Mobile Monday: The Future of Addressability, Rewarded Audio in Mobile Games, iOS 14.5’s Effect on Major App Platforms
Every week, Digital Turbine, AdColony, and Fyber are teaming up to give you the latest news and insights in the mobile world. In this edition of Mobile Monday, Digital Turbine explains where mobile addressability is headed, AdColony touches on rewarded audio ads as a monetization solution, and Fyber covers iOS 14.5’s impact on the mobile app ecosystem. Learn all about these stories in this week’s Mobile Monday!
Addressing Addressability
The industry seems to have wrapped its head around the reality that privacy changes are here to stay – and despite Google’s decision to delay its own phasing out of cookies until 2023, it’s still clear that consumer-first privacy solutions are inevitable. Marketing Dive reported on a recent Advertising Week panel of experts about their methods for navigating the new reality.
The responses ranged from contextual advertising to encrypted authentication to utilizing first-party data. And the fact is, all of these answers are correct. The best way to navigate an uncertain future is to try and test different things until you find the one (or the mix) that works best for you. The big key is still to take control of your own attribution and measurement and not rely on third-party data to dictate your successes. Only then can you understand what really is working for the long-term value of the app.
One interesting point brought up in the article is the desire to create a privacy-friendly identifier – something that could eventually replace the third-party cookie that has dominated advertising since the 1990s. But these solutions are still nascent at best, and even if they succeed, will likely take a long time before there is full adoption throughout the industry. But it’s great to see the industry open to new frameworks and ideas – that’s how change happens.
Rewarded Ads – Is Audio in the Future?
Mobile game publishers and brands alike are always looking for the best ad format that will increase engagement and user acquisition while not taking the gamer out of the gaming world. Research and experience have shown that rewarded video ads are a huge hit with gamers as it allows them to have a unique connection with a brand’s creative while also increasing their gaming experience via an added life, level, or some other bonus provided by game publishers. That said, what is the potential of incorporating in-game rewarded audio ads into a mobile game publisher’s monetization strategy?
As explained in AdExchanger, after experimenting with rewarded in-game audio ads, an Israeli start-up, Odeeo SDK, has seen great success with this monetization method. In the same vein as rewarded video ads, a user would engage with an audio ad to receive an incentive from the mobile game. However, with audio ads, the ad is even less disruptive than a video ad (though if the right creative is used, these shouldn’t be intrusive either) as the audio plays in the background of the game, allowing the user to continue playing while engaging with the ad.
In addition, the audio ad senses other audio from the game or the mobile device and seamlessly fades in while pausing the other audio, which then resumes after the audio ad is completed. Another bonus may be that the audio ads don’t take away from any other ads running in the mobile game — an audio ad could be used in conjunction with a banner or another ad in order to create more engagement and further cement a brand’s message.
In its limited experience, rewarded audio ads are seeing high engagement and retention, as recorded from game publisher, Gamejam, that partnered up with the start-up, Odeeo. According to Gamejam, the CPMs with this format are good and higher than CPMs for banner ads that run individually. As more consumers game on mobile, brands and advertisers must work creatively to reach these gamers in the most effective manner. Similarly, mobile game publishers must be open to new ad formats that will lead to gamers staying in the game longer and increasing engagement. Have you looked into audio ads recently?
Major app platforms feel the heat from iOS 14.5
It was inevitable that Apple’s iOS 14.5 would have an impact on the mobile app ecosystem. And by now, those in the industry are already familiar with how users are adjusting to the opt-in choice of being tracked by apps.
But how did this change affect the social media giants – Facebook, Google, Snapchat, and Twitter? From the get-go, Facebook was most vocal, making it clear to the public that this change would negatively affect their users and small businesses on the platform. However, according to Business of Apps, the Q3 results from all four companies came to realize that there is a difference of opinion as to whether iOS 14.5 was as detrimental as expected – when comparing their forecast and revenue.
Snapchat saw its stock value plummet 22% after Q3 reporting, after having not expected iOS 14.5 to be much of a disruptor. The privacy changes made it difficult for partners to manage their ad campaigns on iOS, as it did to Facebook too. Facebook’s ad revenue may have increased by 35% since last year – the first time it’s been lower than Q2’s results, coupled with a 4% drop in stock value.
Twitter on the other hand saw a 37% YoY growth – along with Google and YouTube experiencing less impact from the changes.
Apple’s power play continues to push these giants to rework and innovate solutions. For now, Google is shielded by its Android platform – where ad budgets are looking to explore that playground too.
About Mobile Mondays
Mobile Monday examines the latest news, trends, and developments in mobile apps, tech, and advertising. Do you have a story to share for the next Mobile Monday?
About Fyber
Fyber, part of Digital Turbine’s independent Mobile Growth Platform, develops innovative ad monetization solutions trusted by top mobile game and app publishers. Fyber’s product suite offers publishers a trusted, unconflicted alternative that drives superior results by creating an optimal connection between mobile audiences, top global brands, and mobile-first advertisers across over 40Bn daily ad opportunities. Fyber’s FairBid mediation, Fyber Marketplace, and Offer Wall Edge are all built with performance, scale, and transparency in mind. To dive deeper into how their monetization solutions put app developers first, check out their blog.
About AdColony
AdColony, part of Digital Turbine’s leading independent mobile growth and monetization platform, helps brands, agencies, and apps expand their reach and results with the power of mobile. AdColony is known globally for its award-winning video advertising marketplace, with ad engagement innovations like Instant-Play™, Aurora™ HD Video, Playables, and more. Looking for more insights on apps and mobile games? Find out more on their blog!
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Have any story ideas for Mobile Monday? Tweet @AdColony. For the latest Digital Turbine mobile news and updates, follow @DigitalTurbine on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect on Linkedin.
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