Mobile Monday: Content Fortresses in Adtech, The Boom of Real Estate Apps, U.S. Consumers’ App Usage in H1 2021
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 touches on AppTrackingTransparency’s effect on consolidation in adtech, AdColony covers the rise of real estate and housing apps, and Fyber shares new research on the number of apps users interact with. Learn all about these stories in this week’s Mobile Monday!
The Apple Butterfly Effect
Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency continues to have seismic changes to the advertising world – one where the winners will certainly be the ones to adapt. Forbes’ John Koetsier talks about one such change – the consolidation of big players in the market. And hey – look at that! He even mentions Digital Turbine’s acquisitions of Fyber and AdColony.
We particularly like this quote from a mobile analyst: “Eric Seufert calls (these consolidations) content fortresses: platforms that own as much consumption of content and monetization of content in one place as possible”. As a “content fortress”, we like to think that we’re built on a high ground of our carrier and OEM relationships. And one unique thing that our fortress has, is the ability to be on-device. Something that the winds of Apple’s privacy change have not been able to shake.
The United States’ Real Estate Boom Leads to Record Adoption of Related Apps
Consumers are becoming increasingly more comfortable relying on apps to make life-changing purchases. AdColony’s Car Buying Survey from last year revealed that consumers were becoming more interested in purchasing a car directly from an app. The latest data from Sensor Tower shows that consumers are also turning to apps in their search to buy a home. The U.S. housing market is seeing increasing demand and real estate apps have played a key role in the home buying process. According to a new report, the first half of 2021 saw apps in this category rise 14% year-over-year to total 23 million installs from 20.3 million. The top 30 real estate and housing apps had a record quarter in Q1 2021 after reaching 12 million downloads.
Apps geared toward renters also saw a download surge as schools and businesses reopened. Apartments.com has continued to lead the rental-only subcategory since 2019 especially as people slowly return to office and college students go back to campuses. The app reached its highest download number in July 2021 with 300,000. Meanwhile, real estate management apps have also had an uptick in adoption. The top 10 apps of this subcategory have seen installs climb since December 2020 and growth continued through H1 2021. Downloads of real estate management apps were up 80% in June 2021 when compared to January 2020.
U.S. Consumers’ App Usage in H1 2021
How many apps do you think you interact with, in a month? According to SensorTower, US smartphone users engaged with on average 46 apps every month in the H1 of 2021! This new study shows us how we use our mobile phones, and helps further cement the long-standing growth of the app industry. From 44 apps on average in H1 2019. Although it might not seem like a big leap, it does give us an indication of how consumers are interacting with their apps and spending their time on their mobile devices.
In between these two time periods the world went through a larger dependence on mobile devices for remote working and learning reasons. Naturally, this sequentially turned consumers into becoming a lot more reliant on apps that help run their day-to-day life, spending five to six hours on their phones on a daily basis (not even including work-related use). The Business and Finance category apps per US smartphone grew 55% in the above time period. Although other categories rose significantly in this period, mobile gaming is still growing strong, representing the largest one.
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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