Beyond the Console: Xbox Maps the Gaming Ad Ecosystem

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As marketers, traditionally we think about like, we need to get attention. Like, how do we cut through? How do we capture attention? In gaming, we've already got that attention.

To thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape, brands must move at an ever-increasing pace. I'm Matt Britton, founder and CEO CEO of Suzy. Join me and key industry leaders as we dive deep into the shifting consumer trends within their industry, why it matters now, and how you can keep up. Welcome to The Speed of Culture.

Hey!

We're here live in South Beach at the Possible conference, and today we are thrilled to welcome Claire Nance, the Senior Director of Marketing Communications at Microsoft's Xbox Media Solutions. Claire leads B2B marketing communication for Microsoft's gaming advertising business, helping brands understand why gaming has become one of the world's most powerful channels for culture, connection, and modern entertainment. Claire, so great to see you today.

It's great to be here. Thank you for having me.

So you've been in the gaming space for quite a while, correct?

Yeah.

Yeah. So tell us about your journey.

Yeah.

So I was previously at Activision Blizzard, which is one of the world's biggest video game publishers. And then of course Activision Blizzard was acquired by Microsoft a number of years ago now. I came into Activision Blizzard, they had kind of what was back then a very early stage ads business. And I came in as one of their first marcoms hires, and it was my job was was really like, how do I help the industry understand gaming and the ad industry and marketers understand gaming? And so I helped kind of like build that team and build that business from scratch. And then now since the Microsoft acquisition, we're now under the Xbox Media Solutions banner. So we've kind of had this rebrand, which is really exciting and represents more of the properties that we're now going out to market with. So I've been in this space for a long time, as you mentioned, and really seen, I think, the evolution of the conversation around gaming amongst marketers and in the advertising industry and how that's evolved.

How has life changed for you and your other colleagues—

Yeah.

—formerly at Activision since the Microsoft acquisition?

Yeah, I mean, it's been really exciting. We have the power of Microsoft, which is obviously one of, like, the biggest and best companies in the world. Yep. And to have that kind of power behind us, it now means for us in terms of, like, the amplification of the message and the storytelling that we're able to do, we're able to do that so much more. And even from a product perspective, when we were on the Activision Blizzard side, we were mainly talking about mobile gaming. So ads within the mobile gaming space, Candy Crush, Crushes. Yeah, you might have heard of it. One of our biggest—

I can't get my mom off of it.

Yeah, it's, it's, you know, I think it's one of the most ubiquitous, like, mobile titles, right? Yeah. And so we were doing a lot in the mobile space. Post-acquisition, we're now also in console, we're now also in PC. Yeah. So when you think about the gaming landscape and you think about it through these kind of like these three channels or these three platforms, mobile, PC, and console, we now have an offering across that entire spectrum, whereas previously we were much more focused in the mobile space. So for us, So that's been a really, I think, important step for us as a business, but candidly, even for the gaming ads industry and the gaming ad space, because no one else can really compete with us through that lens. Yeah. You know, with that, the depth and breadth of the portfolio that we have. And so being able to work with marketers and brands and have them come to us and say like, yo, I'm interested in gaming, like, where do I start? We can now help them be like, this is the best channel or the right audience for you, rather than having a narrow portfolio. Right.

So gaming is big. Just how big is it? Is it? I know, like, during COVID obviously, yeah, stuck at home. Yeah. All they could do is play video games. Uh-huh. 5 years later, what is the state of gaming today and what are some of the areas that are growing the fastest?

So does this stat— you're gonna hear it a number of times if you haven't already— 3.6 billion gamers globally. That's the number that gets touted a lot. I think it's about 80% of people in the US are playing games.

So like, wow, that's a lot of people. That's everything from mobile games. Absolutely. iPhone to— Absolutely.

Xbox hardcore. Yeah, absolutely. And I do think one of the reasons that there's not this quite like this understanding of the power and just how big gaming is, is because a lot of people don't call themselves gamers or they don't think of like the mobile game and playing Candy Crush. Like, is that gaming? Right. And it is, right? And we see that of those numbers, it's 3.6 billion. Like, it's so ubiquitous.

