Every quarter, your app campaigns seem to hit a wall. The cost per install (CPI) keeps rising on search and social, and you end up targeting the same users as your competitors.
Mobile OEM traffic helps you move past that wall. OEM means original equipment manufacturer, like Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and HONOR. With OEM traffic, your ads reach users directly on these devices and in their app stores. AVOW’s OEM partners cover 86% of the global Android market and reach over 1.85 billion daily active users. Most of these users aren’t part of the crowded auctions your current campaigns compete in.
In short, OEM traffic helps your app campaigns by bringing in more high-quality, fraud-free users at a lower cost than crowded channels. This article explains how it works, which apps benefit most, and what results you can expect.
Key takeaways
- Incremental reach: AVOW’s 13 OEM partners reach an audience that social, search, and SDK networks can’t access.
- Lower acquisition costs: LOTTO24 cut its eCPA (effective cost per acquisition) by 50% in six months while growing installs by 170%.
- Cleaner traffic: AVOW’s OEM ad units are 100% fraud-free and verified by major MMPs (mobile measurement partners). OctaFX recorded a 1% install rejection rate.
- Higher-quality users: Funvent Studios drove 2.5M+ installs in one month and beat its Day 7 retention goal (8.5% vs. 8%).
- Fast to test: Dynamic Preloads campaigns launch about two weeks after commercial agreements, with no SDK integration.
What is mobile OEM traffic?
Mobile OEM traffic refers to reaching users through spaces owned by smartphone makers, like their pre-installed app stores, system apps, browsers, lock screens, and the setup process. No social feeds, search auctions, or third-party ad networks sit in between.
Why does this matter for mobile app advertising? These placements matter because they feel like a natural part of the phone. Users see your app recommended in their app store or during setup, instead of as a banner between social posts. There are four main types of OEM ads, and each one helps your app campaigns differently. Downloads the app from Google Play during setup. OOBE (out-of-box experience) does the same from the OEM’s own app store.
| OEM Format | Where Users See It | What it adds to App Campaigns |
| Alternative app stores | Xiaomi GetApps, HUAWEI AppGallery, vivo V-Appstore, OPPO App Market, Samsung Galaxy Store | App discovery, featuring, and keyword search placements. App featuring lifts installs up to 3x daily volume. |
| On-device display ads | Browser, themes, app vault, native app store | Acquisition and retargeting based on the apps a user already has. 100+ placements to choose from. |
| Dynamic Preloads (Google PAI and OOBE) | Setup of a new or factory-reset phone | Puts your app among the first on a new device, on a cost-per-install model. |
| On-device branding | Splash screens, lock screen, feeds, screensavers | Awareness and recall that support performance campaigns downstream. |
Google PAI (Play Auto Install) downloads the app from Google Play during setup. OOBE (out-of-box experience) does the same from the OEM’s own app store.
Regulation is pushing in the same direction. Under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), OEM app stores can be the default option on devices, which widens the audience for alternative app stores in Europe.
How does OEM traffic improve app campaigns?
OEM traffic boosts app campaigns in five clear ways: it increases reach, targets high-intent users, lowers costs, protects against fraud, and improves post-install engagement. Each helps solve common paid-campaign problems.
Paid campaigns frequently stall. Every month, over 50,000 apps launch on Google Play, all competing for the same users on only a few platforms.
It adds reach your competitors aren’t buying
Most app marketers split their ad spend across search, social, a few SDK networks, and some influencer marketing. OEM inventory sits outside all of them.
AVOW’s OEM partners hold 86% of the global Android market, and that share climbs to 87% in Southeast Asia, 84% in India, and 91% in Africa. Exness used this reach to run campaigns in 40 countries, reaching 250,000 monthly installs and 1,000% ROAS (return on ad spend).
It reaches users when intent is highest
OEM ads appear when people are actively searching for apps, like during phone setup, while browsing their app store, or searching for something specific. This differs from when users are just scrolling through a social feed.
Targeting sharpens it further. OEMs target by appographic data (the apps a user already has installed), app category, time spent in those categories, and past user behavior. C6 Bank used appographic targeting on Xiaomi and OPPO devices to reach users with relevant credit profiles.
The result: 100,000 installs per month and a 15% higher install-to-account-open rate than internal benchmarks.
It cuts acquisition costs
Fewer bidders means cheaper users. LOTTO24 ran on-device campaigns on Xiaomi and HUAWEI, plus their app stores in Germany, where its app wasn’t previously available. Installs grew 170%, and eCPA dropped 50% within six months.
Milanuncios, a Spanish classifieds marketplace, tells a similar story. Its Xiaomi on-device campaigns and OPPO preloads brought eCPA 23% below the initial goal and grew users 30% quarter over quarter.
“AVOW’s partnership was instrumental in elevating our user acquisition efforts. Their ability to consistently drive a cost-efficient campaign was a major factor in our success.”
Alex Piriz, Growth Marketing Manager, Milanuncios
It protects your budget from fraud
OEM traffic flows from the manufacturer’s own placements, with no third-party networks or DSPs (demand-side platforms) reselling it. AVOW’s OEM ad units are 100% fraud-free and verified by major MMPs. AVOW Intelligence, AVOW’s proprietary media buying technology, also tracks installs your anti-fraud tools reject.
