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Monday, Dec 12, 2022

2023 Gaming Marketing Predictions

During COVID-19, gaming sales grew by 20% globally and the industry will continue growing at a CAGR of 10.2% over the next five years, despite economic and political pressures. Gaming continues to thrive as more people look to it as a source of entertainment, relaxation and as a way to connect with like-minded people and communities.
2023 Gaming Marketing Predictions

As 2022 comes to a close, Livewire CEO & Co-Founders, Brad Manuel and Indy Khabra share their predictions for what’s to come in 2023. 

  1. Quality will take priority over quantity. 

The rise of ad blockers, VPNs and the impending arrival of a cookieless world means marketers face increasing pressure to get creative in the ways they reach and engage audiences. As more brands move into gaming marketing, publishers must also engineer new ways of seamlessly interacting with customers, ensuring  CX remains at the forefront of each interaction, while also driving revenue from brands in the ecosystem. Gaming is a customer-centric industry and a passion point for more than 3BN people on the planet and gamers are willing to experience ads in order to unlock in-game rewards and features. As the force of brands and publishers intersects with customers’ willingness to engage, the quality of executions, formats and creative will quickly outpace the desire for quantity. 

  1. Changing of the Creator Ecosystem

2023 will highlight a generational shift in talent, content and product for creators that has been evolving over the last 12 months. We are seeing talent who have aggregated millions of subscribers across multiple platforms deliver less impressions and decreasing engagement and being replaced by a new generation of creators with active audiences and new interests.  From a content production and promotion side, the rise of TikTok, YouTube Shorts and short form video content is altering the landscape for streaming platforms, creating unique audience engagement opportunities, with a clear plan required. Creators are increasingly building their own brands and products, rather than just being sponsored by them, by strategically pushing and pulling audiences across their channels. In turn, creators are generating more content and consumption, encouraging streaming platforms to increase their investments in gaming. The wave of change will continue for creators in 2023 as part of the gaming marketing ecosystem. 

  1. Measurement will drive investment. 

While the IAB has taken some strides in resetting its measurement guidelines, in order to attract and sustain significant investment from advertisers, ongoing improvements in tools and analytics will need to remain a priority.  Gaming marketing is often perceived as a ‘young’ and niche industry , but as more of its rich, historical data is used to showcase effectiveness via proof points,  sentiment will become more positive, followed by meaningful investment. 

  1. Verticalised campaigns will erode. 

Hand in hand with improved cross-platform measurement and an evolving ecosystem thanks to big tech, verticalized marketing campaigns will continue eroding in favour of integrated, omni-channel campaigns spanning the entire gaming ecosystem. Creators,  IP and immersive in-game experiences (mistakenly claimed to be the metaverse), can create highly relevant focal points for gaming marketing strategies, and marketplaces like Livewire create access to all gaming verticals, enabling brands to extend key messages across multiple touchpoints in a cohesive and targeted manner. Taking a lateral view of the gaming industry will be key to building effective marketing strategies in 2023. 

  1. Marketing investment will shift to gaming. 

Data predicts more than 400M new users will join the gaming community in the next few years and while creators, video formats, social channels and VR are among top billings for 2023 marketing trends,  the gaming industry is in a unique position to offer marketers access to the masses as well as these assets, all within one environment. As developers like Roblox produce more creative builds showcasing how all these elements can come together in one creative and cohesive execution and with measurement becoming more robust, FOMO will eventually begin to drive more brands into the gaming space as well. 

Creators and social platforms will introduce more audiences to gaming.  Single-entry point marketplaces like Livewire and wall gardened ecosystems like Google and Microsoft will make it easier for brands to activate meaningful, long-term gaming marketing strategies.  And improved measurement will provide the data required for brands, publishers and agencies to continue to plan further ahead. 

2023 is set to be another exciting year for gaming.