Big number. It is really big.

Yeah. So that shift, you know, what we saw with COVID there was obviously a lot of people kind of picking up gaming again. And we actually saw that it was more people returning to gaming. So people who had played maybe when they were younger and still had that console at home COVID happened and they actually like picked it up again because they had a little bit more time. It was a great way for social connection.

They're probably like, wow, this is not like Atari growing up. Yeah. Just for those who haven't played video games in a while, like it's just incredible. Just the evolution that the gaming experience has undergone. It's so like, it's incredible.

Exactly. Well, even when you think about mobile games too, like the technology advancement in mobile games too, like from where it was to where it is today, like the level of graphics that you can have. And connectivity with other people. Yeah, and that was a big thing during COVID obviously. But I think even beyond that, that it wasn't just about, oh, having a call with someone, like sharing an activity together. Right. So when you're gaming and you're just, you know, you're— Shared experience. Exactly. And that's really, really important. So I do think that sometimes gets missed when we think about this idea of gaming. And I think this kind of like social connection piece, we see that extend outside of the game as well. So a lot of gaming audiences are connecting off-platform. So even again, I know I've mentioned Candy Crush a couple of times here, but we actually— that is a single-player a mobile game, but we actually see that communities connect in forums offline to talk about, like, their favorite levels and, like, why is this level so hard? So that connection extends. Like, yes, some of it is in-game in those multi-game experiences, but it also extends beyond that. So I think when you ask about, like, the state of gaming today, you know, I think it's, it's continuing to grow. We see that, like, gaming is kind of this precursor for technological advancement. So we know that people are kind of, they use gaming as a way to really understand technology and understand it through play. And so I think we're seeing kind of this evolution there. We're seeing the technological advancement there and it kind of getting bigger and better, which is—

And what are some of the fastest growing titles or categories that you're seeing across the gaming landscape here in 2026?

Yeah, I still think the mobile gaming space is growing because it's that access.

Yeah. And just like anybody can grab onto it. You can, right? At all ages. You don't have to be a gamer.

You have essentially like a gaming device in your pocket. It removes a barrier to entry. And I think I think some of the barriers to entry historically was the hard cost of a console, right? And the equipment. Then you're adding on the games. And so if you're not sure, like, that's a lot to kind of commit to upfront. Mobile gaming, there's the device piece. You already have the hardware. You don't need that level of investment. But I think the other critical piece is that the mobile game development and the gameplay itself and the mechanics are actually created so that it's really easy to start playing a game and enter into playing a game. Like, you can pick up a new game and get really comfortable and familiar with it, and they're designed that way.

There's not really a learning curve.

Yeah, yeah. Complicated. So I do think this idea of access is really important, and candidly, that's also where we see the kind of like the ads piece and the media piece come into play, because that can play a really critical role in providing audiences with more access to more games or more titles through a monetization kind of stream that hasn't necessarily been used in gaming before.

Yeah, I'm gonna get to the advertising piece in a second. My last question on just the gaming space is obviously Xbox has Game Pass and it's a subscription service. Yeah. I was growing up and I went to have a Nintendo game, I'd have to go to the store, buy the cartridge. Yeah. Yeah. And then over time you're able to download it, but you like a day to download it. Now it downloads instantly and now you could subscribe and is that how you're seeing more people in the console world actually access games?

I think it's one of the ways. Like I do think, and it's about giving people choice so that they can choose how they want to engage with the games, whether it's through the subscription model, whether it's still through the like The purchasing the title, as we talked about, buying CDs. Yeah, though, you know, the digital stores make it a lot easier these days. But I do think we've seen, and we've seen this in CTV as well, like the shift to that subscription model. There's an understanding and a comfort level for consumers with that. So I think it really is about choice, giving gaming audiences the options so they can play how they want to play, they can access the games how they want to play, because not every person who plays games is the same.

