Audio Q+A: How Odeeo Reaches Engaged Consumers with In-Game Audio Ads

Odeeo is an in-game audio advertising platform that amplifies the in-game experience for consumers with non-intrusive audio ads. 

Magnite spoke with Odeeo’s CEO, Amit Monheit, about how and why brands should consider reaching engaged consumers with an in-game audio advertising strategy.  

Who is Odeeo? How do you work with Magnite? 

Odeeo is an Israeli startup founded by veterans of mobile and in-game advertising that started with the mission to enable brands to reach the most engaged audiences by uniting the most powerful ad technologies – audio and gaming – for the first time. We launched in 2021, raised funding from the top gaming VCs and media owners, and we’re now live with four of the five top game publishers by size in the world, along with hundreds of games of all sizes.

We integrate with Magnite to make our global inventory available programmatically so that advertisers can bid on fully transparent, 100% viewable, 100% audible premium in-game audio ad placements.

Give an example of how brands can reach consumers via in-game audio ads.

Our audio placements happen during live gameplay – based on wherever the game publisher decides is best. Audio will start in the background, and a visual component (either a banner or our custom icon) will appear on the screen for the duration of the audio ad. The user continues gameplay while the audio plays without interrupting the experience. Global brands like Red Bull and EE have used our placements to drive brand awareness in their local markets for specific campaigns and new products. 

How does Odeeo approach the user experience for in-game audio ads?

Coming from the gaming industry, we are obsessed with the player experience and developer needs. The wrong ad placement or experience can drive players out of the game, so we’ve worked closely with mobile game developers to deliver an experience that retains players and drives brand results.

What are the benefits of using audio for in-game advertising? 

In contrast to other audio channels, mobile games have as close to 100% of the listener’s attention as possible. The player is fixated on the game and, therefore, will be more tuned in when the ad appears. The result of this is improved effectiveness for campaigns; we’ve seen a double-digit brand lift and favorability, and some direct response advertisers have seen significant improvements in their conversions and ROAS.

What are the challenges of using audio for in-game advertising? How do you work to remedy them?

In-game audio is a brand-new placement, so most advertisers are attempting to leverage their existing audio assets from podcasts or streaming audio. We also find that many advertisers  haven’t explored digital audio yet, even if they have a gaming strategy in place.

Our focus is on educating the market about the synergies of mobile gaming and audio, and about how our solution fits into their broader strategies. We’ve seen significant success in a short amount of time and are excited to share that with more advertisers.

What are your thoughts on the future of in-game audio advertising?

Over 90% of games in the app stores are monetized with ads – and in-game audio ads can help game developers create a better experience overall for their players. We’re excited to see the rapid adoption of in-game audio and expect it to rapidly become one of the standard placements for all kinds of publishers.