King.com advances social games advertising to the next level with innovative suite of ad solutions

- The company's high-impact, high-engagement campaigns, attract the likes of such major brands as T-Mobile and Samsung

SAN FRANCISCO and LONDON, Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- King.com, the world's leading casual social games company, today announced that its advertising revenue from its social games has increased tenfold in 2012 and that its top advertising solutions, such as incentivized video, have averaged a click-through rate of more than 5 percent. Leveraging the rapid rise of the company in the last year to become the second largest games developer on Facebook – with over 12 million daily active players – King.com's growth in advertising revenue has been driven by its ability to craft solutions that are less intrusive and enhance player experience, leading to higher-than-industry-average user engagement and positive brand perception.

On the strength of such hit casual social games as Bubble Witch Saga and Candy Crush Saga, King.com has established itself as a gaming destination of choice for women aged 25-55 – a key demographic for advertisers who recognize these players are often the household decision-makers. King.com is seeing the results, having successfully run campaigns over the last few months for major brands such as T-Mobile, Samsung, Procter & Gamble, Macy's and Nestle, with more coming on board on a daily basis. King.com's overall advertising revenue now accounts for nearly 15 percent of the company's total revenues.

"We have continued to appeal to our highly dedicated female user base in large part because they turn to King.com games for fun, relaxation and to indulge in a bit of 'me' time," said Mark Charkin, executive vice president of business development and advertising for King.com.  "But that success is rooted in the seamless way the ads are worked into a game, building on more than 3 billion game plays per month."

Advertising solutions such as King.com's incentivized video ad unit, where a user opts into watching a 15-30-second video ad in exchange for an additional life in the game, averages a click-through rate of more than 5 percent and a video completion rate of 85 percent. Other advertising opportunities such as King.com's "Brand as a Friend" solution allows advertisers to include themselves as an in-game "friend" to players, helping users unlock new content to advance in the game. Not only does this significantly enhance the player's gameplay experience, but it firmly drives positive brand sentiment for the advertiser.

In response to the growing advertiser demand for the company's ad solutions, King.com has named Charity Sabater as its senior director of ad sales. With a focus on brand sales solutions in the U.S., Sabater is leading King.com's East Coast expansion and will operate out of New York City. Sabater, a seasoned ad professional, has extensive experience in driving creative ad solutions across all media platforms and verticals including TV, web, mobile, games and second-screen interactivity. Prior to joining King.com, Sabater was the VP of East Coast sales for Gaia Online and the national digital sales manager for Telemundo, an NBC Universal network property.

About King.com:
King.com is a worldwide leader in casual social games with over 40 million monthly players and more than 3 billion games played per month globally.  King.com offers over 150 exclusive games in 12 languages through its premier destination, King.com (www.king.com), mobile devices, Google+, and Facebook, where it is a top 10 Facebook developer.  The company is the exclusive provider of online games for leading global portals, websites and media companies.  King.com has offices in London, Stockholm, Barcelona, Bucharest, Hamburg, Malta and San Francisco.  For more information, please visit http://about.king.com.

Media Contacts:
For King.com
Mark de la Viña
Consort Partners
king@consortpartners.com
Tel: +1 415 282 4795