So your role obviously is to drive awareness and buy-in to a gaming platform under Microsoft's Xbox Media Solutions. Yeah. So ultimately what that means is you have a massive audience of people who are playing games, to your point, across a multitude of different devices, and you can reach them. Yeah. So tell me about how that works. Like, am I seeing ads when I'm playing games, or is it something a little bit more subliminal? Like, how's it—

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think like the really critical piece and core kind of philosophy that we have operated under, and this was back in Activision Blizzard days, and it continues today, is every experience— like, we are player-first in terms of any ad or brand experience, whether it's in the game, whether it's in—

Go ads-first, forget about it.

Yeah. And like, what I used to kind of say to people a lot is like, we are a game publisher first. So like, the studios that we work with are very careful about the experience for the players, and they will not let us put a bad ad in the game, which is a good thing, to be clear, because that means a better experience for players, better outcomes for brands. So I think when we look at the mobile space, That's where we really think about, like, rewarded video. So where there's those natural breaks in gameplay, everything we do is opt-in. So you're playing Candy Crush, you get to the end of the level, you run out of lives, you have an option to watch an ad, and then you get rewarded.

Or you can purchase more coins, right?

It's like— Yeah. Yeah. Oh, you can do neither, right?

Right, right, right.

But you get rewarded for watching the ad experience. We also have playable ad experiences, which are really fun. So there's this value exchange, and I think that is really critical, and making sure that it's in these natural moments. It's not— Natural. Yeah. During gameplay. Like, we've all played those mobile—

Yeah.

You know, back in the day, like, you mobile games and the ads, and you're trying to X out of it. Yeah, right. And that is very much not the experience. And then when we think about the console side of things with the Xbox Dashboard, we have ad units that sit on the Dashboard itself. So that's kind of like the entryway.

People who are selling first-party games or— Yeah, games.

Games. Yeah, exactly. Entertainment partners as well. So that Dashboard is really like the entryway into this gaming ecosystem, this entertainment ecosystem. So nothing about it is disruptive. It's fitting, like, very seamlessly. Within the environment. And again, there's often that kind of like, how is this adding value for the player and being additive to the player experience?

Right. We'll be right back with the Speed of Culture after a few words from our sponsors.

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Brand Week is back September 15th through the 17th in downtown Atlanta. And if you're serious about where marketing is going, this is the room for you. I'm Jenny Rooney, Chief Brand and Community Officer at Adweek, and for 3 days, we're bringing together the sharpest minds in marketing for the ideas, insights, and connections shaping what comes next for brands. From culture and creativity to growth, leadership, and consumer behavior, Brandweek is where brand leaders come to think bigger, connect deeper, and leave with a clear plan for what's ahead. Get your tickets now at brandweek.com and use code BW26 for 20% off. That's brandweek.com, code BW26.

Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system.

Running a business means you're always reachable until you're not. And the moment you miss that call, a competitor picks it up. That's why this episode is brought to you by QWO, spelled Q-U-O, the business phone system built so you never miss an opportunity. All your calls, texts, and voicemails live in one place. Anyone on your team can pick up a conversation, see the full history, and respond fast. QWO is the number 1 rated business phone system on G2, trusted by over 90,000 businesses. Set up in minutes on any device. Keep your existing number. Add teammates as you grow. No IT, no hassle. QWO's built-in AI agent even handles after-hours calls and books appointments, so you're covered around the clock. Money is on the line. Always say hello with QWO. Try QWO free plus 20% off your first 6 months at quo.com/tech. That's quo.com/tech.

How about in-game advertising? Like you're playing FIFA World Cup and you see banners on the field. Is that part of your offering as well?

That's not part of our offering. Yeah. I know that there are some ad tech companies out there that do what— that's kind of what we call intrinsic advertising. So that's when you think of your playing that car racing game and you see the billboards, you know, on the road.

Toyota. And Toyota's actually paying for you to drive. Exactly.

So that's intrinsic advertising. So I think a really helpful way to think about gaming advertising is through this kind of this rubric, which is in the game, adjacent to the game, and outside of the game. Got it. So in the game is that, that intrinsic, like you're actually seeing the ad within the gameplay experience itself.

