As Android Lollipop 5.0 continues to be rolled out across Europe and the US by manufacturers and operators, Google is rolling out version 5.1 available to Nexus devices, ahead of a summer release for all major devices.
Each time there is a new operating system (OS) release, we like to dig into our platform to analyse the impact on ads being served by brands across the globe.
It will be no surprise to marketers to learn that Samsung dominates the Android landscape when it comes to serving ad impressions, accounting for 57 percent of all Android ad traffic in the past year, with closest rivals LG (9%) and Motorola (5%) trailing someway behind. Of all Android ad traffic, 81 percent comes from smartphones, whilst 19 percent is from non-phone connected devices including tablets.
However, when you compare Android to iOS, consumer adoption of the latest software tells a very different story. Android is a heavily fragmented market, with many different manufacturers releasing updates at different times. In contrast, Apple’s iOS normally tends to achieve triple digit growth at release, tracking at 185 percent daily growth for iOS 7, for example.
Consequently a lot of Android consumers are still on legacy systems, which creates a more complex landscape with which to engage consumers. As such, advertisers looking to capitalise on mobile must work with a partner who understands the nuances between different OS versions so they can engage users with their campaigns, regardless of the OS in use by their audience .
In addition to Android’s dominance, we’re also seeing an uptake in the number of ads being served to larger screen smartphones, presenting brands and agencies with a bigger canvas to compel consumers with rich, interactive creative. Linked to this trend for larger screens, as revealed in our recent State of the Apps report, 29 percent of apps allowed video ads, up six percentage points from the previous year. As consumers become more accustomed to being served video and rich media ads, which see nearly 2x the engagement rate of standard banners, the demand for richer content on mobile is driving new interactions.
The largest brands looking to engage mobile audiences need scale, but they also need an understanding of those audiences they are trying to reach. As with all elements of mobile, a personal approach is paramount to connecting with your audience, regardless of the device or OS that your campaigns are being served to.
By Todd Tran, Managing Director, Platform Business, EMEA/APAC at Millennial Media.
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