Kristina: According to AppAnnie time spent on mobile has increased 20% since the pandemic began. Digital Turbine's new report finds that consumers are looking for better content options in mobile. What implications do these two findings hold for mobile brands?
Matt Tubergon, Executive Vice President, Digital Turbine Media: The importance of mobile in our life has been increasing since the advent of the mobile phone. Today, we turn to our mobile phones whenever we have spare moments in our day for entertainment or information. It's why we open them 50% of the time without a specific purpose or app in mind. During social distancing, we have more time to spare - so it's no surprise that not only has mobile usage increased, but also app installs.
But more time for us doesn't change the larger problem - apps are buried in app stores, content is buried in a sea of apps. Competition to reach and engage audiences is overflowing with choices - and in those moments consumers revert to known, comfortable options. We are seeing that users are engaging more than ever with apps installed at the time of new device activations. In some cases we are seeing a 40% increase in new app exploration within 30 days of getting a new phone during Covid-19. Brands need to seek new, innovative ways to break through to find new users.
Kristina: Because people are spending more time on mobile/in apps, is it also time for brands' strategies to become more mobile-centric?
Matt: It's beyond time! At this point, any brand getting into the mobile game needs to understand that consumer behaviors are set. The challenge isn't really to be "mobile-centric," but rather how to get noticed. We often ask marketing executives if they use the apps on their home screen, the unanimous answer is "of course." We then ask if they would like to have their company's app installed directly on the home screen across 100's of millions of devices and the answer is unanimously "yes."
Kristina: How can brands improve their mobile campaign strategies?
Matt: Today's traditional advertising spends work well to an extent, but brands should be looking to supplement those methods. When only 1 out of every 3 people are actively installing apps, brands need to figure out how else to get discovered, such as with dynamic preloads - which can break through and put apps directly on devices. There are a tremendous amount of resources in the market today to track and analyze business drivers in the business of apps. Brands who are not already getting aggressive can be sure their competition is thinking mobile. By adopting best practices and getting a leg up by doing large, strategic distribution deals, brands can keep the edge and beat the incumbents where it matters most... In your hand...
Kristina: What trends are you watching right now in the mobile space?
Matt: We've been looking at the overall consumer mobile journey - starting from day one of a new device through device replacement - and how consumers discover media. We've noticed some significant shifts in how people discover the apps and content they enjoy every day - which creates challenges for brand advertisers. This means that traditional methods of discovery - like app stores and social advertising - aren't as effective as they once were. We are also looking at data and new patterns around device purchases. We have noticed that special life events, such as marriage, a new job or even ahead of traveling are driving consumers to purchase new phones. This is leading us to better understand what people do after they have a life event and buy a new device as well as how they find apps and content that help them in their journey.
Tweet