The Xbox doesn't do any of that even with its own first-party games. Xbox does not.

Wow. No. Yeah. So again, it's really about that player experience, but I know that other games and other ad tech companies do that. So intrinsic is that in the game example. The adjacent to the game is what I talked about, the rewarded video, like natural breaks in play, the opt-in. That's a really clear example of that. And then the outside of the game is like when I was talking about these communities that connect off platform. And so that can be even things like streamers, you know, the watching, like that kind of component. Esports is obviously really big as well. That's where we see that outside of the game. So I think thinking about like in the game, adjacent to the game, and outside of the game is like a helpful rubric to understand. Like, there is a complex ecosystem. Gaming advertising is— there's a lot there. There's a lot of different ways to advertise. There's a lot of different formats, a lot of different genres. And so having that rubric can help simplify it for brands a little bit.

So I would imagine that if an advertiser is coming to Xbox Media Solutions based upon the title, that title has a certain demographic that they're going to want to reach. So that will kind of dictate the types of titles that they will advertise on.

Yeah, I think like one of the things we think about when we work with brands is like, know your objective and know your audience. So rather than coming in and being like, I want to do gaming, if you kind of really focus on like what it is as a brand that you're trying to achieve, who is the audience that you're going to reach, we can then work with those brands to be like, hey, this is the type of experience that's gonna match that. Yeah. This is the type of, you know, you look at something like Candy Crush and Call of Duty, not necessarily gonna have crossover in terms of audience. Right. So like, it is actually about, even though gaming can be this kind of like overwhelming and a little bit complex for brands, actually really simplifying it and taking it back to that core starting point as a marketer of like, who am I trying to reach? What am I trying to do? Right. First principles. Mm-hmm. And then, you know, kind of figuring out, okay, What is the right gaming experience that matches that?

And is this a programmatic media buy or is it just sort of like one-off premium buys?

Within the mobile space, we do both. Okay. So we sell programmatically and then we also have bespoke, like those playable mini games that I talked about, more bespoke experiences as well. So we have a bit of a spectrum. Got it.

So more broadly, like where do you see the gaming space going? I was at CES this year. Yeah. So many innovations, especially when you bring in the power of AI. Yeah. The gaming experience. I mean, some people are talking about how people are gonna be able to put themselves in the games and write the future. Yeah. Like, where do you see that? You obviously are passionate about the gaming space. Yeah. Just personally, where do you see it headed?

Yeah, I think again, we're gonna see more people playing, and I think the more technology grows, the more we're gonna see some of those access barriers, like it's gonna be even easier to game. Right. And I think we're already seeing that, and we're seeing this kind of more people are playing different types of games, and I think we're only gonna see that continue. And I think the technological advancements are going to be really exciting because there's going to be more that can be done within a game environment and more immersive styles of play and different styles of play. And I think that's going to just continue to attract more people. So I think gaming as a space is somewhere that really is able to kind of like push the boundaries a little bit more. And I'm excited to see where that goes.

Yeah. So we're here at the Cosmo Conference in Miami, and obviously I'm sure top of your list is getting an audience with the right people to tell the story about about why this is a powerful medium. Yeah. What are some of the effective ways that you've been able to capture the attention of advertisers, like, from a B2B marketing standpoint?

Yeah. What's worked? The biggest part of my job is actually not even selling kind of Xbox or Activision Blizzard. It's actually selling gaming. Yeah. And really a lot of what I do is this education piece, and that's kind of the core part of my job.

Like what we're doing today through this conversation.

Exactly what we're doing today, which is like breaking down like some of the misconceptions about gaming. So like teenage in the basement, you know, that kind of stereotype, which is very much not who the gaming audience is today. So breaking down some of the misconceptions, helping them understand the space, understanding the different ways they can activate, that's really like the core, almost like overarching kind of part of the job because the titles and the platforms that we work with and some of the IP we work with is some of the best in gaming. You know, it's so well known, so it's less about selling that and more really about that education piece. Yeah.

