Taking video games onto the big screen with programmatic DOOH

Digital gaming has become a multi-billion dollar industry that has witnessed steady growth in its popularity over recent years, partly due to audiences being forced to stay home during the pandemic. Thanks to its highly experiential and immersive nature, the industry is estimated to have 3 billion active gamers worldwide by the end of 2023. Video game popularity also continues to transcend computer screens, with hugely successful films and TV series, like The Last of Us, bringing in millions of viewers each week. The potential of the gaming industry to break down barriers and reach new audiences is also giving rise to the need for companies to stand out from their competitors. 

One medium that has proven its credibility and effectiveness to push the boundaries of creativity and reach across multiple markets is the larger-than-life, unmissable, out-of-home (OOH). Now with the technology and innovation perpetuated by programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH), the channel is evolving, enabling advertisers to be more granular with audience targeting, optimisation and sophisticated measurement while also maximising scale and impact. 

The community of video gamers is truly global, vast and diverse, composed of individuals from all age groups and backgrounds displaying different interests and behaviours. To surpass competition, stand out from the crowd and maximise ROI, video game brands must keep their audiences’ habits and preferences in mind when campaign planning. With programmatic DOOH’s intelligent audience segmenting and targeting solutions, it is now possible to customise these campaigns without restrictions and only connect with relevant audience groups no matter where they are in the world. 

Furthermore, these targeting capabilities extend beyond singular audience groups or locations. By working with technology providers who have a strong network of DOOH inventory globally, video gaming brands can now reach new audiences in different markets simultaneously - regardless of where in the world the game is built and developed. This was the case for South Korean gaming company Com2uS which activated a cross-market campaign using programmatic DOOH from South Korea into the USA, with the goal of attracting audiences for its new baseball game 'MLB 9 innings 22'. Com2uS utilised the Hivestack demand side platform to target a custom audience of baseball enthusiasts and geofenced areas at specific points of interests, including the Angel Baseball Stadium in Anaheim during the Major League Baseball tournament. The campaign achieved over 5 million impressions amongst an entirely unique audience 6,000 miles away. 

In fiercely competitive sectors like gaming, audience targeting in different environments has proven to greatly benefit both brand awareness, purchase intent, consideration and more. Another example comes from one of the world’s leading gaming brands Nexon, which promoted its 'MapleStory M' video game via a cross-border programmatic DOOH activation from South Korea into Singapore delivering over 12 million impressions from an entirely different audience, all from a single access point. Video game brands all over the world have a unique opportunity to flex their creative muscles and no longer remain confined by borders. Programmatic DOOH has the ability to power-up any campaign. It’s simple to launch, easy to optimise and has the ability to appear anywhere in the world.

The OOH channel is one of the few that consumers cannot turn off, or ignore. In a world where people are saturated with content and advertisements, this medium not only offers brands an opportunity to connect outside of the home, but also to rely on data-driven strategies to ensure that the right people see the right ad at the right time.

Want to know more about the role that programmatic DOOH can play in your next campaign? Let’s connect.