There was a time not so long ago when playable ads were seen as the exclusive domain of the gaming industry. But with the gradual unraveling of the immense potential of this advertising format, more and more non-gaming companies, are making the switch. Travel and e-commerce lead the race with the Financial Sector gaining steam day by day. So, what exactly is the charm of playable ads?
Having been tried and tested in the gaming sector makes it reliable for the versatile playable ads to be adapted to other formats. Not to mention, playable ads give potential users the chance to gauge the merits of the product/service they are looking at. Surveys and research state that marketers from banking and financial sectors in the USA find playable ads as one of the most effective means to keep their audience engaged and eventually turn them into customers compared to other highly preferred ad formats (to be specific, seven times more effective than the video ads!).
Taking for instance the playable ad we did for one of the best in class lending institutions, that met with significant success and ensured notable returns on ad spending through playables. The aim of this ad was to provide users the experience and value proposition of utilizing the product in a creative and casual manner. The ad used instructional elements with an engaging storyline that let the users quickly achieve targets. The tasks underlined the unique qualities of the particular product with coins being rewarded at the completion of every stage. A certain number of coins enabled the user to unlock a special offer that they later used to redeem for their purchase.
Incorporating a few tutorial elements at the beginning helped a great deal in the users getting a grip on the game play encouraging them to explore the rest on their own. Per usual, the users were invited to embrace a CTA by getting them to subscribe to the product.
Playable ads are also widely being harnessed for retargeting dormant users as well as up-selling and cross-selling. And even if users fail to subscribe to the product, it is still proving to be helpful in gaining valuable insight into their ad experience.
As with any type of advertising campaign, being realistic about goals, understanding the capabilities of your brand, and reading the market right are what ensure the success of playable ads too!