Anzu announced the global launch of its privacy-safe audience targeting capabilities, unlocking a powerful new way for advertisers to reach players.
The capabilities are now live across Anzu’s platform following integrations with leading audience technology providers Eyeota, Predactiv, and Semcasting.
The company said it has the most advanced intrinsic in-game advertising platform, where ads are put in contextually relevant places in mobile, PC and console games. Anzu said its patented 3D ad tracking engine — the first to bring viewability measurement in-game — and partnerships with trusted adtech vendors make Anzu better.
Advertisers can now target and segment their preferred audiences without relying on cookies or device identifiers. With partner support, Anzu enables targeting across 62,400 unique audience segments in over 180 countries, covering demographics, interests, behaviors, professions, intent, and location. Advertisers can also activate first-party data to build retargeting, custom, and lookalike audiences, all within immersive gaming environments, further cementing intrinsic in-game advertising as a core part of the media mix.
“Until now, intrinsic in-game advertising has been largely limited to contextual targeting based on genre or title”, said Ben Fenster, cofounder and chief product officer at Anzu, in a statement. “As gaming continues to dominate consumer media time, brands are looking to reach their audiences at scale, just as they do across other media channels. We’re proud to lead the way with a first-to-market solution that empowers precise audience targeting, delivers measurable results, and maximizes ROI across immersive gaming environments.”
This is a win for both sides of the ecosystem. It gives advertisers greater control and precision to increase campaign efficiency, grow investment, and drive stronger Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). It also enables game developers to benefit from increased demand as more advertisers run targeted in-game campaigns, ultimately leading to higher cost per mille (CPMs) and greater monetization opportunities.
“Our clients continue to integrate gaming and entertainment strategies into their marketing mix, we are seeing increased demand for media that is both meaningful and measurable. Anzu’s latest advancements in audience targeting represent a significant step forward for the industry,” said Brent Koning, executive vice president and global head of gaming at Dentsu, in a statement. “By offering brands greater precision and adaptability within immersive environments, Anzu is helping to shape the future of media with solutions that reflect the direction of consumer engagement.”
This milestone continues Anzu’s rapid momentum. It follows a strategic investment from Amex Ventures and the release of the first-ever data-driven Intrinsic In-Game Advertising Trends Report, which outlines best practices for optimizing in-game media buys.
Anzu is backed by WPP, Sony Innovation Fund, NBCUniversal, Samsung Next, Bandai Namco Entertainment 021 Fund, PayPal Ventures and many other prominent investors.