.

Attention in Gaming

In today’s multitudinous media landscape, attention has become a key metric. Jordan Shlachter described attention as “the starting point” for successful marketing, emphasizing that brands need to collaborate with partners to define what attention means for their specific goals.

Gaming, with its ability to immerse and sustain audience attention, offers unique opportunities for brands. With more than 40% of the global population engaged in gaming, it is a diverse space where brands must move beyond stereotypes to engage with nuanced audiences effectively.

Authentic Integration

The panel stressed that leveraging gaming intellectual property (IP) is essential for authentic brand integration. Stephenson noted, “It didn’t really work until we leaned into the gaming IP.” Brands need to align with the narratives and environments that resonate with players.

An example of this authentic integration came from CeraVe, where the brand co-created a football-themed Playable ad using skincare myths as defenders. This creative approach engaged audiences in an entertaining and memorable way while remaining true to the brand’s values.

Attention as a Proxy

Attention is often used as a proxy measurement for outcomes like sentiment, purchase intent, or engagement at different stages of the marketing funnel. Shlachter highlighted that “attention matters only when correlated to the metric in the funnel that the brand cares about.” Brands should focus on both capturing and measuring attention in ways that align with their objectives.

Key Takeaways

1. Diverse Gaming Audiences: The panel reiterated that there is no singular “gamer” identity. Instead, today’s gaming landscape is highly fragmented, with players curating their own unique experiences across various platforms and genres. Brands must recognize and address this diversity in their strategies.

2. Authentic Brand Integration: Successful brand campaigns in gaming require deep, authentic integration with gaming IP. Brands must co-create experiences that align with the game's environment and resonate with the audience to drive meaningful engagement.

3. Attention as a Strategic Tool: Attention is more than just a buzzword—it’s a proxy for understanding consumer behavior throughout the marketing funnel. By measuring and correlating attention to key performance metrics, brands can make more informed decisions about how to engage with players.

4. Immersive Media Creativity: Media creativity in gaming goes beyond traditional formats. The CeraVe example showcased how brands can create unique, interactive experiences that blend entertainment with brand messaging, fostering a deeper connection with players.

The Advertising Week New York session underscored that gaming is a powerful platform for brands to capture and sustain attention in ways that resonate with today’s fragmented audiences. Through authentic integration, creative storytelling, and attention as a key metric, brands can successfully navigate the evolving world of digital play.

Read the research that inspired the discussion, “Play It Forward: How Gaming Immersion Unlocks Player Attention.”