{"id":11544,"date":"2026-04-21T17:35:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T21:35:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/2026\/04\/21\/why-brands-still-dont-get-gaming-and-why-thats-a-problem\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T17:35:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T21:35:37","slug":"why-brands-still-dont-get-gaming-and-why-thats-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/why-brands-still-dont-get-gaming-and-why-thats-a-problem\/11544\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Brands Still Don\u2019t \u201cGet\u201d Gaming \u2014 And Why That\u2019s a Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By Becky Johnson, Host of Advertising Week\u2019s Modern Marketing + Measurement Podcast<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By now, the numbers are no longer up for debate. Gaming isn\u2019t emerging \u2014 it\u2019s entrenched. It\u2019s where younger audiences spend their time, build relationships, and increasingly, shape their identities. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, gaming isn\u2019t just entertainment; it\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yet, for all its scale and cultural gravity, gaming remains one of the most misunderstood \u2014 and underleveraged \u2014 channels in modern marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This isn\u2019t a discovery problem. It\u2019s a comprehension problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Disconnect Starts with Definition<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the biggest reasons brands struggle with gaming is deceptively simple: they don\u2019t know what it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Too often, gaming is treated like a channel \u2014 something to be slotted into a media plan alongside social, CTV, and display. But gaming isn\u2019t a format. It\u2019s a behavior. A culture. A collection of ecosystems that span platforms, genres, and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As one industry leader put it, gaming today is \u201csocial, entertainment, and even sport\u201d all at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That ambiguity creates friction. If gaming can be everything, it\u2019s difficult for marketers to know where to start \u2014 or worse, where to measure success. So instead of engaging deeply, many default to surface-level activations that mimic traditional media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And gamers notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Authenticity Isn&rsquo;t Optional<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaming audiences are among the most discerning in media. They don\u2019t just consume content; they inhabit it. That creates a very different expectation for brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Showing up with a banner ad or a repurposed TV spot isn\u2019t just ineffective \u2014 it\u2019s intrusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advertising Week\u2019s own coverage makes this clear: to make an impact in gaming, brands must avoid \u201csuperficial engagement\u201d and demonstrate a genuine understanding of gaming culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s where many non-gaming brands fall short. They approach gaming as an extension of campaign distribution, not as a native environment with its own norms, language, and value exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In gaming, attention is earned through participation \u2014 not interruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Measurement Trap<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If misunderstanding gaming is the first barrier, measurement is the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marketers are conditioned to rely on standardized metrics: impressions, clicks, conversions. But gaming doesn\u2019t behave like other media \u2014 and trying to force it into those frameworks creates blind spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An IAB-focused analysis highlighted this exact issue: traditional measurement models fail to account for the way gaming content is shared, amplified, and experienced within communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In gaming, engagement isn\u2019t linear. A moment in a game can ripple through Discord servers, Twitch streams, TikTok edits, and group chats \u2014 creating a level of amplification that legacy metrics simply don\u2019t capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So what happens?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brands undervalue the channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite massive reach \u2014 more than 3 billion players globally \u2014 gaming still receives a disproportionately small share of ad spend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s not because gaming lacks impact. It\u2019s because the industry hasn\u2019t fully adapted how it defines impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Passive Thinking in an Active Medium<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s also a deeper philosophical gap at play: most advertising is built for passive consumption. Gaming is the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In traditional media, audiences watch. In gaming, they act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This shift from spectator to participant fundamentally changes how brands need to show up. Successful activations aren\u2019t just seen \u2014 they\u2019re experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaming offers the ability to turn audiences into active participants, creating persistent, evolving interactions instead of one-off impressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But many brands still approach gaming with a broadcast mindset. They look for placements instead of experiences. Reach instead of relevance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result is work that feels disconnected from the medium \u2014 and quickly ignored by the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Fragmentation Problem<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even when brands want to engage meaningfully, the gaming ecosystem itself can feel overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike social platforms or streaming services, gaming isn\u2019t centralized. It\u2019s a patchwork of platforms (console, PC, mobile), genres (FPS, simulation, sandbox), and environments (Fortnite, Roblox, indie titles, esports).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That fragmentation creates decision paralysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where should a brand show up? What format should it use? Which audience matters most?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As one industry executive bluntly put it, the space can feel like \u201ca fair amount of snake oil\u201d to marketers trying to navigate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without clear entry points, gaming often gets relegated to \u201cinnovation budgets\u201d \u2014 the first line item cut when pressures mount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Outdated Perceptions Still Linger<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Layered on top of all this is a perception problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite years of data, many marketers still carry outdated assumptions about who gamers are \u2014 and what gaming represents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reality is far broader. Gaming spans demographics, geographies, and psychographics. It\u2019s as mainstream as any media channel \u2014 arguably more so for younger audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when brands view gaming through a narrow lens \u2014 as niche, male-dominated, or purely entertainment-driven \u2014 they limit both their ambition and their investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gaming Isn&rsquo;t a Channel &mdash; It&rsquo;s a Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So what\u2019s the unlock?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It starts with reframing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaming shouldn\u2019t be treated as a line item. It should be approached as a context \u2014 a dynamic environment where culture, community, and creativity intersect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means shifting from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n \t<li>Campaigns to ecosystems<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Impressions to interactions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Targeting to participation<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also means thinking beyond advertising altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the most effective brand integrations in gaming don\u2019t look like ads at all. They\u2019re experiences, collaborations, or contributions that enhance the environment rather than disrupt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From branded game modes to virtual concerts to creator-led storytelling, the opportunity isn\u2019t just to reach gamers \u2014 it\u2019s to become part of what they\u2019re already doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Real Opportunity: Cultural Fluency<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, the brands that win in gaming aren\u2019t the ones with the biggest budgets. They\u2019re the ones with the deepest understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaming rewards cultural fluency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It favors brands that understand how communities form, how value is exchanged, and how identity is expressed within these spaces. It demands patience, experimentation, and a willingness to let go of traditional control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s a departure from how many marketers are trained to operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s also the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because while most brands are still trying to \u201cfigure out gaming,\u201d a smaller group is already embedding themselves within it \u2014 building relevance that extends far beyond a single campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Brands Need to Do Better<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaming doesn\u2019t need to prove its importance. It already commands the attention, time, and emotional investment that marketers spend billions trying to capture elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question isn\u2019t whether brands should be in gaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s whether they\u2019re willing to meet it on its own terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Right now, many aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And until that changes, gaming will remain what it is today for advertisers: not an underperforming channel \u2014 but an under-understood one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the biggest reasons brands struggle with gaming is deceptively simple: they don\u2019t know what it is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":11545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8],"topics":[2],"class_list":["post-11544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-gaming-esports","topics-editorial"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Brands Still Don\u2019t \u201cGet\u201d Gaming \u2014 And Why That\u2019s a Problem | AW360<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/why-brands-still-dont-get-gaming-and-why-thats-a-problem\/11544\/\" 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