How to leverage interactive mobile ads

With 65.9% of digital ad dollars spent in the US this year going to mobile, according to our March 2024 forecast, brands must find ways for their mobile ads to stand out. Interactive ads can do that for brands, but the successful types vary between industries.

Browse ads are the best choice for retail, tech, and communication companies. These ads allow users to swipe through multiple products or see product descriptions within ads.

• Browse ads caused a lift in brand choice due to ad exposure by 79.8% for tech and communications companies and 61.1% for retail when compared with the average of all campaigns in each industry, according to Digital Turbine data.
• These ads have the advantage of being relatively seamless. Users are used to carousels within ads, and they provide product information without having to visit external links.
• Browse ads are already saturated, and may not stand out to consumers the way ads featuring AI, AR, or gaming interactions might.

Optimize: Provide a variety of products for consumers to scroll through to hold their attention. For ads where consumers tap to reveal more information, make sure the content adds value and is worth consumers’ time.

Sample ads are the best choice for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and restaurants by offering virtual try-ons or interactions with sales representatives. For CPG, ads may feature sliders demonstrating makeup or cleaning products before-and-after images. For restaurants, consumers can visualize their own customizations of menu items.

• Sample ads drove a 26.9% lift in brand choice over the average for restaurants and a 25.5% lift for CPG, per Digital Turbine, making them more impactful than other ad types.
• Consumers can personalize their own experiences by doing things like customizing their own menu orders or visualizing a specific color of eyeliner.
• These ads require a higher level of interaction than browse ads, which customers may be hesitant to engage with.

Optimize: Keep sample ads seamless by avoiding links or QR codes when possible. If users can sample directly within the ads through the use of sliders or AR filters, it may feel like less of a lift to engage.

Play ads are the best for entertainment since they encourage consumers to play games within the ads.

• Brand choice lift increased 45.8% over the average for entertainment ads when featuring play interactivity, per Digital Turbine.
• Play ads featuring games that allow users to play as TV or movie characters, memory matching games, or the ability to score points within the ads allow users to build an emotional connection with brands.

Optimize: Feature play ads in places users are already using their hands, such as within mobile games or on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, and not music and podcast platforms.

This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.