In the immersive world of Roblox, gamers come for entertainment and connection with friends. But the platform is also proving to be a new tool for creators and advertisers alike.

A recent study found that over the past seven years, more than 18,000 creator jobs have been generated through Roblox.

“Roblox offers a whole suite of free creation tools that allow people to unleash their creativity and build on the platform,” said Stephanie Latham, VP of Global Brand Partnerships & Advertising at Roblox, in this video interview with Beet.TV.

Immersive Ads Provide Authentic Brand Experiences

Roblox’s immersive ads allow brands to authentically connect with users, with the average user spending 11 minutes with brand experiences there, according to Latham.

“We’re now offering immersive video so that it’s easier now for partners to buy video on Roblox the same way they buy through other channels and have their videos placed immersively inside of experiences,” Latham explained.

“Think about a billboard that you might be playing in a game or experience walking by and you’ll see your ad playing.”

Gaming Reaches Tipping Point for Advertisers

The state of gaming for advertisers has reached a tipping point, according to Latham. “All of the e-marketer data, of all the reports I know we all look at, you’re seeing the time spending gaming increase and the spending gaming increase,” she said.

“I do think it’s becoming a key component of most marketers plans.”

Roblox recently announced a strategic partnership with WPP to help accelerate its portfolio of agencies and partners in the gaming space. “Signals like that to me are just really telling that gaming’s here to stay and it’s growing,” Latham noted.

Fashion and Entertainment Lead the Way

Fashion and entertainment are naturally big categories on Roblox, with users’ avatars serving as their identity on the platform. Latham cited a recent case study with Warner Bros. for Beetlejuice, showing how the experience on Roblox has lifted theater intent and brand awareness.

But other categories are starting to lean in as well, from tech brands launching products on Roblox to Visa’s Olympics activation. “As you stay tuned over the course of the next year, you’re really going to see interesting use cases across categories, confirming our earlier conversation on gaming is here to stay and everybody wants to authentically find the right role for themselves in the action,” Latham added.

By Robert Andrews on    @robertandrews