From Play to Purpose: Transforming gaming Into an educational ad powerhouse

As gaming solidifies as one of the world’s most popular entertainment channels, universities and education brands have an unprecedented chance to connect with audiences through this dynamic medium in ways traditional media can’t match. 

Recent data from iion’s education vertical campaigns reveal critical insights into how gaming can drive deeper engagement for education advertisers. From understanding seasonal trends to tailoring device strategies, these findings highlight why gaming is an essential addition to any education brand’s marketing strategy. The report also debunks the idea that game genres significantly impact ad performance, showing that consistent results across genres stem from the immersive and entertainment-focused mindset of gamers.

Here are five takeaways from the report that show how education brands can turn gaming into a powerful advertising channel:
 

1. Seasonal awareness meets academic cycles
Education campaigns in gaming show a clear seasonal pattern: engagement peaks in August and September, just before traditional academic periods. This seasonal alignment suggests that users might respond best to early summer campaigns, while intense competition during back-to-school months could dilute messaging. 

For self-paced learning programmes, reaching audiences early and outside these cycles may effectively capture undivided attention before academic-season competition heats up.

2. Weekend gaming = reflective mindset
Saturdays and Sundays stand out as prime days for engagement, with weekends presenting higher click-through rates as users are in a more reflective, goal-oriented state. This insight offers a strategy where weekdays can be used for broad awareness at a lower cost, while weekends target engaged audiences who are more open to considering educational options. 

Brands that want to resonate with an audience in "what's next" mode could find high returns by intensifying ad focus on Saturdays.

3. Creative in-game ads drive engagement
Video and immersive experiences are consistently the top-performing format with game ad campaigns. Well-designed, interactive video hold players’ attention even mid-gameplay, while interstitials - typically effective in other digital spaces - underperform in the gaming, highlighting the need for creatives that seamlessly integrate into the gaming environment. 

Education advertisers can benefit from prioritising high-quality video and potentially exploring niche formats like Game Mods, which can build brand affinity without breaking immersion.

4. Match devices to study-mode moments
Campaigns targeting PCs and tablets performed better than those on smartphones, a unique trend in digital advertising. This insight points to user behaviour: PCs and tablets, often used for work and study, create a conducive mindset for educational content, whereas mobile use is more casual. 

Consider mobile for brand awareness while focusing engagement-driven content on desktops, where users are more receptive to exploring serious learning opportunities.

5. Data-driven insights refine strategies
iion’s analysis of 15 campaigns over six months revealed key trends for optimising education advertising in gaming. By examining 10 million impressions across six ad formats, the study found that performance remained consistent across game genres, reinforcing the importance of broad targeting and allowing platforms to dynamically focus on high-performing placements. 

This data underscores the value of continuous campaign analysis to refine strategies, ensuring education brands connect with engaged audiences effectively while maximising the impact of their gaming ad investments.