Cannes Lions 2024: Gaming Came to Play

Gaming’s scale goes beyond its audience size

There are 3.4 billion gamers globally, but that only tells half the story of gaming’s scale and influence, according to Jonathan Stringfield, VP Global Business Research & Marketing, Activision Blizzard Media, who spoke about the gaming opportunity in his session Get In The Game at Microsoft Beach. 

Looking more closely at where and how these players engage with gaming reveals a richer story of gaming as a form of mainstream entertainment. Most gaming audiences are playing across more than one platform—with 79% engaging with mobile gaming. The ubiquity of mobile gaming represents a significant shift in the scale and reach of gaming today, with it no longer seen as something solely enjoyed on more traditional platforms such as console or PC. 

This underscores one of gaming’s key strengths—its ability to engage with a wide variety of audiences in different ways at different times. Understanding gaming beyond simply audience size allows brands to more easily identify the right entry points to reach their target audience. 

Does gaming have a branding problem?

At Consoles & Community: Why Brands Can’t Afford to Ignore Gaming on Stagwell’s Sport Beach, Gale CEO Brad Simms asked panelists this very question to get to the heart of why gaming is still sometimes misunderstood.

The ‘teenage-boy-in-the-basement’ stereotype that remains so prevalent despite the well documented diversity of gaming audiences serves as the perfect example of the misconceptions that persist when it comes to gaming. Similarly the multitude of ways to activate within gaming—from mobile, to console, to PC, to streaming—means that gaming advertising experiences with vastly different outcomes, executions and levels of investment are often grouped together, which can act as a barrier for brands looking for an entry point into gaming that makes sense for their objectives.

The key to shifting these perceptions lies in education—working hand in hand with brands and agencies to help them better understand the breadth and depth of the gaming ecosystem and the expansive opportunities within it. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to gaming, and that is precisely what makes the space so exciting for brands. 

Measurement remains key in the battle for attention

Gaming’s superpower has long been its ability to capture attention, and this was the topic of discussion at the iion Gaming Roundtable: Why Gaming is the Attention-Centric Media Frontier.

Gaming audiences are highly engaged, with gaming offering a leaned-in and immersive entertainment experience. In-game advertising activations that deliver interaction rather than distraction help put the player at the heart of the experiences so brands can capitalize on gaming’s unique strength. 

Measuring player engagement, and specifically attention, remains critical in helping brands evaluate success. The gaming industry is continuing to evolve and meet marketers where they are when it comes to measurement—using metrics and terminology that are meaningful and clear, so that the full extent of gaming’s superpower can be better understood and valued. 

About the Author

An award-winning communications and marketing leader, Claire Nance has over 15 years’ experience in both the US and Australia managing communications campaigns on a global scale. In her current role as Head of Global Communications & Industry Marketing at Activision Blizzard Media, Claire oversees all external communications, industry positioning and content development for Activision Blizzard’s advertising arm.

Prior to this, Claire held senior communications roles at IPG Mediabrands, News Corp and North 6th Agency. An active member of the PR community, Claire was on the board of directors of the Public Relations Society of America’s New York chapter from 2020 to 2022 and has acted as a mentor with several industry organizations including New York Women in Communications and She Runs It. Claire was included as one of Crain's Notable Leaders in Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations in 2022, was named one of Business Insiders PR Rising Stars in 2021, and was recognized with the PRSA-NY’s Exceptionals Under 35 award in 2019.