Success with gaming platforms' massive audiences requires data discipline over flashy executions. "If you do not have a gaming strategy, it's clearly too big to ignore now," Charles Hambro, CEO and co-founder of GEEIQ, said at EMARKETER's Future of Digital summit last week. "But you should not get bamboozled by 'Oh my god, we're gonna build unbelievable worlds.' Be very, very self-disciplined with regards to what are my CPMs for this audience." Nearly 60% of US consumers will be digital gamers this year, according to EMARKETER's forecast, yet only 2.4% of total digital ad spend in 2026 will go to gaming. It's a delta that represents both a significant opportunity and a cautionary tale for marketers who rush in without proper measurement frameworks. The gaming landscape has evolved. Gaming has shed its outdated image as a niche activity for teenage males in basement bedrooms. Today's players are far more diverse, and the platforms they play on have changed at their core. Over the past decade, user-generated content platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft have turned games into destinations where people socialize and create content. Like Instagram, these platforms host what users make rather than making it themselves. "These are no longer just games. They're actually destinations where people can socialize," Hambro said. "That's the main difference that is the opportunity for brands." This shift means brands can now work directly with platform creators rather than negotiating with major gaming companies for product placement in traditional titles. The accessibility is similar to social media, where brands can activate campaigns without going through lengthy approval processes with game developers. Virtual worlds require different strategies. GEEIQ separates gaming (console and mobile games) from virtual worlds (user-generated content platforms), a distinction CMOs need to build into their strategies. Virtual worlds offer immersive, three-dimensional environments that go beyond the video, image, and copy limitations of traditional social media. "This is content that is really, really engaging, where the player, where the consumer is actually engaged," Hambro said. Brands without gaming heritage or intellectual property should integrate into existing games rather than build from scratch. Ikea's collaboration with Skyrim shows how: Players can interact with the brand's shelving units within the role-playing game's existing environment. Brands should approach these platforms the way they approached TikTok after establishing themselves on Facebook: learn the community norms, cultural codes, and platform-specific language instead of transplanting existing strategies. Measurement challenges stem from platform economics. The result is a measurement gap at the bottom of the funnel. Gaming currently shows its strongest value at the top and middle, where engagement metrics matter most. That makes time spent a crucial metric: Brands can track millions of visits inside platforms like Roblox, with average session times of 11 minutes or more. Brands need to translate gaming-specific metrics into data points they can compare across the media mix. The question is: What do 2 million visits inside Roblox at 11 minutes per visit equate to, compared with spending the same budget on Snapchat, Instagram, or influencer marketing? Brands should prioritize data discipline. The biggest mistake brands make is getting distracted by the novelty of immersive virtual worlds rather than treating gaming platforms as another channel requiring rigorous performance analysis. Hambro's advice for marketers: - Start with a small budget reallocation rather than wholesale shifts - Focus on whether gaming reaches target audiences more effectively than existing channels - Avoid building elaborate branded worlds without clear performance metrics "There was far too much attention on the delivery itself, 'Oh my God, we can build a virtual world,' and actually what's massively changed now is there's a huge step back," Hambro said. "This is just a way to reach a subset of individuals." With Grand Theft Auto 6 set to launch in November in what's expected to be the biggest game launch in history, brands should develop gaming strategies now. Success will come from treating these platforms as measurable media channels rather than experimental playgrounds. This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here. You've read 1 of 2 free articles this month. Get more articles - create your free account today!

GEEIQ raises $6.8 million to expand gaming and virtual worlds analytics platform. GEEIQ has announced a new $6.8 million funding round aimed at expanding its analytics and intelligence platform focused on gaming and virtual worlds. The investment round was led by YFM Equity Partners, with participation from GFR Fund, Haymarket Ventures, and existing angel investors. Founded in London, GEEIQ positions itself as an analytics layer for brands operating across gaming platforms and virtual spaces. The company works with major global brands, including Walmart, Coach, L'Oréal, NASCAR, and Warner Bros. Discovery, to measure engagement and performance across platforms such as Roblox, Fortnite, and ZEPETO. The new investment will support the next phase of growth as brands continue increasing their presence inside gaming ecosystems and virtual experiences. GEEIQ says its platform helps companies understand audience behavior, campaign effectiveness, and broader trends across virtual worlds. The funding follows GEEIQ's earlier Series A round announced in 2023, when the company raised approximately $8.2 million to grow its metaverse and gaming intelligence operations. At the time, the company highlighted growing demand from brands seeking measurable ROI from virtual world activations and gaming-focused campaigns.