As app developers juggle an ever-increasing list of considerations — such as the user experience, revenue goals, multiple types of demand sources, and more — the importance of reliable and flexible mediation tech is more important than ever.  

 Originally, ad mediation emerged to help publishers optimize their revenue more effectively, but the first generation of mediation often left monetization teams with more questions than answers.

As the tech has advanced and publisher needs have become more complex, let’s revisit mediation: how it works, why it’s important, and what publishers should look for. Let’s dive in. 

How Mediation Works 

At its core, ad mediation seeks to optimize ad revenue. At its best, mediation finds the best result for all sides of the advertising ecosystem: the publisher, the advertiser, and the end user. It does this by assessing in real-time which ad opportunity among a set of demand sources will yield the best result at that moment for that user. This drives higher eCPMs for the publisher, more relevant and enjoyable ads for the user, and better campaign performance for the advertiser. 

Open and unbiased auctions put the publisher in the driver’s seat, providing them with the controls and transparency required to optimize across waterfalls, ad lines, and various demand sources

This optimization is managed by an auction process, which can vary from one mediation platform to another. Among these, open and unbiased auctions put the publisher in the driver’s seat, providing them with the controls and transparency required to optimize across waterfalls, ad lines, and various demand sources.  

Further optimization is achieved when the ad mediation platform provides robust tools with options for creating user cohorts, placement settings, and demand integrations.

These mechanisms empower monetization teams to choose the users who will view different types of ads, when, and from which ad partners. In so doing, apps can optimize average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU) while minimizing churn or cannibalization.  

Why Mediation Is Important 

Ad mediation can deliver optimal ad revenue for app publishers while respecting all other publisher KPIs and commitments. Moreover, it can do this while saving monetization teams countless hours each week, allowing them to focus on more meaningful projects. 

Mediation offers a more dynamic approach to optimization for publishers still reliant on ad monetization waterfalls.

Depending on the mediation solution chosen —, this can work across all demand source types, creating a more competitive, and thus more lucrative, revenue ecosystem for the app. As more publishers begin to spin up their ad sales teams, the ability for demand diversity in ad mediation is more important than ever.

When mediation systems are transparent, flexible, and neutral, app publishers can truly maximize ad revenue. 

For publishers concerned about cannibalizing their users — particularly those with the highest lifetime value (LTV) — the user segmentation options within mediation tools can provide a powerful and much-needed degree of control. By dynamically cohorting users based on parameters set at the mediation layer, monetization teams can automatically optimize advertising ARPDAU without exposing high-value users to competitors’ ads. 

App publishers can maximize ad revenue when mediation systems are transparent, flexible, and neutral.

What Publishers Need 

Ad mediation is best when it empowers the app publisher and values the user experience at its core. To this end, publishers must seek several key elements from their mediation tech solution, whether they build it themselves, rely on a third-party managed solution, or leverage a customizable mediation-as-a-service solution (like InMobi’s Meson). 

First, publishers need absolute transparency in the mediation process. No auction dynamics should be obfuscated, and pricing must be upfront and clear. This allows the monetization team to make informed decisions on monetization settings and fairly assess business costs with each partner.

Moreover, without transparency, publishers cannot verify that the mediation tech is working in the publishers best interest. Thus, it’s no surprise that in a recent Advertising Perceptions study, the lack of transparency offered by many mediation companies was a top concern for 22% of publishers. 

Second, publishers need unmitigated control. Every app is unique, and maximizing monetization for many user types requires granular control mechanisms.

Indeed, 76% of publishers report that they would rather pay for greater control over their mediation than rely on a free tool with limited options. In this pursuit, publishers should ensure that their mediation solution allows for user segmentation based on user behavior, context, demographics, and other custom parameters. 

Third, publishers need flexibility. Demand sources and preferences vary by app, and mediation solutions must be able to accommodate them. To this end, publishers should verify that their mediation tech allows them to choose which demand partners and third-party vendors they work with.

