Every holiday season, advertisers face the same challenge: bigger budgets, louder competition, and limited attention. But here’s the key truth we keep relearning: premium isn't about outspending; it's about out-experiencing. The brands that truly stand out show up with relevance, resonance, and reach, all working in sync.
This is where the three pillars of today’s concept of premium come into play:
Connection focuses on finding people in the moments when they’re most open and receptive.
Experience ensures your creative is built to belong, enhancing the moment instead of interrupting it.
Scale is unlocked by reaching massive audiences without diluting the message or losing the magic.
Achieving these three in mobile apps, where users are leaned in and spending most of their time, can help brands effectively reach audiences during the premium moments of the holidays.
Connection: Time Your Deals and Personalization
As we mentioned in The Drum, connection is about being present when the user is receptive. There are great holiday opportunities to create connections, not just with family and friends, but with your users as well:
The Extended Holiday Clock: The "holiday rush" now spans months, not days. The data shows shopping starts early (14% in October), but mobile purchasing was still highest on Christmas Day, with 79% of orders being placed on mobile during the holiday in 2024. Focus on moments of anticipation, like during the natural break in an app or the transition in a mobile game.
AI-Driven Personalization: When AI and mobile gaming intersect, personalization can bring ads to the next level. Expect to see AI-driven campaigns featuring limited-edition branded items, adaptive storylines, and rewards that evolve in response to player behavior.
Experience: Earn Holiday Attention Through Value
On the most promotional days of the year, ads should offer an attractive value exchange, not be an interruption. Your ads can shine brighter during the festive season by choosing the right format and reaching audiences that are most receptive to them:
The Power of Rewarded Formats: When paired with high-quality, relevant creative, rewarded ads become a seamless part of the premium experience. A large majority (62% of gamers) find these formats most engaging, essentially signaling that a value exchange is a premium interaction, proving that the payoff elevates the advertising moment.
Embrace the Gen Z Effect: Experience means participation. With most Gen Z shoppers (up to 69%) expecting interactive moments and playable experiences, positioning campaigns at the intersection of play and community is the winning strategy.
Scale: Convert a High-Intent Audience
Premium scale can be delivered by connecting large volumes of high-intent consumers in highly engaging digital environments, like in-app and mobile games. During the holidays, the goal is to reach this huge audience who are even more engaged than usual:
Digital Turbine’s Unparalleled Reach: In-app and mobile gaming specifically provide access to a massive, engaged audience that spends hours daily in an immersive environment. DT's global presence connects advertisers to 82K+ apps and 1 billion devices and users worldwide. Furthermore, a study by Livewire reveals that mobile gamers in the U.S., U.K., and Australia spent almost 2X more time during last year’s holiday season compared to other times of the year.
Rapid Conversion: Video ad completions increased by 14% between Thanksgiving and Black Friday on DT’s platform, demonstrating that when time-sensitive holiday promotions meet the focused attention of an in-app moment, shoppers actively engage and convert at scale.
Advertisers must make a choice: compete in the noise or conquer the moment. The holiday season isn't won by the biggest budget; it's won by the best strategy. By mastering Connection, Experience, and Scale, you can go from buying fixed, expensive placements to earning premium, effective moments on mobile, ensuring every dollar spent delivers a measurable, decisive victory.
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