Marketing

The Association canadienne du logiciel de divertissement (ALD) presents an overview of its 2022 activities, emphasizing the organization’s mandate to champion the Canadian video‑game sector through policy advocacy, industry research and public‑relations initiatives. Central to the narrative is the 2021 economic study conducted with Nordicity, which quantifies the sector’s contribution to the national economy and underscores its resilience amid pandemic‑induced disruptions.

The study reveals that the industry expanded from fewer than 700 active studios in 2019 to nearly 1 000 in 2021, employing more than 32 000 full‑time workers and supporting an additional 23 000 indirect jobs. Direct output now adds $5.5 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product, the highest level recorded to date. Survey participation reached a record 160‑plus responses, representing over 150 studios that supplied employment and financial data. Diversity and inclusion policies are in place at more than 80 % of studios with 100 or more employees, indicating a sector‑wide commitment to balanced talent pipelines.

Complementary efforts include a bilingual “#MyWhy” vaccination campaign that mobilized seven influencers to produce eight videos, and a newly funded guide outlining electronic‑waste recycling obligations for members. Media outreach, coordinated with Hill & Knowlton Strategies, generated roughly 39 million impressions, 66 000 Twitter impressions, 11 000 Instagram impressions and 42 000 YouTube views, translating into over 1 200 hours of video consumption. Virtual engagements with federal officials covered economic impact, immigration, skills development and cultural funding, while plans are under way for an in‑person “Games on the Hill” event in November 2022.

Overall, the report demonstrates that despite pandemic constraints, the Canadian video‑game industry has continued to grow, diversify and increase its cultural and economic influence, positioning Canada as

The first half of 2022 saw a contraction across the mobile‑app advertising ecosystem, with the total number of advertisers falling 5.79 % to a historic low of roughly 83 400 and creative volume dropping 27 % to 40 million assets. This downward pressure was most pronounced among mobile‑game advertisers, whose pool shrank to about 83 000 in January, while non‑game categories such as shopping apps retained the largest share of spend (≈12.5 % of advertisers and 17.2 % of creatives). Regional variation was stark: Europe and North America dominated non‑game advertising, whereas the Asia‑Pacific region, excluding China, was the only market with a net increase in advertisers.

Mobile‑game advertising displayed divergent cost dynamics. The United States and Japan posted the highest average CPMs at $27.54 and $25.93 respectively, with iOS campaigns costing roughly 15 % more than Android. Female users and the 55‑64 age cohort commanded a 13 % premium on impressions, while South Korea recorded the peak CPI at $13.90. Playable ads delivered the lowest CPI but suffered the weakest return on ad spend, whereas banner formats generated the strongest ROAS. Strategy titles leaned heavily on video‑only creatives (>90 %) and began integrating casual‑puzzle mechanics to broaden appeal; interest in emerging formats remained modest, with only 16 % of players expressing curiosity about NFTs and 32 % about metaverse features.

Creative strategies are shifting toward motivation‑driven, user‑centric formats such as rewarded video and playable ads to counter post‑IDFA fragmentation. Narrative‑driven ads are proving effective for simulation games targeting female audiences, delivering $12 million in revenue across key Western markets. AR‑enhanced placements on platforms like Snapchat achieve double the attention and 1.7 × the immersion of standard formats, while friend‑based recommendations outperform celebrity influencers by a factor of four. Regional opportunities are emerging in Tier‑2/3 India through vernacular campaigns and OEM inventory, and Turkey’s

Document Title: The State of Mobile Game and App Markets: H1 2022

Executive Overview

Market Contraction, but Not Uniform: Overall mobile‑app and game ecosystem shrank – 6.2 % YoY drop in the number of advertisers and a 27 % decline in total creatives. The contraction was regional: Europe, North America, and Oceania bore the brunt, while Tier‑2/3 markets (especially Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) surged – advertiser counts rose 37 % YoY.

Creative Strategy Shift: Marketers moved away from “quantity‑over‑quality” to higher‑quality, user‑generated‑content (UGC)‑style creatives. This pivot drove a 27.8 % YoY reduction in total mobile‑game creatives (down to 15.8 M), while the advertiser base remained relatively stable (≈ 45.1 K).

