Acquiring high-value users for mobile apps is a primary goal for app developers regardless of vertical or region, but the app market is developing at a rapid pace with more competition than ever before: An average of 1,153 new apps are released every day on the App Store and 3,119 new apps each day on the Google Play Store. Moreover, the unchallenged oligopoly of Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon, also named GAFA, owns more than 70% of the US total digital marketing expenditure. This underlines the challenge mobile marketers face when pushing for greater visibility and achieving their user acquisition targets. Fortunately, there are alternatives to GAFA platforms mobile marketers can use to help achieve their company goals and increase ROAS.

User acquisition managers gain a competitive edge with OEMs

OEM (original equipment manufacturer) apps are a smart way to reach untapped audiences and gain an edge over your competitors. Although the term is also used in other manufacturing industries, it has a specific meaning for the mobile industry. OEMs refer to companies who manufacture their own phones  and create their own OEM apps. An example of a well-known Android OEM is Samsung, who sold 55.76 million smartphones in the second quarter of 2020.

OEMs are taking deliberate steps to offer a true and safe alternative to the overcrowded GAFA app stores. Companies such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Vivo and Oppo are directly distributing applications to their customers via their own dedicated stores. According to the consultancy IDC, these four companies made up 40.1% of global handset shipments in the fourth quarter of 2019.

What are the key advantages of OEMs?

While mobile marketers may find it difficult to successfully maneuver through the different specifications and requirements for each of the alternative app stores when setting up, this gives marketers access to numerous benefits:

  • Achieve your growth goals: OEMs enable marketers to grow on a global scale by reaching new audiences and accessing new markets
  • Reach your acquisition targets: OEMs offer higher user-acquisition whilst paying lower CPI (cost-per-install)
  • Enter a fraud-proof ecosystem: Marketers gain access to a fully fraud-free user-acquisition ecosystem. This is because there are no additional layers between the budget holder and the OEM, and reach advertising placement is fully controlled by the OEM.
  • Build trust with your audience: Users who are brand-loyal to the OEM will view ads as more trustworthy

Lead Analyst and Founder of MobileGroove, Peggy Anne Salz, outlined the importance of OEMs in mobile’s competitive market in her feature for MMA: “There is a wealth of opportunity for marketers who tap the vast distribution opportunities offered by alternative app stores. It starts with a clear understanding of the unique characteristics of each app store and their business practices, and it extends to approaches that monitor app performance, track app interactions and – ultimately – ensure brand integrity.”

How can AVOW help user acquisition managers untap the benefits of OEMs?

AVOW partners with OEMs across the globe and are experts in OEM mobile inventory. We help our clients with a consultative approach through the whole campaign cycle, from getting their app listed on the respective stores, distribution and tracking to performance and optimization. Mobile marketers can expand their reach and unlock new revenue streams with Avow’s OEM partnerships – which covers 42% of the global Android market. These untapped audiences cannot be accessed via social, search or SDK networks.

In addition to access to untapped audiences, AVOW Performance Optimizer (APO) optimizes all OEM on-device inventory in real-time. This in-house solution optimizes the best inventory in real-time towards KPI goals and engagement levels – pushing performance campaigns to the next level for higher ROAS. All OEM on-device inventory is verified by the leading mobile measurement companies in the industry (MMPs), offering a fast, diligent and automated process to benefit our clients.

In a prime example of how AVOW can help marketers optimize performance, social ecommerce pioneer Joom worked with us to reach untapped placements in regions such as Russia, Spain and France. We leverage our partnership with Xiaomi to increase Joom’s penetration across the market with new banner ads inventory. As a result of real-time optimization, Joom surpassed KPI targets: lowering rejection rate by 6%, increasing monthly installs by more than 60,000, and increasing ROAS by 150%.

Jooms success was driven by  dynamic, seamless and intuitive on-device advertising. The ads were displayed based on location, social demographic, device type and relevant keywords.

To find out more about how Avow can help, read what our clients have to say about using alternative app stores’ inventory with our support.

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