The numbers back it up. OctaFX ran on Xiaomi and vivo across 13 markets with a 1% install rejection rate.
It Improves Engagement After the Install
Installs are just the starting point. The real value comes later, in how well users stick around and how much revenue they bring.
Funvent Studios combined display ads and Dynamic Preloads on Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo devices. It drove 2.5M+ installs in August 2025 alone, with 19% Day 1 retention, 8.5% Day 7 retention (goal: 8%), and 18% Day 7 ROAS. Kredivo, a Southeast Asian fintech app, reached a 46% install-to-loan-application rate.
Which app campaigns benefit most from OEM traffic?
Apps focused on Android, with a performance team, and using an MMP see the quickest results. OEM traffic is Android-only, so it won’t help if your app is iOS-only.
The best candidates for OEM traffic have a few things in common. Their app is central to their business, so more installs mean more revenue. Their team already runs paid campaigns on major platforms and has reached a plateau. They also have the budget to try out a new channel.
Vertical matters too:
- Gaming: Tripledot Studios paired display ads with Dynamic Preloads via Google PAI. Its OEM campaigns beat EMEA performance targets by 20% and outperformed other preload channels by 15%.
- E-commerce: Magalu, one of Brazil’s largest e-commerce platforms, tested display ads, preloads, interstitials, app store featuring, and push notifications. It achieved 9x year-over-year install growth and a 25% increase in average basket size.
- Fintech: Finance apps face high acquisition costs and strict quality bars, which makes fraud-free, targeted traffic valuable. Exness, Kredivo, and C6 Bank all scaled through OEM campaigns (results above).
- Brand campaigns in restricted categories: BingoPlus used Xiaomi for reach and HUAWEI for engagement, reaching 112M+ impressions and 1.24M+ clicks.
Geography is the other lever. OEM share runs highest in Android-first markets like India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Europe (57%) and LATAM (55%) still give mobile app marketers a large, less crowded audience.
How do you add OEM traffic to your app campaigns?
Think of OEM as a complete performance channel with a unique set of rules. Here are five steps to build it into your mobile app marketing strategy:
- Match the format to the goal. Use display ads for acquisition and retargeting, Dynamic Preloads for new-device reach, alternative app stores for app discovery, and branding placements for awareness.
- Get listed on OEM app stores. Many placements require it. Samsung Galaxy Store campaigns need the app on the Galaxy Store, and Xiaomi display ads need it on GetApps, plus a Day 0 or Day 7 ROAS target and opening-event data in your MMP.
- Set down-funnel KPIs on day one. Optimize for registrations, deposits, or purchases, not installs alone. Exness built its OEM model on cost per registration and ROI benchmarks.
- Bid for intent. On Xiaomi, an oCPC (optimized cost per click) model with a daily budget lets the OEM algorithm adjust bids toward users likely to engage. Fixed CPI bids tend to lose high-intent auctions and plateau once cheap inventory runs out.
- Test broad, then scale. Start across several OEMs and regions, then double down on the geos that win on ROAS and retention. Funvent Studios used exactly this approach, backed by cohort analysis.
One practical note: run OEM campaigns so they don’t overlap with your existing partners. Zephyr Mobile ran on Xiaomi across 30 countries with no partner overlap and zero fraud tracked on its MMP.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is OEM advertising?
OEM advertising promotes apps through placements owned by smartphone manufacturers, such as their app stores, browsers, lock screens, and device setup flow. It lets advertisers reach mobile users directly on their devices, without Google, Meta, or third-party ad networks in between.
Is OEM traffic high quality?
Yes, when it runs directly through the manufacturers. AVOW’s OEM ad units are 100% fraud-free and verified by major MMPs. Advertisers see it down-funnel too: C6 Bank recorded a 15% higher install-to-account-open rate, and OctaFX saw a 1% install rejection rate.
Does OEM advertising work on iPhones?
No. OEM advertising runs on Android devices from manufacturers such as Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, HONOR, HUAWEI, and Transsion. AVOW’s partners cover 86% of the global Android market.
What are Dynamic Preloads?
Dynamic Preloads place your app on new or factory-reset Android phones during setup, through Google PAI or the OEM’s own app store (OOBE). They run on a cost-per-install model, need no SDK integration, and are reflected in Google Play rankings.
How fast can an OEM campaign go live?
Dynamic Preloads campaigns can launch about two weeks after commercial agreements are signed. Display campaigns on some OEMs need extra steps first, such as an app store listing and pre-approval from the manufacturer.
Can OEM traffic support app store optimization?
Yes. Alternative app stores support keyword and genre optimization, plus featured placements that can lift installs by up to 3x daily volume. Dynamic Preloads also feed into Google Play rankings.
How do OEM ads fit with my existing paid campaigns?
They add incremental users rather than replacing your current channels. Plan them to avoid overlap with existing partners, and measure them in the same MMP, so you compare cohorts like for like.
Conclusion
If your app campaigns rely only on search and social, you end up paying more for the same users. OEM traffic gives you another way to grow, with access to 1.85 billion daily users, native ad placements, and fraud-free installs that deliver on retention and ROAS. The advertisers mentioned above didn’t replace their old channels—they added OEM traffic before their competitors did, and saw real results.
See how mobile OEM traffic fits your app campaigns → Book a demo.
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