While some vendors may have native integrations with the mediation tech, it’s equally important that the publisher create their own adapters and connect any other demand source of their choice. 

What’s Next in Mediation 

To attain the control, flexibility, and transparency needed for ad monetization, many publishers are revisiting their approach to mediation. Indeed, during a recent webinar on the future of monetization, predictions emphasized the importance of ad relevance, publisher control, and building trust with ad tech vendors.    

This aligns with a recent Advertiser Perceptions study of over 100 top mobile publishers, wherein a majority of publishers (55%) expressed concern about the lack of control provided by their current mediation solution, and half (50%) were frustrated by an overall lack of transparency. 

 Given the complexity of building mediation from scratch and the need for transparency and control, we expect to see the rise of mediation-as-a-service solutions like Meson. Indeed, among publishers without their own mediation platform, 73% would prefer to manage their mediation in-house, provided an outside tech company handled the infrastructure.  

No matter how monetization teams  integrate ad meditation into their tech stack, one thing is sure: publishers can make growth happen in 2023 if they allow transparency, flexibility, and control to empower them.

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Whether you’re craving a rewatch or want to catch up on some much-needed viewing, AdMonsters’ webinars are available at your leisure. This year, our webinar series dealt with the future of monetization, malvertising schemes, and how publishers use data to close deals. 

Here is the replay of our Top 3 webinars in 2022. 

How Publishers Use Data to Close More Deals With Advertisers

More than ever, data ethics and transparency are essential to data gathering. Overtime, consumers grew skeptical of how publishers and advertisers use their data but now evolving privacy regulations address those concerns. 

The industry has a long road to rectify past mistakes, but progress is afoot. There is a plausible future that balances ethical data collection and revenue efficiency. Not only does this webinar delve into that notion, but also how finding the right cadence is beneficial for publishers and advertisers to continue to drive revenue.

First-party data will build a sustainable advertising ecosystem that is fully future-proofed. Need an example? 

Watch Stephanie Mazzamaro, VP of data product & operations, Trusted Media Brands (TMB) and Thomas Baart, customer success manager, EMEA, at Permutive to learn how they used their partnership. The collaboration  helps TMB increase audience size by 22X, increase RFP win rate by 31%, and use first-party data to drive 94% of their direct-sold campaigns. 

2023 Malvertising Preview

Trends such as iframe sandboxing, vendor adoption, and better threat sharing all contributed to decreases in forced redirects. Thanks to the due diligence of ad quality vendors, tools are available to ward off malvertising and bad actors. 

While these tools are helpful, they, unfortunately, do not fully solve the issue. Bad actors only get better at the games they play. Secret holes in the open web allow malicious schemers to find innovative ways to attack both publishers and consumers.

Now, this isn’t the time to become complacent. You should ask yourselves: 

• How can I identify a malvertising scheme? 
• What are the malvertising trends for the upcoming year? 
• How can I play a role to help decrease the prevalence of these schemes? 

AdMonsters chatted with senior executives at Confiant about the different types of malvertising scams, trends to look out for in 2023, and industry collaboration. 

The Future of Monetization

Are you contemplating the future of your monetization goals? Here’s what you should consider: 

• Privacy regulations shifted how the entire industry runs its businesses. 
• The power dynamic between the consumer, publisher, and advertiser are changing. 
• Tech innovations made app publishers reevaluate their ARPDAU. 

Don’t fret. You can reach your monetization goals, but it’s time to shed your old practices and evolve. While ad revenue is vital to any thriving business, it must not outweigh the needs of your audience. 

“Monetization is important, but it is a secondary metric,” said Ram “TK” Krishnamurthy, General Manager (Meson) and VP of strategic partnerships, InMobi. “It is something that has to be done, but in a way that helps you retain the user.” 

In an ad spend slowdown, “The Future of Monetization” is an essential viewing. TK and Adam Sadur, head of programmatic, SmartNews, spoke about how publishers are taking control of their monetization destiny, what to expect in 2023, and more. 

The post AdMonsters 2022 Rewind: The Great Webinar Replay appeared first on AdMonsters.

