Adrenaline Interactive

Impressions are the Myspace of AD Metrics.  It's time for an upgrade! We need to stop counting potential views and start measuring true Attention. That's the real currency of modern advertising. See why we're leading the shift: https://lnkd.in/gk6q9MAt #AdMetrics #AttentionEconomy #DigitalAdvertising #AdvertisingMetrics

Stop chasing "impressions". We've been letting vanity metrics dictate strategy for too long. If you're targeting Gen Z, you're not competing with other brands; you're competing with the skip button. The Average Digital ad is ignored in 2.5 seconds. Your beautifully crafted 30-second spot is now just a speed bump on the road to the skip button. Gen Z has an internal ad-blocker. But when a brand feels like a natural part of the game experience... the dynamic changes. We dug into the latest data on media consumption, and the truth is that most brand dollars are buying digital noise, not actual attention. Let's fix that. Want to learn more? Visit https://lnkd.in/gk6q9MAt

Let’s talk about gaming as an adult: Vanessa Lane sees it all the time. When someone tells her they still play video games (especially older adults) she sees that as a GOOD sign. Because they’ve figured something out: how to regulate stress, stay connected, and find small pockets of joy in a world that’s constantly overwhelming. Gaming shouldn’t be seen as a distraction. It’s a tool. A way to bring play to your day. And more people are finally starting to treat it that way.

The biggest misconception about cozy gamers? That they’re people who don’t want to be challenged. Vanessa Laneruns a game studio building cozy titles that are emotionally rich, mentally stimulating, and rooted in psychological theory. These players want to feel something real… they’re just not interested in constant adrenaline and sensory overload. This episode was a masterclass in what makes cozy games work (and why the genre is exploding). Want to listen to the full episode? Just search Game Jam wherever you get your podcasts.

The myth that gamers are isolated, anti-social, and alone? Let’s kill that one right now. Gaming isn’t isolating. It’s one of the last places where people actually show up for each other. Ask anyone who’s competed on an esports team or stayed up until 3am beating a dungeon with strangers-turned-soulmates. Meanwhile, the rest of the world keeps pushing this outdated idea that gamers are introverts in dark basements. You’ve clearly never been to DreamHack. Gaming *is* community… and if you still think otherwise, you’re just not paying attention.

Every time a kid struggles, people blame the screen. But Vanessa Lane, founder of BetterPlay Studios, Inc., is building games to support mental health… and she sees this every day. If a child is gaming in unhealthy ways, there’s usually something deeper going on. Anxiety. Depression. Trauma. And no one wants to talk about that. It’s easier to say “video games are the problem” than to ask what’s really going on at home, at school, or inside their head. This episode is for the parents, teachers, and policymakers who still don’t get it. If you want to hear the full conversation, search Game Jam wherever you get your podcasts

Most brands have forgotten how to have fun. Michael J. Miraflor says the most relevant brands today don’t play it safe. Duolingo, Wingstop Restaurants Inc., Liquid Death… they’ve given themselves permission to be weird, loud, playful. And it’s working. But for brands born in the “elevated minimalist” DTC era? That pivot is painful. This conversation is a reminder: if your creative feels like it came out of a lab instead of a group chat… it’s probably dead on arrival. Catch the full episode by searching “Game Jam” wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re an early-stage brand obsessing about “brand” over velocity, you’re going to die. As Michael J. Miraflor said on our pod this week: “Marketing is your survival. You need to persuade people to buy — and buy now” That means bottom-of-funnel media. That means seeing ROI in real-time. That means your retail buyer sees that product flying off shelves this week… or you’re out. And here’s the twist: the biggest brands are starting to copy you. The Fortune 500 has awakened to the obvious power of performance media. But if you forget to build a brand while they’re trying to remember how? You’re handing the advantage right back. This episode is a massive unlock on how performance and brand can co-exist (if you’re smart enough to hold both).

“Brand is dead.” That’s the gospel in 2025. VCs believe it. Performance marketers swear by it. Even Scott Galloway says brands died the day Google launched. But Michael J. Miraflor? He’s not buying it. Yes, performance media drives conversions. Yes, lower funnel wins boardroom arguments. But if you kill your brand in the process… what are you actually building? “It’s always been brand AND performance. It always will be.” If you care about sustainable growth, market pricing power, and long-term cultural relevance, this clip is mandatory.

Most brand marketers have zero clue where their audience actually is. They’re optimizing for Instagram CPMs… meanwhile, their customer is spending 5 hours a day in Roblox. As Michael J. Miraflor (ex-CMO, brand strategist, and one of the sharpest cultural operators in the game) said on the pod this week: “If you’re not considering marketing inside of gaming environments, you’re not doing your job.” Gaming isn’t media, it’s culture. And if you’re still treating it like a fringe channel instead of the default setting for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, you’re already behind. This conversation with Michael was a wake-up call for any brand trying to future-proof their reach strategy. Search “Game Jam” wherever you get your podcasts. And follow us here for weekly takes on brand, culture, and the future of attention.