And I think I would imagine one of the big selling points is just the level of engagement that you have from this audience. You know, they're a captive audience, they're engaged in what they're doing. And if you reach them contextually and you can put your brand into that environment because we're in a world where everyone's clamoring for attention, there's a million things popping up in every direction. But when you're immersed in the game, you're in— it's almost like no other experience. And it's a great place for a brand.

We often say that gaming's superpower is its immersion. Like, as you said, like, when you're in that game, that's all you're thinking about. And so again, as we think about these brand experiences, for us, it's not about disrupt— we don't want to break that immersion. Yeah. We want it to be much more seamless. And it's almost thinking about it the opposite way. Like, as marketers, traditionally, we think about, like, we need to get attention. Like, how do we cut through? How do we, like, capture attention? In gaming, we've already got that attention. Yeah. So we actually don't want to be breaking it. It. We want things to feel seamless within that environment. Yeah.

So as we wrap up here, a lot of our listeners on the podcast are younger listeners who, at the beginning of their career, and a lot of people are always told, do what you're passionate about. And obviously gaming is a passion point. Yeah. Just curious how you found your way into the gaming space and any advice you might have for some of our younger listeners to follow their dreams in terms of what they're most passionate about.

I think the biggest piece of career advice I always say is careers are not linear. You know, you kind of often start out in your career and you think there's this path that you're going to follow. My career was not linear. Linear. I've worked in TV, I've worked in media, I've worked in advertising, and now I find myself in gaming. I came into the gaming space through advertising, so I previously worked at IPG. So again, a very non-traditional way to come into the gaming space. I think for people who are really interested in gaming, I always kind of remind them that there are so many different types of roles in the gaming space. Yeah, you don't just have to be like a game developer or an engineer. You can work in HR, you can work in marketing, you can work in all these different facets of the industry. So I always like to remind people, and that there's probably jobs out there they didn't even realize and in the future haven't even been invented yet. That's right. When we think about mine. So yeah, I always kind of tell people to really think big and broad. Yeah. And if you're passionate about it, you have conversations with people in this space and learn and just know your stuff.

Very cool. So to wrap up here, we always ask our guests if there's a saying or mantra. Yeah. That's helped sort of encapsulate their career journey. Just—

Yes. What is yours? Mine is, where's the Okay. And it's a question I ask myself before doing anything. And it's if we're going to be doing something, whether it's we're going to be doing a marketing campaign or we're going to be doing some kind of activity or making an investment in something, where is the benefit in doing that? And being really crystal clear on the why rather than just doing. Because I think especially very fast-paced environments, there's a lot going on. There can be this kind of tendency—

Especially like AI, like lowers the barrier to entry almost anything. But if you don't know why you're doing it, it, you're just going to be doing a lot of doing and not making a lot of progress.

Exactly.

So that was the benefit. It's a question I ask my— I love that.

Well, lots of benefit today. Absolutely. Thinking about the gaming space with you, and really thankful that you decided to take the time out of your busy schedule here at Possible. Thank you. Share with us, and wishing you nothing but success in 2026. Thank you.

Your space. Exactly.

Absolutely. On behalf of Suzy and I, we team, thanks again to Claire Nance, the Senior Director of Marketing Communications at Micro Sauce Xbox Media Solutions for joining us today. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review the Speed of Culture podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Till next time, bye-bye. The Speed of Culture is brought to you by Suzy as part of the Adweek Podcast Network and A- Guest Creator Network. You can listen, subscribe to all Adweek's podcasts by visiting adweek.com/podcast. To find out more about Suzy, head to suzy.com and make sure to search for The Speed of Culture in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found. Click follow so you don't miss out on any future episodes. On behalf of the team here at Suzy, thanks for listening.

Hey, are your ad campaigns lighting up the dashboard but not the pipeline? That's bull spend, and marketers are calling it out. In Dashboard Confessions.

My boss asked for results, so I opened my dashboard for the only positive-sounding metric I had—

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