• by Ben Frederick  @mp_benfred, July 10, 2015

In a report issued this week, digital research company eMarketer says that marketers haven’t capitalized on mobile games nearly as much as they could.

“In 2015, for the first time, more than half of the U.S. population will be mobile phone gamers,” eMarketer estimates. “That will translate to a U.S. user base of nearly 165 million people and almost 64% of the country’s mobile phone users.” 82% of those users will play games on their smartphones.

eMarketer doesn’t have clear numbers on ad spending in mobile games—they actually discontinued spending estimates because of the small size and volatility of the market. Their last estimate in 2013 showed 20% of revenue in games coming from ads.

Paid apps or in-game purchases are considered to be better revenue generators.

The word “gamer” may conjure an image of a teenage boy sitting in front of a screen in his parents’ basement. That image may be accurate for console and PC gamers, but the study shows that the mobile gaming demographic is much more diverse. 55% of mobile gamers are female, and the vast majority of gamers are between the ages of 13 and 34.

The broad demographic and ever widening audience has caused some ad companies to consider different strategies for in-game advertising.

The last thing gamers want, says Ari Brandt, co-founder and CEO of mobile and social in-game ad platform MediaBrix is for their game to be interrupted. “The first thing [the user does] is look for the X button to close the ad,” he says.

However, less obvious or more positive interactions with advertisers are being considered. Some marketers have integrated their brands into games, allowing users to interact with their products virtually. Others overtly help gamers succeed -- a strategy that greatly improved favorability for Red Vines.

Brandt gives the example of Coca-Cola helping out a stuck gamer: “‘Click here and Coca-Cola will give you a boost to help you clear the level.’ The user not only appreciates that you’ve acknowledged their state of mind, but beyond that, you’re coming in and offering to help.”

eMarketer predicts that over 60% of the U.S. population will be playing games on their phones by 2018.