IAB Releases Proposed Guideline for In-game Ad Measurement

The Interactive Advertising Bureau yesterday released proposed guidelines for in-game advertising measurement and opened a public comment period.

The guidelines are said to be an important step in clarifying and simplifying the in-game ad buying process thus encouraging more marketers to place ads in games.

The IAB Games Committee worked with key industry stakeholders to develop a single measurement methodology for dynamic, in-game advertisements that appear in PC or console-based games. The guidelines also establish a common methodology for counting impressions, making it easier to buy and sell in-game advertising, the IAB said.

The guidelines also provide important measurement definitions to help marketers better understand and quantify the value of advertising exposure within the gaming environment.

“Because the in-game environment is unique in advertising with regard to its level of consumer engagement and the way advertising is experienced within those environments, it requires specific methodology for counting impressions,” Jeremy Fain, vice president of industry services of the IAB, said in a release. “When these guidelines are widely adopted by game publishers and ad servers, it will be easier for marketers and agencies to justify larger investments as consumers spend more time playing immersive games.”

The In-Game Advertising Measurement Guidelines are the first of their kind, the organization said.

The proposed guidelines can be found online. Industry members can also comment there through July 17. The feedback will be reviewed and the guidelines will be finalized and released, the IAB said.