IAB Releases Final In-Game Advertising Measurement Guidelines

Simplifies Process of Buying and Selling Advertising in Online Games

New York, NY (September 21, 2009)—Online gaming experiences are an increasingly important leisure activity for consumers of all ages, and marketers and game publishers have grappled with the best way to measure the time users spend playing those games.

To bring clarity to the process of buying and selling in-game advertising and to establish a standard methodology for counting impressions, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today released, after a 30-day public comment period, final In-Game Advertising Measurement Guidelines. The announcement was made at the IAB’s fifth annual MIXX Conference and Expo in New York City.

The IAB’s new guidelines cover dynamic, in-game advertisements that appear in PC or console-based games and:

* Describe an ad impression within the in-game environment as an ad that needs to be visible on the screen for at least 10 seconds before the ad is counted as an impression
* Establish a common methodology for counting impressions, thus making it easier to buy and sell in-game advertising
* Provide key measurement definitions to help marketers better understand and quantify the value of advertising exposure within the gaming environment

“We worked with key industry stakeholders to develop a single methodology for in-game advertising measurement,” said Jeremy Fain, vice president of IAB’s Industry Services. “We are confident that consumers’ increasing appetite for in-game experiences coupled with the widespread adoption of these guidelines by game publishers and ad servers will pave the way for more marketing innovation and spending in the games platform.”

“Establishing a standard methodology for measurement within an in-game environment eases the transactional process for marketers, and will allow for continued growth,” said David Gunzerath, SVP, Associate Director, Media Rating Council (MRC). “These guidelines will provide the framework for auditing ad impression measurement thus enhancing accountability within in-game advertising.”

To view the guidelines, please go to www.iab.net/in-game

About the IAB Games Committee:
The mission of this committee is to articulate the value of gaming as an advertising platform.

Source: IAB