Niantic has been working with Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Media Rating Council (MRC), and other industry leaders like Snap, Uber and GroupM, to define and implement a new set of Augmented Reality (AR) measurement standards just as the category is set for tremendous growth. According to a recent article by AR Insider, global mobile AR advertising is projected to surge from $3.4 billion in 2022 to $14.5 billion in 2027. This highlights a pressing need for the industry to establish greater consistency in defining and measuring AR advertising, a goal that this group has come together to accomplish.
As the creator of popular AR games and technologies, we have witnessed firsthand the value of AR for both our player community as well as the brands we work with. In our commitment to advancing the AR industry, we are excited to be part of the IAB Task Force to establish a framework for clear and consistent definitions regarding AR ad delivery, engagement, and performance. The guidelines will bring standardized measurement to all AR focused campaigns, and help brands and agencies maximize their outcomes.
What are Rewarded AR ads?
Rewarded AR ads are a revolutionary new ad format in Niantic games that use the smartphone camera to immerse players within branded content in the real-world around them. Players engage with these interactive ad units as they move around in the real-world to unlock rewards within the game. To date, this has helped brands, including Circle K and Lunchables, better reach their desired audiences near key physical locations. With results including 95% average completion rates, 90% aid in brand awareness, and 84% lift in brand favorability, Rewarded AR ads deliver branded AR experiences that lead to improved results across the advertising funnel.
Key Insights
AR Impressions
When users interact with Rewarded AR Ads, AR Impressions play a crucial role as a metric from the ad delivery system to an ad request. To count as a valid ad Impression, the ad needs to load within an AR Session and start rendering, ensuring accurate tracking of audience engagement.
AR Sessions
AR Sessions are recorded to validate an AR ad impression within the AR experience. This measures from the start of the AR experience (installed if applicable, open and initialized with opt-in camera enabled) to the end time of the experience (when the camera is disabled or the ad is closed).
AR Ad Engagement
AR Ad Engagement deviates from more passive digital advertising metrics due to the interactive and immersive qualities of AR ads. AR experiences start with user “Triggers,” such as tapping, moving the camera, expressions, or environmental conditions. These triggers are measured for engagement, with a focus on quantifying impressions and Engaged Duration. When assessing the effectiveness of Rewarded AR ads, it’s not just about tracking clicks and views; it’s also essential to consider Engaged-Through conversion. This measures user interactions over a specific timeframe, providing insights to better grasp AR’s unique impact.
How do we measure this?
Partnering with top industry verification platforms, Niantic is aligning with IAB’s AR ad baseline measurement metrics for Rewarded AR ads. Together, we’re dedicated to ensuring the quality and effectiveness of campaigns, by providing verification services covering ad delivery, viewability measurement, brand safety, and fraud detection. To help advertisers gauge the effectiveness of Rewarded AR ads, we focus on performance indicators like AR Impressions and Viewability, offering valuable insights into their campaigns.
What’s coming next?
As a leader in the AR space, we are continuously pushing boundaries to extend AR’s reach beyond games and contribute to the evolution of Spatial Computing. While Rewarded AR ads within our gaming experiences mark only the initial steps, our commitment is to expand our capabilities across every platform and device, ensuring that AR becomes an integral part of everyday life.
Eager to get started? Contact us here or email us at brands@nianticlabs.com, and our team will reach out to you to provide more information. We can’t wait to show you how to get your next AR ad campaign off the ground.
For more, read about Rewarded AR ads on our blog.