Leveling Up Engagement: How Brands Win with Gaming Audiences

Related Sessions

• Playable Audiences Decoded from N00B to Beast Mode

  Scale Up Lounge

  • Gaming Summit

  • Zach HahnEVP, Client PartnershipSuper League

  Gaming is now bigger than music and movies combined, with 3B+ players worldwide and half the U.S. by 2025. For advertisers, the barrier to entry is gone – buying in gaming is as straightforward as other channels, but with access to the most active and influential audiences. This keynote will decode who playable audiences are, why they matter, and how the rest of the day will show just how easy it is to plan, buy, and measure in gaming.

  Tue 10/7 • 10:30AM EDT10minIn person

• Gaming Summit Happy Hour

  Scale Up Lounge

  • Gaming Summit

  Beer, wine & spritzes • Gaming & ad talk • Your guide to the next happy hour and more!

  Tue 10/7 • 1:10PM EDT50minIn person

• From Taps to Transactions: How Gaming Converts Attention into Transactions

  Scale Up Lounge

  • Gaming Summit

  • Danica ChongGroup Director, InvestmentWPP Unite
  • Jorge PradoCo-Founder & CEOAdmazing
  • Justin BretonBrand Experiences & Strategic PartnershipsWalmart
  • Maya KosovalicVP MarketingNYX Professional Makeup

  Gaming isn’t just about engagement, it’s about conversion. With billions of players worldwide, gaming is now one of the most powerful engines for commerce. From rewarded ads that drive direct purchases, to in-game stores and virtual items that blur the line between play and pay, the opportunity for brands goes far beyond awareness. This session will unpack how advertisers can move from impressions to transactions, exploring best practices in gamified commerce, purchase-triggered rewards, and shoppable moments inside player experiences. A brand case study will demonstrate how gaming activations translate directly into measurable sales impact.

  Presented by

  Tue 10/7 • 12:15PM EDT25minIn person

• Why Gamification Outperforms Passive Screens

  Scale Up Lounge

  • Gaming Summit

  • Ben ParoVP, SalesYouGov
  • Bill LawsonVP, Media Strategy and PlanningKlick Health
  • Matt SharpeDirector of AdvertisingZynga
  • Srishti HandaSr. Director of MarketingDave‚Äôs Hot Chicken

  Gaming doesn’t just entertain audiences, it engages them in ways CTV or social never could. The mechanics of play, goals, challenges, and rewards, activate the same motivators that keep people streaming shows or bingeing TikToks, but with deeper participation. That’s why gamified ads drive 2–3x higher brand recall than standard video and keep players engaged for minutes instead of seconds. This session will unpack how brands can harness the psychology of play to transform media from something audiences watch into something they do – turning attention into action and entertainment into measurable impact.

  Presented by

  Tue 10/7 • 12:45PM EDT25minIn person

• The Gaming Stage: Events, Content, and the Power of Fandom

  Scale Up Lounge

  • Gaming Summit

  • Albert ThompsonManaging Director, Digital InnovationWalton Isaacson
  • Andr√© SwanstonFounder & CEOPHYND
  • Stephanie HawkinsDirector, GamingWavemaker
  • Victor LuGlobal Head of Brand Partnerships Studio, TwitchAmazon

  From championship matches to creator showdowns, gaming events are now mainstream cultural tentpoles. The value for advertisers extends far beyond the competition itself-it lives in the content fans consume, the conversations that trend across social platforms, and the communities that rally around the action. This panel unpacks how brands can plug into this energy through event sponsorships like Twitchcon, live-streamed content, and fan-first activations-showcasing a case study on how these moments drive measurable business impact.

  Presented by

  Tue 10/7 • 10:45AM EDT25minIn person

• The Gaming Media Mix: Buying, Measuring, Scaling

  Scale Up Lounge

  • Gaming Summit

  • Abraham SnyderSr. Director, Revenue Operations & StrategyPlaystation
  • Andy MartinsonSenior Marketing Manager, Media StrategyH&R Block
  • Samantha LimSVP, Gaming Strategy & InnovationPublicis Media
  • Jonathan StringfieldVP Global Business Strategy, Analytics & TrustMicrosoft Advertising

  Gaming is not a single channel, it’s an ecosystem spanning console, PC, mobile, esports, and UGC. For advertisers, the challenge is how to balance premium integrations with scalable, performance-driven media. This panel will explore where gaming fits in the broader media mix and how brands can measure success across channels. Panelists from Activision, Publicis Media, and Playstation. will share strategies for buying, scaling, and proving impact in gaming.

  Presented by

  Tue 10/7 • 11:45AM EDT25minIn person