Performance‑Driven Campaigns: Adoption of cost‑per‑play (CPP) and in‑app‑purchase‑return‑on‑ad‑spend (IAP‑ROAS) optimization grew sharply. Machine‑learning‑powered tools—predictive analytics, automated bidding, and the new SKAdNetwork 4.0 attribution framework for iOS—helped offset rising cost‑per‑install (CPI) pressures and improve early‑stage ROI measurement.

App‑Store Search Dominance: 64.7 % of all app installs in H1 2022 originated from App Store search. Consequently, publishers and marketers doubled‑down on App Store Optimization (ASO) and Apple Search Ads, treating search visibility as a primary acquisition channel.

Growth Outlook: Future expansion is expected to be driven by emerging markets (Tier‑2/3 regions) and increased reliance on AI/ML‑based campaign automation. Continued investment in high‑impact, UGC‑styled creatives and search‑centric acquisition will be critical to sustain performance as CPI trends upward.

Section‑by‑Section Highlights

| Section | Core Findings | |---------|----------------| | 1 – Market Landscape | • 6.2 % YoY decline in advertisers; 27 % drop in creatives.<br>• Steepest losses in Europe, NA, Oceania.<br>• 37 % YoY advertiser surge in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan (Tier‑2/3).<br>• Shift to higher‑quality, UGC‑style creatives and predictive‑analytics‑driven campaigns (incl. SKAdNetwork 4.0). | | 2 – Creative & Optimization Trends | • 27.8 % YoY reduction in total mobile‑game creatives → 15.8 M.<br>• Advertiser count stable at ~45.1 K.<br>• Widespread adoption of CPP and I

The global mobile market in the first half of 2022 underwent a significant transition, characterized by a contraction in total advertising volume alongside a strategic pivot toward high-quality, video-centric content. While the total number of advertisers and ad creatives declined year-over-year, emerging markets in the Middle East, South America, and Southeast Asia experienced robust growth. This period saw a sharp rise in advertising costs, with the average CPM reaching $19.31 and the United States and South Korea emerging as the most expensive regions for user acquisition.

Casual and puzzle games dominated the advertising landscape by volume, yet RPGs and strategy titles commanded the highest revenue and advertising spend. A notable trend involved mid-core developers utilizing "lightweight" or drama-based video creatives to lower entry barriers for broader audiences. Video formats now constitute over 86% of all creatives, with interactive AR filters and short-form content on platforms like Snapchat and TikTok challenging the traditional dominance of Meta. In the non-gaming sector, shopping and finance apps led in advertiser activity, while reading apps produced the highest volume of individual creatives.

The industry faced headwinds from Apple’s IDFA privacy changes, prompting a shift toward "motivation-based" creative strategies and localized global launches, particularly by Chinese firms seeking relief from domestic regulatory pressures. Despite rising costs and a 27% drop in creative volume, the market remains dynamic, driven by the expansion of esports, cross-platform play, and a growing consumer interest in the metaverse. Success is increasingly defined by down-funnel conversion optimization and the use of immersive, emotionally resonant storytelling to engage diverse global demographics.

The global gaming industry is undergoing a transformative shift into a primary mass medium, projected to reach 3.5 billion players and $225 billion in revenue by 2025. This evolution is characterized by gaming’s role as a central pillar of culture and social connection, with over a third of players utilizing the medium specifically for socialization. Analysis across 21 global markets reveals that gamers are highly engaged "super-consumers" who spend nearly 60 hours a week across television and internet platforms, making them a critical demographic for brand attention.

To effectively reach this audience, the industry must move beyond traditional demographic stereotypes and adopt a motivation-based segmentation. This approach identifies six distinct player types, allowing for more authentic engagement. However, a significant gap remains between the diverse player base and the industry’s internal demographics, which remain predominantly male and white. Prioritizing equity, inclusion, and accessibility is essential for future growth, as evidenced by the commercial success of titles that prioritize inclusive design and representation.

