• by Darren Herman , August 31, 2004

With the explosion in the numbers of video game console owners, the huge and virtually untapped market for in-game advertising is growing fast. You can't afford to miss any opportunity to present your advertising message to the right audience, and this is a high-impact way to make your brand visible.

Video game players belong to a young demographic that is especially conditioned to being exposed to advertising, and is more likely to respond favorably. For instance, if your logo is pictured on a barrier that the player needs to break through, not only will he be staring intently at your logo, but he will have a pleasant association with your product when he does break through. Some important points to consider:

> Gamers are a loyal audience. Most of those who do play video games play them consistently and frequently. As a favored method of relaxing after a busy or stressful day, game fans spend an average of six to eight hours a week playing.

> Gamers are a captive audience. While they're playing, gamers are focused intently on what they're doing for extended periods of time. The playing experience is repetitive and predictable in a pleasurable way, and the constant and repeated exposures make it more likely that your ad will make a lasting impression on the player.

> Game players are receptive to advertising messages. Gamers are relaxed and have fun while they play, but at the same time, are alert and intently focused on what they are doing. This makes them psychologically receptive to your messages, and they will subconsciously associate your product with the good time they're having.

In-game advertising is an effective advertising method. People these days are more and more likely to skip past the ads in newspapers and magazines, download special software to eliminate online pop-ups, and even use new technology like TiVo to skip past TV commercials.

But the gamer having fun playing won't want to turn away from your ad. Since the ads are integrated into the game in a natural way, the gamer doesn't perceive them as a distraction - more likely, he'll look at them as an added touch of realism! And with annual sales of game software and hardware at $10 billion a year, this market is only going to expand.

Darren Herman is the founder and CEO of InGame Partners, an agency specializing in product placement, branding, marketing, and advertising in video games.