Engaging the relatively untapped casual gamer market can substantially add to brand growth, even more so when it comes to reaching out to the over indexing Hispanic casual gamer population. Founded by industry experts, mobile advertising network Portal Latino targets the rapidly growing Hispanic casual gamer demographic in the U.S “Our proposition to advertisers is to reach consumers who game on their mobile devices,” says Carolina Bernal Managing Partner, Portal Latino. Portal Latino has the exclusive representation of Kidoz and Prado, mobile in-app gaming networks, for the US Hispanic market. Clients can safely target kids and the entire family through thousands of their favorite apps with millions of MAU’s..
Casual Gamers: Knowing This Audience Segment (Both Quantitatively and Qualitatively)
“We have found through our research that the booming US Hispanic population over indexes the general market in all things gaming by 24%. According to Nielsen, 75% of Hispanics self-identify as gamers and spend more time gaming than the general population. Of the estimated 63.7 million Hispanic population 87% have played a video game for anywhere less than 1 hour to more than 20 hours a month (Statista). 78% of gamers play on a mobile device (Pocketgamer.biz). Therefore, there are an estimated 43 million US Hispanic gamers playing almost an hour every day,” Bernal asserts.
In order to reach this segment, Portal Latino can include data or utilize robust contextual database constructed over 10 years to help advertisers reach this coveted audience without increasing costs or needing to delve into personalized data. US Hispanics are drawn to multi-player games and ones with a social component, especially battle royale and shooter, soccer and sports related content is of course also popular as are puzzles and strategy.” “We know the US Hispanic gaming preferences and motivations, however on many occasions a US Hispanic Mom is not too different from a non-US Hispanic Mom, but our contextual engine allows us to target without having all their data. US Hispanics, as non-US Hispanics are looking for an entertainment outlet to decrease stress, escape boredom, have fun or connect with others in a safe environment. By understanding the broader context of our audience, we can help personalize the right message at the right time to make a meaningful connection for brands.”
“ There are an estimated 43 million US Hispanic gamers playing almost an hour every day.”
Engaging Casual Gamers: It Doesn’t Have to be Complicated.
Advertising within the mobile gaming landscape doesn’t have to be complicated. This vast ecosystem offers a massive reach of engaged users who welcome relevant ads. Bernal recommends using video content that resonates with their style and culture. “By prioritizing seamless experiences and aligning ads with gameplay, you can create effective campaigns that resonate with Hispanic gamers,” Bernal notes.
Three Things to Take into Account to Create Seamless Experience for Gamers, according to Portal Latino’s Carolina Bernal:
- Align ads with gameplay.
- Use video content that speaks to the style and culture of this audience. “Hispanic gaming audiences don’t like glitches and crashing so most importantly is that the videos run seamlessly without interference of their game and are appreciative when the advertising exchange enhances the game play experience and user journey.”
- Use customized creatives native to the gaming experience. “Many established brands we work with report that using customized creatives native to the gaming experience are responded to strongly by these audiences. Among the examples she cites are brand wraps and AAA game ads. “We have seen these ad spot types perform exceptionally well with the Hispanic mobile gaming community due to the high level of production and customization that can highlight the Hispanic culture and style,” says Bernal.
Pioneering Kid-Safe Mobile Advertising
Through its partnership with Kidoz, Portal Latino accesses the largest COPPA-compliant inventory in the U.S. (The Children Privacy Protection Act, COPPA, is a law that regulates the collection of personal information from children under 13 by online services including websites, advertising, and mobile apps.) As COPPA regulations may expand to include minors up to 17 years old, this partnership enables direct targeting of Gen Z and Alpha. Portal Latino’s in-house creative team further strengthens their market advantage .“Through our partnership with Kidoz we have access to the largest supply of COPPA compliant inventory in the country. Current COPPA regulations may be expanded to include all kids 17 and under (currently legislation stops at age 12) which will have large implications in brand strategy to Gen Z and Alpha. There are no other systems like Kidoz that have been built from the ground up to treat 100% of users as children. This enables us to access kids only apps with no wastage in mixed age group apps like Angry Birds and allows brands to target their core demographic directly. The only way to access this type of inventory is through a COPPA-compliant SDK. Building and operating a COPPA-compliant SDK requires a significant investment, making the barrier to entry very high. Kidoz is the only Kids COPPA SDK available, and therefore, we are the sole provider that can access this supply. Consequently, performance metrics such as VCR and CTR are exceptionally high,” Bernal maintains.
She adds that much of the ad inventory she runs for clients, targeting all ages, is produced in collaboration with Portal Latino’s in-house creative team: “Some of our partner founders come from highest-level game manufacturers from studios like EA & THQ producing some of the world’s iconic games like EA Sports, Warhammer, and Call of Duty. How we help brands leverage that experience and ability provides us with an exclusive advantage in the market.”
Casual vs. Nerd Gamers: Key Differences in Playstyles, Platforms, and Devices
Bernal explains, that as gaming becomes more culturally accepted, the lines between casual gamers and hard-core gamers blur. Mobile games, particularly puzzles and word games, are rapidly growing. With traditional console games now available on mobile, gaming spans all demographics, offering advertisers unique segmentation opportunities. The key difference lies in session length and player interaction:
“With traditional console games now available on mobile, gaming spans all demographics, offering advertisers unique segmentation opportunities.”
“These lines are more and more blurred as gaming continues to be a more accepted activity in culture. Many games now like puzzles and word games are the fastest growing and most lucrative types of mobile games there are. Also, as more traditional console style titles become available in mobile we are seeing an increase of players in the mobile environment. Given the ubiquity of smart phones, gamers now span the entire gamut of demographics allowing advertisers the opportunity to segment to a variety of audiences previously unreachable through this media.”
“Gamers play for all kinds of reasons, from overcoming challenges and goals to being part of a social activity. Today I think the main difference between a hard-core gamer and a more casual mobile gamer is only in the time per session and the amount of people playing together in the session.”
“ Today I think the main difference between a hard-core gamer and a more casual mobile gamer is only in the time per session and the amount of people playing together in the session.”
