Determining banner advertisement effectiveness in mobile games: A study from South Africa

This study aimed to identify the impact of advertising values, gameplay conditions and social influence on attitude toward in-game banner advertisements (IGBAs) in mobile games. In addition, the study tested intention to click IGBAs and preference toward the advertised brand. Banner advertisements in mobile games are one of the most popular formats in mobile marketing, but research on their effectiveness is still limited. Survey research was conducted in South Africa on 426 participants. The results showed that irritation has a negative impact on the gamer's attitude, while other values-entertainment, credibility, gameplay conditions, and social influence-have a significant positive impact on the gamer's attitudes. In turn, attitude had significant influences on intention to click on the IGBA and preference toward the advertised brand. Contrary to earlier research, informativeness had an insignificant impact on the gamer's attitude. This study provides a new framework that combines the study of the gamer's attitude toward IGBAs and its impact on both intention to click and the preference of brands featured in IGBAs