Successful brand integration requires a departure from standard advertising in favor of intrinsic in-game experiences and value-driven partnerships. Strategies such as gamified commerce, immersive virtual events, and the utilization of original intellectual property yield higher attention and recall rates than traditional social media formats. By fostering mutually beneficial relationships and respecting established gaming codes, brands can leverage the medium not just for visibility, but as a sophisticated tool for long-term community building and commercial innovation.

The August 2021 creative roundup highlights a pronounced shift toward human‑like characters and narrative‑driven formats across mobile‑gaming advertisements. Campaigns for titles such as Garena Free Fire, Call of Duty, Clash of Clans and Mobile Legends foreground anthropomorphic protagonists in both gameplay footage and cinematic sequences, often pairing them with real‑world personalities—DJs Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and singer Ozuna appear as playable avatars, reinforcing a crossover appeal between music and gaming audiences.

Anniversary celebrations and special collaborations dominate the thematic landscape, with multiple brands deploying party‑style visuals, event‑specific soundtracks and promotional codes to drive engagement. Split‑screen designs that juxtapose moving video with static captions recur in hyper‑casual and match‑3 ads, while fail‑state cues and “try‑it‑yourself” calls‑to‑action appear in titles such as Royal Match, Evony and Township, encouraging immediate interaction. Pop music, ranging from mainstream hits to instrumental versions of Rihanna’s “Desperado,” underpins many creatives, particularly on Snapchat and TikTok‑adjacent platforms.

Performance data show these assets ranking within the top‑10 positions on networks including Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook and ad‑exchange partners such as ironSource and Chartboost. The analysis draws on a sample of the highest‑performing creatives across these channels during August 2021, encompassing a broad geographic spread and covering genres from battle‑royale and hyper‑casual to match‑3 and simulation. The findings suggest that narrative depth, celebrity integration, and music‑driven emotional hooks are now core drivers of ad effectiveness in the mobile‑gaming market.

Requested by the CULT Committee European Parliament Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies Directorate-General for Internal Policies PE 652.242 – February 2021 EN Cultural and creative sectors (CCS) have been hit hard by the consequences of the COVID -19 pandemic. This study analyses the so far effects of the crisis on the CCS, as well as the policy responses that are formulated to support the sectors.

This analysis examines the efficacy of in-game audio advertising as a non-intrusive alternative to traditional video and banner formats within the mobile gaming industry. The primary thesis posits that audio ads maintain player engagement and retention by allowing gameplay to continue uninterrupted, thereby fostering a more positive brand association compared to conventional, disruptive advertising models.

Research findings are derived from a combination of market surveys and behavioral testing. A YouGov survey of 2,200 respondents highlights that 86% of UK adults dislike video ads, while 28% identify audio ads as their preferred monetization model. Behavioral testing conducted by Go Live Test confirms that 100% of participants continued playing during audio ad delivery and achieved 100% brand recall when ads were paired with a companion banner. Furthermore, the data indicates a significant engagement advantage, with audio ads achieving a click-through rate (CTR) of approximately one click per 1.4 listens, vastly outperforming the 0.08% average CTR typical of static banners.

The effectiveness of this format is further validated by a Warner Music Group case study targeting 18-to-30-year-olds in the United States. The campaign achieved a 1.78% CTR—representing a 1,000% increase over traditional banner standards—and an ad completion rate exceeding 75%, significantly higher than the 4% to 8% industry standard for skippable video ads. Additionally, the campaign recorded a 1.8% bounce rate on the destination page, suggesting high intent among users who engaged with the audio format.

These findings suggest that audio advertising offers a viable solution for developers and brands seeking to monetize a global audience of 2.8 billion mobile gamers without compromising the user experience. By integrating seamlessly into the background of gameplay, audio ads mitigate the frustration associated with screen-blocking video ads, ultimately driving higher engagement and more favorable brand outcomes.

The 2021 mobile gaming landscape was defined by a transition toward creative-led advertising strategies necessitated by rising acquisition costs and shifting privacy regulations. As iOS privacy changes prompted a strategic pivot toward Android platforms, the industry experienced a 200% surge in ad creatives and a 34% year-over-year increase in CPMs on major platforms like Meta. With the United States emerging as the most expensive market at an average CPM of $28.18, advertisers increasingly prioritized data-driven optimization and regional targeting to maintain return on investment amidst a broader 5% slowdown in total advertiser market growth.

