AdColony is part of Digital Turbine’s leading independent mobile growth and monetization platform, drives business outcomes that matter for brands & agencies expanding their reach with the power of mobile, and helping app publishers grow via monetization and user acquisition tools. AdColony has a reach of more than 1.5 billion monthly users across the globe and is known for its award-winning video creative, with cutting-edge ad engagement innovations like Instant-Play™, Aurora™ HD Video, Playables, and more. A fully-owned subsidiary of Digital Turbine, Inc. AdColony is a global organization with over 20 offices in more than 30 countries worldwide.
Amit Rathi, Country Manager, AdColony speaks to us on their operations in India, their specialization and much more.
Can you elaborate on what AdColony specializes in?
AdColony is a mobile video advertising company that has developed proprietary Instant-Play technology to deliver full-screen video ads in HD to its network of iOS and Android applications in real time. AdColony works with Fortune 500 companies as well as more than half of the AppStore’s top-grossing publishers.
AdColony’s recent partnership with Anzu, the strategy behind it?
By making gaming and esports advertising options more accessible locally, this offers up new avenues for marketers to reach gamers across the world.
With the launch of Anzu via AdColony, marketers in the Asia Pacific area will be able to generate deeper levels of engagement with audiences through advertising within games. More than 1.5 billion people in Asia Pacific are gamers, with 70% of them playing games on their phones on a regular basis. Furthermore, 40% report to have increased their game playing after the COVID-19 outbreak.
What is in-game advertising and how is it beneficial to advertisers and brands?
In-game advertising is a monetisation strategy used by game developers to boost their revenue.
Gaming has swiftly evolved as an effective tool for brands to interact with their target audiences in a brand safe environment. Simply by being UGC-free, the in-app advertising environment adheres to brand safety guidelines, making it a favourable option for brands.
Today the viewer is bombarded with ads, what should be the parameters for good in-game advertising?
There are some parameters that make good and reliable in-game ads, when brands are considering monetisation strategies which get users attention and engagement levels that too without compromising the users experience, that’s where the rewarded video comes into picture.
It has proven itself to be a reliable and effective tactic to engage users as this is user opt-in video and users also get rewards through extra life, in-game currency and so on.
Thanks to the pandemic mobile gaming apps have surged phenomenally, what is their communication strategy for their consumers?
People began playing mobile games more regularly during the pandemic, with 3 out of every 4 people playing games multiple times in a day. Communication strategies vary by brand and product. However, the main focus of today’s brands is to capture users’ attention. They do this by going local through native language advertisements and opting for more user rewarded videos. This will increase their engagement and interest levels and serve as an opt-in ad for the users.
How has game streaming changed the gameplay?
Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of video game live streaming, especially with the increased time spent at home and social distancing requirements. The number of people watching live game streams grew by 11.7% globally between 2019 and 2020.
This is also evidenced by the fact that mobile game, Among Us, surged in popularity in 2020 despite its release in 2018. It became popular after game streamers on Twitch began broadcasting their gameplays. According to Sensor Tower, the game has held its rank in the top five on Apple’s US App Store since September 1, with over 158 million installations globally across the App Store and Google Play.
Today are more and more brands looking at mobiles for better ROI?
As a result of the pandemic, consumers spend more time on mobile, several app categories have been able to maintain or even expand ad income. Marketers have significantly shifted their investments to mobile-centric platforms.
Mobile video advertising maintains its dominance over others, particularly with user opt-in advertisements as these are user-generated and it ranks high in top-of-mind recall.
Where do you see AdColony in the next 3 years?
AdColony was recently acquired by Digital Turbine this year. When you combine the reach and capabilities of both companies, you have a powerful platform that will drive growth and outcomes for any buyer that participates in the mobile app economy.
