By Vlad Vidaeff
Google, always the innovator, recently launched two interactive ad formats for mobile: Trial Run Ads and Interactive Interstitial Ads. Both ads take customization to a new level by giving advertisers a more immersive way to reach potential consumers. This blog will explore the features of each type of ad and the companies that would benefit from using these new offerings as part of their marketing mix.
The first ad format that Google introduced, Trial Run Ads, are of primary use to app developers of games. One of the major challenges that app developers face is that one in four apps is never even used after it is downloaded. Other consumers use the app once and never use it again. To encourage repeat use, Google has developed Trial Run Ads to give consumers a taste of what the app has to offer before the consumer decides whether or not to purchase the game. If you were a gamer when you were a kid, you probably fondly remember visiting your local GamesStop and playing videogames for free on the store’s systems. This was not only an opportunity to have some fun but also to preview a game before spending your hard-earned allowance on the real thing. Google’s Trial Run Ads take this core scenario into account. The ad format allows a user to play a game for up to 60 seconds by streaming content from the app before downloading. No we’re not talking about looping videos or web versions of the app. We’re talking impressive app streaming technology which, on a technical level, involves the app running on virtual machines that are a part of Google’s cloud platform.
Payment is structured per click or per conversions. This gives developers the chance to get free engagement from potential consumers who run the ad but do not click through to install the app. In another analogy, this is kind of like test-driving a car before you buy it. Developers hope that by giving you a taste of what their game has to offer, you will be more likely to buy and use the app.
The second new mobile ad format that Google has introduced, Interactive Interstitial Ads, applies to a larger subset of advertisers. The highly customizable HTML5 ads offer an interactive consumer experience. The ads allow a range of options from the simple such as adjusting standard templates to the complex such as developing a fully custom creative. Some of the ads that have already been created by companies include an experience where you swipe to discover an exclusive offer, “scratch off’s,” and swipeable image carousels. The benefits of Interactive Interstitials to marketers include a canvas that allows creative freedom, the opportunity to bring part of the app experience to the consumer before download, and unique branding possibilities.
In an era where catching the consumer’s attention is becoming more and more difficult, these engaging ad formats are a great way to draw the consumer in for app developers. Let the games begin!