When you are looking at the future of your monetization goals, there are several things to consider. 

Privacy regulations have shifted how the entire industry runs their businesses, the power dynamic between the consumer and the publisher and advertiser is changing, and tech innovations are making app publishers reevaluate their ARPDAU. That does not mean your monetization goals cannot be met. It means that the practices you have used to achieve those goals in the past need to change. 

The essential component now is the consumer and the user experience. While ad revenue is important to any thriving business, it must not outweigh the needs of your audience. 

“Monetization is important, but it is a secondary metric,” said Ram “TK” Krishnamurthy General Manager (Meson) and VP of Strategic Partnerships, InMobi. “It is something that has to be done, but in a way that helps you retain the user.” 

During our Dec. 7, 2022, Webinar, “The Future of Monetization,” AdMonsters spoke with TK and Adam Sadur, Head of Programmatic, SmartNews. We chatted with them about the top monetization challenges facing mobile apps, how publishers are taking control of their monetization destiny, what to expect in 2023 and more. (Watch the video-on-demand below.)

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The ecosystem is ever-evolving. Shifting user expectations, privacy considerations, and tech innovations (and consolidations) are forcing app publishers to re-evaluate how they drive ad ARPDAU.

In this new mobile economy, publishers should focus on privacy-first strategies and seek out partners who can best help them optimize for both revenue and retention.

In preparation for our upcoming webinar, The Future of Monetization — on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 1 PM EST — with InMobi and SmartNews, we reached out to Ram “TK” Krishnamurthy, General Manager (Meson) and VP of Strategic Partnerships, InMobi, to learn more about the challenges publishers face, how they’re adapting to elevate their ad revenue and the importance of unifying auctions across multiple demand sources.

Lynne d Johnson: With the launch of Apple’s ATT in 2020, the launch of SKAN 4.0 in October, and testing for Google’s Privacy Sandbox expected soon, what’s most important for publishers to consider about user privacy and addressability in 2023?

Ram “TK” Krishnamurthy: Publishers who are deprioritizing cookie dependency and focusing on privacy-first unified identity solutions are the best poised for optimized ad fill and revenue in 2023. We’ve also seen increased interest in seller-defined audiences (SDAs), which necessitate tools that provide publishers with more granular control over user cohorts.

With the release of SKAN 4.0, there is renewed optimism for the future of iOS app growth with greater insights into campaign performance and more powerful optimization and measurement capabilities than previous iterations.

LdJ: Time and again, studies reveal that users prefer free apps over those that require subscriptions. Given the often precarious balance between user retention and monetization, what overarching trends are you seeing across publishers you work with?

TK: Mobile app publishers are seeking more flexibility and control over their monetization settings. This can take shape in multiple ways, such as flexible ad format placements, heavier use of native ads, and more robust user segmentation.

To achieve the monetization flexibility they need to optimize for both revenue and retention, many publishers are seeking ways to augment their existing tech stack — without necessarily developing it all in-house.

LdJ: You have mediation technology that unifies auctions across multiple demand sources. This tech promises to give publishers more control and greater ability to maximize their in-app revenue. How so?

TK: Meson serves as in-house mediation for mobile apps, empowering publishers with reliable and scalable tools to take control of their monetization, without the headache of building it themselves.

For instance, we provide mobile app publishers with complete control over their open auction dynamics, giving them the tools they need to manage demand for each waterfall, between ad lines, and across different types of networks. As the bid dynamics are unbiased and fully transparent — including log-level data for all auctions — publishers can make informed decisions about what’s best for their app and monetization goals.

Additionally, we provide robust tools to help publishers cohort their users so that they can choose the best monetization strategy for their various user segments. They are also able to use this data for user acquisition.

Don’t forget to register for our upcoming webinar — The Future of Monetization  — on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 1 PM EST — with InMobi and SmartNews where you’ll learn how publishers are taking control of their monetization destiny. Register now!

