So What's a Branded Map on Fortnite Again?

Next in Media spoke with Matt Edelman, Chief Commercial Officer, Super League Gaming, about whether Fortnite still has a grip on gamers - and how brands can get involved.  

Edelman also talked about Roblox's growing ad ambitions, the overall gaming ad market, and why he thinks we need to ditch the word "gamer".

Takeaways:

The Evolution of Gaming and Advertising – Gaming has become an undeniable force in media, with 3.3 billion gamers worldwide. 

Generational Shift in Media Buying – Many CMOs and CEOs are Gen Xers who didn’t grow up with video games as a central part of their lives.

The Concept of “Making Brands Playable” – Super League focuses on interactive advertising rather than just passive exposure. 

Fortnite's Two Worlds: Battle Royale vs. Creative Mode – Fortnite has both its first-party Battle Royale mode and a user-generated content (UGC) Creative mode where brands can build their own islands (maps). 

Roblox as an Expanding Advertising Platform – Roblox is scaling its ad solutions with programmatic ad products but still lags behind mobile gaming in measurement, attribution, and targeting. 

Playable Ads in Mobile Gaming Are the Future – Mobile gaming has a mature advertising ecosystem, but Super League is innovating by turning traditional video ads into interactive experiences that match gameplay styles, dramatically increasing engagement and click-through rates.

Breaking Down the “Gamer” Stereotype – Marketers need to stop thinking of "gamers" as a niche audience and recognize that their existing target demographics are already playing games. 

🎙 Guest: Matt Edelman
🎤 Host: Mike Shields
📺 Sponsor: ElementalTV
🎬 Producer: FEL Creative