InMobi’s Devika Sharma decodes the transformative potential of mobile for brands

In conversation with Adgully, Devika Sharma, VP & GM – India, InMobi, speaks about the transformative potential of mobile technology, as well as how the vast reach of mobile platforms allows brands to experiment with new ideas on a large scale. Sharma also highlights about Glance and the attractive proposition of lock screen marketing for brands, adding interactivity within mobile ads, optimising video content for mobile advertising, and much more.

How have advancements in mobile technology influenced the shift of advertising strategies towards mobile platforms?

Today’s smartphone, with its 50+ native features, offers transformative potential when used intelligently. For instance, location intelligence enables personalized communication at scale, while technologies like voice detection, augmented reality, and facial recognition allow brands to deliver unprecedented interactive experiences. The vast reach of mobile platforms allows brands to experiment with new ideas on a large scale and enhance communication effectiveness through the integration of technology, real-time insights, and creativity. Now, adapting to advertising and media strategies that are in line with advancements has become a must for brands and they are seeking out technology and platforms that help them achieve this. This is one of the reasons why platforms such as Glance and the idea of lock screen marketing has become a very attractive proposition for brands over the past few years.

Glance has been able to innovate and create an entirely new paradigm for engaging audiences in a meaningful way by bringing the internet to the smartphone lock screen. Traditionally, lock screen was a passive surface, where the smartphone user could only find routine information such as notifications, time, weather, etc. Glance turned the lock screen into a smart lock screen – a surface for seamlessly discovering a large variety of content experiences in multiple languages. This is the part of a smartphone that consumers interact with 80+ times a day. By leveraging the power of the lock screen, brands get content led engagement with their target audiences at a high frequency. AI led discovery drives deep personalisation based on user preferences, ensuring that brands always reach the right consumers. The fact that we can do this at a massive scale, with over 200 million Glance users in India, makes it precisely the kind of innovation in mobile that can potentially help brands generate huge ROIs.

In what ways do brands utilise interactive content within mobile ads to enhance user engagement, and what impact does it have on consumer interaction?

It is estimated that on an average, consumers see upwards of at least a hundred mobile ads each day. Ads are ubiquitous, and with hundreds of brands vying for consumer attention, there is a huge need to communicate in a way that gives consumers a deeper, more immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression. Adding interactivity within mobile ads is a great way to increase user engagement and make ads more memorable for the consumer.

The magic that follows when brands bring in a layer of interactivity is something we have certainly seen on our platform. For instance, during the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket season, the legendary luggage brand American Tourister leveraged Glance to run a highly successful consumer campaign by strategically integrating interactivity on the smart lock screen. The brand wanted to drive awareness and exploration of its products around IPL and the solution was simple yet engaging. American Tourister brought live score and key cricket moments to the smart lock screen by leveraging live score API integration on Glance. Along with the score was a smart communication and a striking visual of the brand’s ambassador, cricketer Virat Kohli, showcasing the latest collection of bags. The colour variants of the bags could be seen in the visual with a simple tap and the CTA directly led viewers to purchase the bag on Amazon. The campaign reached 2.72 million consumers in India with 1.34x higher engagement and 41.25% higher click-through rate than the industry benchmarks.

Similarly, Tata Tea utilised the potential of interactivity in content for their iconic Jaago Re campaign on Glance to raise awareness of climate change on World Environment Day. Glance captured the attention of millions with a slider on the mobile lock screen showing the future of the coming generations and encouraging netizens to take action. The visuals on the screen delivered a powerful message that only tea should be hot, not the planet. The campaign saw 10,000 pledges in just 5 days and recorded 32.33% interactions with the slider unit on the creative!

How are brands optimising video content for mobile advertising, considering the shorter attention spans of mobile users?

Short-form videos have become a key focus, with brands condensing their messages into concise and engaging clips. These videos often leverage compelling visuals, concise storytelling, and bold messaging within the initial few seconds to instantly grab the viewer's attention. Additionally, they are incorporating subtitles and graphics aids in conveying messages even if the audio is turned off, catering to the diverse preferences of mobile users. Brands are also exploring interactive elements within videos, encouraging user engagement and participation. On Glance, brands can leverage various types of video ad formats on different destinations to engage users. From vertical, landscape, and square ads on the lock screen feed, interstitial and rewarded video ads under a “Games” destination, rewarded video ads under a “Shop” destination, to Mid Roll/ In stream Live Break Ad under “Live” destination. With such interactive video formats, we are seeing 1 million video watch hours daily from users across India.

LIVE video has also emerged as a global phenomenon to engage audiences. This format can be made deeply immersive and interactive. On Glance, we have seen brands successfully utilising LIVE content to drive massive user engagement. For instance, a popular web series recently leveraged LIVE shows on Glance to drive pre/post-release buzz and saw highly impressive results. During a five-day lock screen marketing campaign on Glance, the web series hosted 15 LIVE shows which covered trailer reviews, reactions, Vox Pop, episode breakdown, audience polls, etc. In total, the campaign generated nearly 120 million impressions, and over 1.5 million live views!

How do brands stay agile and adapt their mobile advertising strategies to align with evolving consumer behaviours and technological advancements in the mobile landscape?

Consumer behaviour is evolving faster than ever before, influenced by emerging technologies, societal changes, and shifting preferences. To stay agile and relevant in the dynamic mobile landscape, brands need to identify and respond promptly to these changes. They need to recognize the shifts in preferences, habits, and expectations through continuous data driven research. They also need to prioritize flexibility in their mobile advertising strategies and have the ability to swiftly adjust campaign strategies based on real-time insights, market shifts, and changing consumer sentiments. Agile brands are quick to experiment with new formats, messaging, and platforms to stay relevant and resonate with their target audience.

Moreover, brands need to leverage emerging technology to enhance their mobile advertising efforts. There is a need to embrace innovative tools, platforms, and artificial intelligence that can enable them to personalize content, optimize targeting, and deliver more meaningful and engaging experiences to their audiences. Collaboration with industry partners, staying informed about technological advancements, engaging with mobile advertising platforms, industry reports, and research studies are a must to stay ahead of the curve.

Platforms like InMobi and Glance, for example, provide valuable reports that offer insights into the latest consumer trends and mobile technologies, aiding brands in optimizing their advertising strategies. For instance, every year, InMobi issues the Mobile Marketing Handbook which provides key insights into the biggest trends in mobile marketing. Glance also issues its annual insights report called the Lock Screen Trends Report which delves into how consumers are interacting with emerging platforms such as the mobile lock screen for content discovery and experiences and how brands can leverage the lock screen to connect with consumers at a very high frequency.