The Mere Exposure Effect and In-Game Advertising: Exploring the effectiveness of using video games as an avenue for advertising

by Mary Strand

This work explores the effectiveness of the use of in-game advertising for persuasion. The theory of Mere Exposure was used to develop the method and frame the data collection and analysis. For purposes of data collection, 143 participants (73 experimental, 70 control) played a video game that was either modified to expose them to an advertisement or left unmodified. Participants then completed questionnaires regarding recall, product liking, game liking, and video game experience. Statistical analysis showed that placing an advertisement within a video game generates recall of the product or brand embedded. The use of in-game ads, however, did not influence liking of the brand. In addition, there was no correlation between recall and level of experience of the participant. Finally, there was no conclusive evidence of a correlation between liking of the game itself, and liking of the product featured in the game.

152 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2013

About the author

Mary Strand practiced law in a large Minneapolis firm until the day she set aside her pointy-toed shoes (or most of them) and escaped the world of mergers and acquisitions to write novels. The first manuscript she wrote, Cooper’s Folly, a romantic comedy, won RWA’s Golden Heart award and was her debut novel. Her love of Jane Austen prompted her four-book YA series, The Bennet Sisters.

Seemingly Perfect is her third novel in The Pendulum Trilogy of women's fiction novels.

Mary lives on a lake in Minneapolis with her family, too many Converse Chucks, and a stuffed monkey named Philip. When not writing books or songs, she lives for sports, travel, rocking out on guitar, dancing (badly), and ill-advised adventures (including dancing) that offer a high probability of injury to herself and others.

Mary writes YA, romantic comedy, women’s fiction, and children's sports novels. You can find her at www.marystrand.com, follow her on Twitter or Instagram (@Mary_Strand), or “like” her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marystrandauthor).