• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, June 9, 2011

If engagement is so great in social game advertising, why aren't brands spending more in the space? A lack of standard measurement and pricing is one big barrier, according to Jun Group's Mitchell Reichgut. Because it's hard to sell this kind of non-traditional ad format on a CPM basis it makes it harder for media buyers to get their minds around. Typically, some type of cost-per-engagement (CPE) pricing has to be applied to suit social game ad buys. In short, it requires more creativity when it comes to pricing which can make it a harder sell.

The general ever-evolving nature of the digital world also makes it hard for senior ad execs who cut their teeth on TV to keep up with. "The pace of change is faster than any company could run," said Samit, noting that Facebook went quickly from generating a minority of impressions to now representing a third of impressions. The more digital media fragments across ad formats, devices and platforms, the tougher it is to sell media buyers on the new new thing.