Interactive advertising usually conjures up images of banner ads, microsites, social media applications, and viral videos. But there are a plethora of opportunities available beyond the web browser, such as the developing world of video game advertising, the still-nascent mobile industry, and even portable music players.
At Microsoft, the department charged with tackling these new platforms is the entertainment and devices advertising business group (ABG), led by general manager Mark Kroese. Kroese, a Microsoft veteran who once served as Martha Stewart's tech expert, hatched the idea for the ABG in 2007 after thinking the software giant's entertainment division should serve as a publisher of advertising experiences.
Mark Kroese is general manager, Microsoft Advertising Business GroupAs a business unit within the division, ABG now works to create ad opportunities for non-browser products, such as Xbox Live, Zune, Windows Media Center, and Windows Mobile -- what Kroese refers to as the media environments that live "beyond the browser."
One area Kroese's group is pushing forward in is the world of video game advertising. Later this year, Microsoft will launch "1 vs. 100," an online game show through the Xbox Live platform that will incorporate in-game advertising and sponsorship opportunities. iMedia caught up with Kroese to see what kind of advertising opportunities are available outside of the traditional web, as well as to see what's happening with "1 vs. 100."
iMedia: The worlds of mobile, video games, and video are indisputably popular with consumers, but advertisers have been reluctant to dive in. What is Microsoft's strategy right now in enticing marketers to conduct ad programs across the E&D platforms?
Kroese: We've actually found advertisers to be pretty excited about the possibilities that these types of media offer. Particularly on our platform, because we can offer three things they are longing for: a large and growing audience, high levels of engagement with the content, and impact, which is usually expressed as return on investment. In short, our strategy is to offer advertising opportunities to otherwise hard-to-reach audiences, namely 18- to 34-year-old males, and to do so in an irresistibly cost-effective way.
That last point is critical, particularly in today's economic environment. Our offerings produce results -- period. And we document those results through ad effectiveness research, content downloads, click-through rates, and other measurement criteria. So when we talk to marketers in terms of provable engagement and ROI, in a highly focused environment, they become very interested in advertising on our properties.
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