While casual and puzzle games maintained the highest volume of individual advertisers globally, RPGs consistently dominated in total creative output across key regions, including Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. To combat market saturation, developers shifted toward high-engagement formats, specifically vertical video ads exceeding 30 seconds and playable end cards. These creative strategies, often incorporating celebrity endorsements and real-people trailers, became essential tools for driving conversions in a competitive environment where traditional tracking methods faced significant headwinds.

Looking toward future growth, the industry is increasingly focused on globalization and the refinement of hybrid monetization models. Developers are diversifying revenue streams by integrating NFTs and combining traditional in-app purchases with ad-based structures. Furthermore, the adoption of privacy-compliant user acquisition, such as early SKAN testing and AI-driven optimization, has become a prerequisite for success. As companies expand into emerging markets like the Middle East and the CIS, the combination of M&A activity, social feature integration, and sophisticated monetization frameworks will remain central to navigating the complexities of the post-privacy mobile ecosystem.

CyberAgent achieved record-high consolidated sales of 131 billion yen during the first quarter of fiscal year 2021, representing a 13.3% year-over-year increase. This growth was primarily propelled by the Media and Advertising segments, offsetting a temporary downturn in the Game business. While the Game segment saw revenue decline 15% to 29.9 billion yen and operating profit drop 77.8% due to seasonal factors and elevated marketing expenditures, the company maintained a strong financial foundation with 252 billion yen in total assets. This performance establishes a solid trajectory toward meeting full-year targets despite the mixed results across different business units.

The Media segment emerged as a significant growth engine, with ABEMA driving a 67% surge in revenue to 20.4 billion yen. This expansion was supported by a premium subscriber base exceeding 921,000 users and an elevenfold increase in transaction volume for the WINTICKET platform. To capitalize on this momentum, the company restructured ABEMA into distinct Free and Premium business units. Simultaneously, the Game business prepared for a recovery through the high-profile launches of titles such as Uma Musume Pretty Derby and NieR Re[in]carnation, signaling a strategic focus on high-quality content to stabilize future earnings.

Corporate strategy remains centered on governance and technological adaptation within the Japanese market. The organizational structure utilizes a clear distinction between supervision and execution, supported by a board of eight directors that includes significant outside representation. By emphasizing environmental data disclosure and the integration of artificial intelligence within advertising and media functionality, the company aims to align with modern ESG standards. These initiatives, framed within the context of the New Normal, reflect a commitment to long-term sustainability and operational agility in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The global mobile marketing landscape experienced a massive surge in activity during the first half of 2021, characterized by a 108% year-on-year increase in advertising creatives totaling over 19 million. This growth was primarily driven by hard-core gaming titles and a significant expansion in the non-game sector, where creatives rose 38% to 47.6 million. Despite this volume increase, Apple’s IDFA policy changes caused a 13% decline in the share of iOS creatives, shifting more focus toward Android platforms. Geographically, the United States remained the largest advertising market, while Oceania emerged as the fastest-growing region for non-game advertisers.

Chinese companies solidified their global dominance during this period, accounting for 70% of top-charting mobile game media buying and over 25% of the total global market share. These developers maintained a particularly strong presence on major social platforms, representing 100% of the top ten advertisers on Facebook’s News Feed. However, this increased competition contributed to a sharp rise in acquisition costs, with Facebook’s average CPC and CPM both climbing 128% year-over-year. RPG and Puzzle genres led in total creative volume, while Strategy games exhibited the highest media buying intensity per advertiser.

Marketing strategies have evolved toward high-engagement, "snackable" short-form video content and influencer-led campaigns to combat rising costs and privacy-related tracking challenges. In the gaming sector, creative tactics shifted toward live-action footage and gameplay extensions, while non-game apps—particularly in the education and shopping sectors—capitalized on pandemic-related lifestyle shifts. As the industry navigates the post-IDFA era, the integration of high-quality in-game ads and diverse creative formats has become essential for maintaining user retention and driving monetization across both domestic Chinese and international markets.