Mobile OEM advertising: The right path for brands and companies who are in the hyper-growth stage looking to enhance their reach

The steady growth and ubiquity of the digital era continues to shape the way brands conduct themselves. This includes not only the way they seek to engage with their target audience (both existing and potential) but also the way they strive towards creating avenues to expand their reach in newer geographies. It is against this backdrop that digital marketers are consistently re-evaluating their overall marketing mix- an approach which in fact is a strategic need for enterprising businesses currently in a hyper-growth stage.

Mobile OEM advertising- the game changer

Amidst new elements being incorporated in the larger marketing mix, Mobile OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) advertising has stood out as a strategic tool; a game changer for many brands. Before we deep dive into this phenomenon, it is important to understand what OEMs are, and the dynamics of the mobile landscape in India.

Mobile OEMs are original equipment manufacturers who produce their own smartphones, and craft everything from the hardware to the software within their phones. This gives them unprecedented control over their platforms, allowing them to have their own app stores, and advertising tools.

The smartphone arena in India is being dominated by Android OEMs, with the likes of Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme and Oneplus occupying 4 of the top 6 spots in the country (source- Canalys). Together these mobile OEMs occupy 62% of the market share. From a consumer standpoint, smartphone users are expected to reach 1 billion by 2026, with a deeper penetration beyond tier II markets – a huge untapped potential which can be leveraged to achieve scalable and targeted user acquisition goals.

Mobile OEM advertising- a strategic must have for brands in a hyper growth stage….

One of the reasons why Mobile OEMs have struck chords with brands is because of their ability to offer an authentic and safe alternative to previously existing advertising options. Their dedicated app stores allow mobile advertisers to drive both organic and paid downloads within OEMs all over the world- amidst a fully fraud-free user acquisition ecosystem. This is important for brands in all stages of growth, but particularly when in their hyper growth stage- for whom building trust with their audience is one of the crucial goals.

As an added advantage, these stores also allow marketers to target users based on specific interests and group them under specific categories, thereby enabling more real-time analysis of user usage data. This in turn empowers marketers to put together more effective product strategies.

In a competent and price sensitive environment, Mobile OEM advertising is more cost effective which is a big win=win for mobile marketers and app developers.. When marketers prioritise installs over clicks, budgets are used more effectively to gain higher-quality users.

Unlock the potential of Mobile OEM advertising- understanding the how’s

Mobile OEM advertising aids brands to expand their reach beyond Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities and increase their market share. The demographic diversity of the Indian user base allows for more specific targeted ads to pique user interest once they interact with an app. This is where placement and positioning of these apps plays an important role. Marketers can also boost conversions by intercepting potential consumers through Mobile OEMs at key strategic points along their mobile journey, making their user acquisition (UA) approach more user-driven and meaningful. For instance, marketers can explore PMP deals at private marketplaces (PMPs) with mobile OEMs. Marketers can bid on suggested inventories for a specific time, such as the seasonal events, to get the best out of their user acquisition campaigns.

For brands in their hyper growth stage, maintaining consistent visibility is a priority- which can be addressed via in-app advertising and dynamic preloads.

As a monetization strategy in-app advertising is highly effective. Mobile OEMs offer a range of ad formats that can be utilized to drive growth, including display ads, video ads, native ads, and banner ads, with distinct ad placements. Moreover, they provide customized push notifications to aid in app discovery, allowing brands to target high-value users in new markets. The intent-based advertising enables brands to display their ad as a result of the user’s searches in the app store. This ad format increases install rates by making recommendations based on user behavior, or intent. Brands can also acquire exclusive screen takeovers with splash ads, which can generate immediate brand awareness and interest among users. However, these high-impact ads – due to their full-screen placement – must be used sparingly, such as during seasonal special events like the IPL, or the UEFA Champions League.

The targeting capabilities are what set Mobile OEMs apart from other channels. Geographic targeting allows brands to target users in specific locations, allowing for local specific content to be shown to relevant audiences within the vicinity. Appographic targeting allows for specific user segments to be targeted based on the apps they have previously installed. This provides brands with a more targeted user segment with which to seek new users from, as past app behavior is always a key indicator of future app behavior. There are a whole slew of targeting capabilities which mobile OEMs provide, such as app category targeting, user behavior targeting, socio demographic targeting, time spent on app categories and more. The key to this is understanding your user segment, and how best to target them with the tools mobile OEMs have provided.

Dynamic preloads are apps that are installed on brand-new Android smartphones and are set in motion when the device gets activated for the first time. By getting their apps in front of their target audience- possibly as a ‘go-to’ app for a new set of users, brands are able to garner strong visibility.

Mobile OEMs can choose which apps will be recommended in their app store and which device group to target and reach. As an auto-install functionality for Mobile OEMs, Dynamic Preloads automatically downloads apps from the Play Store. It also helps the users to get the latest version of the app when they install it. Dynamic Preloads provide several key advantages beyond what has been described, such as:

Price fencing during festive seasons
Ability to tap into brand new users and;
Ability to hit scale

The takeaway

Brands aspiring to take greater strides in their hyper growth journey, must continue to stay aware of the changing landscape of how consumers are functioning online in the digital era. It’s time for their marketers to integrate Mobile OEM advertising as a go-to, innovative solution. By leveraging Mobile OEM advertising, they can get incremental ROI and forge more meaningful engagement with their target user audience.

Author: Ashwin Shekhar, Co-Founder, AVOW