Comment & Opinion

The Brandroid effect: How Android monetization is getting an upgrade

Jeff Sue on the changing OS balance

The Brandroid effect: How Android monetization is getting an upgrade

Jeff Sue is senior director of business development at HyprMX, the leader in driving brand revenue for mobile publishers.

He can be reached at jeff@hyprmx.com

Conventional wisdom says you should prioritize iOS for rewarded video efforts.

That wisdom is changing.

It's well known that major app install networks pay out higher eCPMs to developers on iOS than on Android.

However, there's a more "traditional" force rising up and changing the equation: the brand video campaign.

Fortune 500 brand advertisers have a different mindset than app developers.

They are more concerned about reaching the right people in the right environments, and less concerned about what device those people are using.

Advertisers will pay more to run their ads where users opt-in to view and are then rewarded, as these settings result in high brand affinity.

As a result, you'll generate high eCPMs from brand campaigns on Android, as well as on iOS.

Couple this "per user" revenue improvement with the sheer volume of the Android platform and you've got a significant revenue boost on your hands.

Enter the brands

Brand video has the added benefits of keeping your users engaged in your app and bringing new revenue into the app economy.

Fortune 500 brand advertisers have a different mindset than app developers.
Jeff Sue

To fully understand the "Brandroid effect," one must first understand the two main types of rewarded video.

App Install Video

  • Videos show a trailer for an application and then allow the user to click to the app store to install it.
  • Developers' eCPMs are driven by the frequency at which its users successfully install promoted applications. This is commonly known as the "Cost Per Install" (CPI) model.
  • App install campaigns tend to have high volume, but payouts per video view can be quite low depending on the application promoted.
  • This model merely shifts money within the developer economy because CPI dollars are exchanged between developers.

Brand Video

  • Videos promote consumer products and often allow the user to click to a brand's mobile site or social media page after completion.
  • Developers' eCPMs are driven by the number of views completed by its users, and no action after the view is required. This is commonly known as the "Cost Per Completed View" (CPCV) model.
  • Brand video volume is seasonal with advertising spend, but eCPMs are consistent across genres, platforms, and placements.
  • Brand video brings in new revenue from other industries, expanding the developer economy.

How do brands measure your app's performance?

Brands and their buying agencies typically want "reach," or to borrow a web term, "eyeballs," as well as brand safety and specific targeting-all of which can be uniquely delivered in-app.

Unlike app install advertisers, they tend not to discriminate between platforms.

While brands are placing an increasing importance on targeting via first- and third-party data, their priority remains making sure they're getting in front of millions of people at the right time.

Brands crush on Android

Android provides brands with two key advantages: huge scale and decreased competition from CPI networks.

A simple way to generate incremental revenue is to include rewarded brand video in your Android ad mix.
Jeff Sue

With Android accounting for 81 percent of global smartphone shipments in 2015, according to IDC, it's the easiest way to get big "reach" quickly.

And since eCPMs for app install networks are lower on Android, brand eCPMs often stand above the crowd and get first position in ad mediation systems.

Best of both worlds

Brand advertising can deliver an outstanding user experience along with exceptional monetization. It's the perfect complement to app install videos, especially on the Android platform.

Using a mix of video networks diversifies both ad content and revenue streams. And your mediation software will manage the ebbs and flows of your ad networks to ensure that you always optimize revenue.

A simple way to generate incremental revenue is to include rewarded brand video in your Android ad mix.

Upgrade your app and benefit from the Brandroid effect.


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