Bidstack Group PLC (AIM: BIDS.L ) has published the findings from eye-tracking specialist Lumen, which positions Bidstack as a market leading advertising medium.
Study Findings
The study found that 94% of gamers noticed the automotive brand's in-game ads which is 2.6x higher than standard display advertising norms (36%). The time spent looking at the ads was also 1.5x longer. The attention generated by the ads significantly outperformed a number of other advertising channels such as Desktop Display (11.5x), Mobile Display (5.5x) and Out Of Home (2.5x). The in-game ads also outperformed Press and Facebook ads, although by a smaller margin.
Brand recall for the campaign was found to be 2.6x higher than standard norms and exposure to the ad also had a demonstrable impact on brand perceptions. In-game placement of the ad resulted in significant uplifts in perceptions of the automotive brand being affordable (31%) and in recall of the price messaging (63%). Trust and positive brand perception were also notably higher after in-game exposure to the ad.
Scope of the Study
The research, which was undertaken by attention specialists Lumen Research, measured the success of an in-game campaign delivered by Bidstack for a leading automotive brand.
The aim of the study was to discover how much attention the in-game adverts received in a typical gamer session, to assess brand recall, to establish the strength and impact of the ad's messaging and to evaluate whether exposure to the ad had uplift effects on brand perception and demonstrates the value of in-game advertising when benchmarked against other advertising channels.
Shares in Bidstack opened 12% higher following publication of the report.
James Draper, CEO of Bidstack, said: "I am delighted to see Bidstack's in-game ads perform so impressively when benchmarked against other advertising channels. As our offering has evolved, we have learned how best to maximise campaigns for our advertising partners and have refined our creative guidelines to help them grab the attention of different target audiences.
Seeing our in-game native ads comfortably outperform a number of effective, respected and well-established ad channels is a significant endorsement of how our native in-game offering can be utilised to engage with difficult to reach audiences. Having this new evidence to share with our partners and prospective clients at this time is particularly valuable as brands and agencies explore innovative new ways to reach their audience whilst people respect social distancing rules around the world."
Mike Follett, Managing Director of Lumen Research said: "The results from this brand uplift study were really impressive. As attention specialists, in-game advertising is a format that we have watched with interest for a while. It seems to have emerged as an important new channel for advertisers in the current climate though as people have spent more time at home.
The findings of this study demonstrate that Bidstack's in-game format is a powerful way for brands to reach their target audience. Bidstack outperformed multiple traditional ad channels, in some cases by as much as 11x. We were impressed not only with the attention the ads received, but more importantly with the strong brand recall and the positive impact on brand perceptions that the ads generated."