In Fragmented Media Landscape, Mobile Gaming Delivers Focus for Advertisers

For advertisers, attention has become a scarce resource. Mobile users scroll through feeds, skip pre-rolls, and tune out static messages. Yet one category consistently earns real engagement: mobile gaming. In an environment where players choose to participate, marketers have a rare chance to hold focus and move consumers through the middle of the funnel.

Our Sr. Director of Partnerships, Research & Measurement at Zynga, Marian Thomas works to prove what every marketer suspects but few can quantify: that the most valuable attention happens when people choose to engage.

“With all the fragmentation of media, the one thing that’s holding attention is gaming. Gaming is best in driving mid-funnel metrics, like favorability and consideration. The tech industry has realized that the gaming cycle of rewards, progress, and competition is sticky and it keeps people coming back,” says Thomas. She explains that mobile gaming’s advantage lies in its design, where small achievements and moments of progress give players a sense of reward that keeps them engaged. That sense of earned accomplishment has become central to how people interact with their devices.

Unlike disruptive social media or streaming ads that interrupt the experience, in-game experiences invite participation. Players choose to watch a rewarded video, try a branded mini-game, or unlock a bonus for completing an ad interaction. The sense of control builds goodwill and trust. “Rewarded video was once seen as a false positive, but it’s actually the fairest value exchange there is,” Thomas explains. “Players know exactly what they get for their time, and they love it.”

But tapping into that opportunity also means getting past the outdated stereotype of who a “gamer” is. The reality of the mobile gaming audience is far more diverse and valuable than many assume.  She explains, “there’s a misconception about gamers just being Gen Z. In brain and puzzle games, for instance, you find the ‘primary shopper mom’: a tech-savvy Gen X or Millennial who buys for the entire household and unwinds with her favorite streaming show and a glass of wine”. Other genres of mobile games, such as sports, racing, and social hybrids, attract Gen Z and Millennial players who are highly social, influence their peers, and often spend more within apps.

With attention harder to command with consumers in the media ecosystem, mobile games offer something few channels can match: attention earned through choice. Or as Thomas puts it, “the casual gamer isn’t casual about their attention”. For advertisers looking for meaningful engagement, the next level of performance starts when gamers press play.

Marian Thomas | Sr. Director of Partnerships, Research & Measurement

Marian Thomas is the Director of Partnerships, Research & Measurement at Zynga, where she combines quantitative and qualitative data to drive efficiencies for Zynga’s advertising organization. With over 20 years of experience working across the digital media landscape, Marian is passionate about understanding consumer behaviors and harnessing data to create engaging and effective ads.