According to new data, consumers are now spending about 50% more time with connected devices - tablets, smartphones, connected TVs, etc. - than in 2016. And much of that time is spent with mobile video, and that is why more brands need to get comfortable in the space.
Kristina: What industry trends are you watching in mobile video?
Anne Frisbie, SVP, Global Brand & Programmatic, InMobi: Today, US adults will spend 50% more time on connected devices compared to desktops, and as a result, mobile advertising spend eclipsed desktop in 2016. What has been less documented, but is very important as it relates to mobile video, is that US adults are spending more of their mobile time in-app, rather than surfing through a web browser. Furthermore, US adults now spend nearly twice as much time viewing videos through apps compared to mobile websites. The mobile in-app video experience differs significantly from traditional browser based video experiences, and represents an increasingly powerful medium (akin to personal television commercials) for advertisers.
Kristina: Why must advertisers start taking mobile more seriously now?
Anne: I think advertisers have been taking mobile very seriously and it shows. More digital advertising spend is being done on mobile compared to desktop already. With that said, I think the core miss has been around how we ensure that our buying and digital experiences appropriately incorporate in-app experiences not just browser based experiences. I would summarize the situation in the following way: Ad tech has a love affair with browsers while, in contrast, consumers have a love affair with apps. Taking mobile seriously requires getting in-app buying right.
Kristina: How can brands protect themselves against fraud when it comes to in-app buying?
Anne: Some of the best ways that brands can protect themselves from ad fraud is to require all of the following from their media partners:
1) Full transparency in terms of app lists for all buying;
2) Increase the use of programmatic buying;
3) Require impression and device ID level transparency for all media run whether you are paying on CPM, CPC or CPA - don't just look at the effectiveness of media that produced a click via a last click attribution model but make sure to have both impression and device ID transparency for all media; and
4) Leverage independent MRC-accredited viewability partners such as IAS or Moat to measure viewability including IVT on all media not just brand buys.
Kristina: What are your top 3 tips to a better mobile video strategy?
Anne: In order rectify this and start doing mobile video right, advertisers must adapt and institute new tactics, and focus on a mobile-first approach. Some steps they can take to achieve this include:
1. Include in-app mobile video (not just mobile web) in your media plans to optimize your approach and reach users where they spend the most time;
2. Leverage VAST + Viewability for in-app mobile video to ensure a pre-cached, buffer-free consumer experience, and achieve higher completion rates and viewability;
3. Go programmatic to increase efficiency, reach, and transparency and for in-app capture device ID based consumer data
More from Anne and InMobi next week, including her tips to increase consumers' engagement with video content.