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InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile ad network, and Mobext, the mobile marketing arm of Havas Digital, conducted a global survey examining the media consumption habits of over 9,600 respondents across seven different markets. The research was designed to enable marketers and media planners to better reach audiences and gain insight into the role that these devices play in the path to purchase.  Results demonstrated that consumers are spending significant time on mobile connected devices, with time spent on smartphones and tablets playing a critical role in purchasing decisions.

How media is consumed

Tablet and smartphone users are the greatest consumers of media, accessing content the most frequently. Their media time is broken up into regular “snack” sessions throughout the day rather than prolonged periods of browsing. U.S. consumers have rapidly changed how they consume media and make purchases. The survey data reveals that these devices add to overall digital media time, creating new, exciting entertainment opportunities. For example, over 60% of U.S. tablet owners spend at least 30 minutes each day accessing media content on their tablets and 52% use a tablet to fill what previously would have been “dead time.”

With that said, connected devices are also significantly cannibalizing other forms of entertainment consumption and shopping. When asked what activities they do less after owning a tablet, 29% of U.S. tablet users said they have reduced reading books in print. Another 29% of tablet owners claimed they reduced surfing the internet via their PC and/or laptop. Nearly half of tablet owners—48%—agree that tablets’ appealing design and accessibility make it is easier to access media content than on a PC or laptop.

Tablets are also the preferred method of filling in spare time, and one particularly interesting trend is the rise of “dual-screening” – using a connected device at the same time as watching TV. 59% of tablet users regularly interact with their tablet while watching TV, which is good news for brands. Nielsen statistics show that effective dual-screening makes brand recall 1.7 times more effective than TV advertising alone. For brands, there are clear advantages to be gained by synchronising ad placement across TV, digital and mobile to improve brand recognition and campaign effectiveness.

Shopping moves to mobile

The survey demonstrated that in-store shopping is reduced as connected devices allow consumers to shop in ways that are more conducive to their lifestyle.  22% of tablet users claim they have shopped less in physical stores since purchasing a tablet and 55% of tablet owners make purchases on their device in an average month.  Survey results show that tablets have become the preferred device at home and smartphones are preferred on the go.  Together, smartphones and tablets make up an increasing amount of the online activity previously done on PCs/laptops.  Users out of the home and in need of functional purchases consistently prefer making smartphone purchases. On-the-go shoppers complete the entire purchase cycle – from awareness to post-purchase social media—from their mobile device, surpassing PC and laptop use across the board. While transient shopping is held by the smartphone, tablet use peaks at home in the evening between 6 p.m. and midnight for most owners.  For big ticket purchases, 55% of respondents report they first learn about the product on their tablet, 53% actively evaluate the product and 58% saying they follow through with purchasing those goods on their tablet.

Implications for brands

Savvy media planners recognize that each type of device offers a unique opportunity, and that overall the full range of devices should be fully exploited to create a holistic advertising strategy. Marketers must be ready to use information such as location data to develop contextually aware campaigns, exploiting the specialized capabilities of each type of connected device to drive increased response and engagement levels.

The new retail environment requires brands to be active in mobile commerce. Our data shows that customers on mobile devices do not simply use their devices for browsing on-the-go; they also use them to buy at home. We have shown that consumers already rely on their mobile devices to search out and buy from their favorite brands, and successful brands will be ready for them.

The post How Connected Devices are Influencing Purchase Decisions: Implications for Brands appeared first on AdMonsters.

As a mobile ad network that developed across Asia-Pacific before launching in the U.S. and E.U. in 2010, InMobi boasts a unique perspective on the global mobile revolution and reaching international audiences at scale. Prior to the OPS Mobile event Dec. 7 Mobile OPS event in NYC, AdMonsters caught up with Anne Frisbie, VP and Managing Director, North America for InMobi about recent acquisition Sprout, an HTML 5 developer focused on mobile rich media; how the rise of the mobile web is different from the emergence of the PC/desktop Internet, especially on a global scale; and the challenges in engaging a global audience. 
 
To start with a more general question, how do you think the emergence of mobile is different from the dawn of Internet advertising about 10 years ago?
 
