Dive Brief:
- Snapchat joined the app install ad format crowd with its first campaign – an ad for mobile game Cookie Jam.
- The ad allows users to download the game from the Apple Store without leaving Snapchat, a user experience similar to Facebook and Twitter’s app install ads.
- According to eMarketer, app install ads were expected to reach $3 billion last year accounting for more than 10% of mobile ad budgets with an 80% year-over-year increase in spending.
Dive Insight:
According to Adweek, the ad began running last week in the iHeartRadio channel in Snapchat’s Discover portal and is a shorter version of Cookie Jam’s 30-second spot featuring Ken Jeong. The Adweek article also reported that Snapchat is creating an API for campaign targeting and measurement. Snapchat has long been criticized for not offering marketers tracking tools and metrics that are standard on other social media platforms.
On the popularity and value in mobile app ads, Sean Galligan, vice president and industry lead for entertainment at Yahoo, told Marketing Dive last year, “For one thing, in Q2 of 2015, U.S. consumers spent, on average, three hours and 40 minutes per day on their mobile devices and 90% of users’ time on mobile is currently spent in apps. More brands have built app experiences to connect with these audiences, creating more competition for users’ attention."
Galligan explained that mobile app install ads have become a key ingredient for brands looking to get in front of the right audiences at the right times. This tactic is also helpful for building loyalty among new and relevant users.