First, the mobile connected universe of devices has achieved 10 times the reach of the PC web in one third of the time. It took 17 years for the PC web to reach 1 billion connected devices. Mobile devices, mainly smartphones, are reaching approximately 10 billion in five years. Second, mobile is truly global in a way the PC never was, as developing countries never saw PC penetration greater than 10%. Third, mobile is on everywhere at all times and is more entertainment-oriented, immersive, and emotional than the PC. PCs, by contrast, are primarily search oriented and functional.

InMobi recently acquired Sprout, an HTML5 developer. How does this acquisition fit into InMobi’s role in the future of mobile advertising? Why did InMobi decide to leave Sprout open source?

 Our primary goal with the acquisition of Sprout was to enable and deliver mobile rich media at scale. Sprout simplifies the challenges that advertisers face in running mobile rich media advertising with an easy-to-use platform that makes building, serving and tracking rich media ads easier and faster than ever. By combining Sprout’s platform and HTML5 creative expertise with InMobi’s global reach, we have created the world’s strongest capability in rich media advertising.
 
One of the best things Sprout offers for customers is their “build once, run everywhere” approach, meaning that rich media ads created on Sprout’s platform work on devices that support HTML5, including Android and iOS. Sprout ads can be served through InMobi as well as all major mobile ad networks, and our decision to keep Sprout open and independent is proof of our commitment to expanding rich media in the mobile industry.
 
We know HTML5 rich media will be critical for mobile advertisers looking to create immersive mobile ad experiences, and we are seeing the appetite for rich media grow at a meteoric pace. Industry research predicts the number of mobile devices with HTML5 browsers will reach 2.1 billion in the next five years – 20 times the number of HTML5 devices available in 2010.
 
InMobi only recently broke into the U.S, market. What differences have you seen in mobile advertising between the U.S. and international markets? What are your thoughts on the future of mobile internationally?
 
Our international presence acted as a strong lever to build our business in the U.S. market. We saw the total number of competitors decrease due to consolidation in the U.S. market, which created an opportunity for us. There are also many U.S. publishers who are seeing a majority of their business coming from global markets, which has propelled our growth.
 
There are three primary differences for mobile advertisers between the U.S. and international markets. First, in developing markets, mobile phones are a primary electronic device, and in most cases, the only device consumers use. Second, because developing markets don’t have a pre-existing landline or PC infrastructure, they have moved very quickly to mobile infrastructure.
 
Third, digital advertising in these regions is currently limited because the number of people who own PCs is small. As the number of mobile device users increases, dollars are moving from traditional media to digital media. We are going to continue to see explosive growth in mobile across the globe, and believe InMobi is uniquely positioned to capitalize on that growth.

What challenges arise when you have to capture the attention of global audiences? Do you have any tips for successfully engaging consumers in many, varied regions?

When working to reach global audiences and engage consumers across regions, one of the top challenges is rooted in traditional media buying patterns. We are seeing agencies make the shift from a market focus, common in traditional media, to a global focus, which is the most effective approach for mobile.

To give you a sense of how InMobi works with customers globally, we work with publishers in the U.S. market that have more than half of their business coming from global markets, where we already have a strong presence with advertisers. For example, we recently delivered a 7-figure mobile campaign bought by a U.S. brand through a European agency to run in Asia.

The second challenge is around tracking and reporting. Unlike the PC Internet, there are no third-party auditing services in mobile that effectively deduce advertising data across publishers. In addition, we cannot see the whole picture of user activity across PCs and mobile devices combined.

The good news is we think we’ve found a great solution to this challenge, which we are testing now and hope to roll out in the first quarter of 2012. It is an initiative we believe will benefit the whole industry, not only InMobi.

The third challenge is the fragmented nature of the mobile space and the lack of creative guidelines in mobile advertising. We believe our acquisition of Sprout is the right response to this challenge, as Sprout creates engagement at scale through their “build once, run everywhere” approach to HTML5 rich media.

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