Lock screen marketing set to dominate 2023, according to InMobi's Agarwal

Mobile occupied centre stage in this evolution- with the APAC markets spending almost 4 hours daily on mobile, with countries like India and Indonesia witnessing nearly 5 hours. This is well beyond the world’s average, proving that the region turns to mobile for information, entertainment, shopping, and staying connected.

With this reality, consumers have begun to expect fulfilling their every need instantly. Everything from ordering food to making big-ticket purchases happens with a single tap! It is thus the age of the one-click consumer, heralding a new era of consuming content and services. To have any impact, content must catch the eye and inspire immediate action in the here and now.

Every few years, we see a technology shift that defines a new world for consumers and brands. In the 2000s, it was search; in the late 2000s, social media became all that everyone knew. In the past 3-4 years, it has been the age of short-form video content. And while all of them remain relevant today, today’s one-click consumers require content and experiences that solve two problems: 1. catering to their instant needs, and 2. freeing them from interruptions and offering enjoyable experiences.

Here is a look at some of the key themes that will rule the marketer’s playbook in the future.

Look out: lock screen marketing is here

This evolving consumer landscape has created a new trend – lock screen content consumption. Millions of consumers across markets have got on a journey of discovering and engaging with content seamlessly with a single click, without even unlocking their phones.

Here are some unique ways this has taken off this year:

• 72% of the overall content consumed on the lock screen was video.

Live content got a hyper-live avatar. From entertainment and shopping to music and trends, people have been engaging with live content on the lock screen much more meaningfully, with unique interactive features such as live polls, Q&As, and more.

• For example, a live show with Indian actor Rajkumar Rao had 690K+ people watching, 40,000 more than a Star Wars global live stream on another video platform.

Gaming got a single destination for playing, streaming, watching, and competing. This, in turn, saw a heightened sense of engagement and activity.

• For instance, an all-women PUBG tournament on the lock screen had 2Mn Indonesians participating, 600,000 more people than the number of people who watched PlayStation’s live stream on another platform.

Just as brands took to search, social media, and short-form videos to engage their audiences, 2022 heralded a new age of lock screen marketing. Be it enhancing brand awareness with a native video series, Pepsodent Indonesia increasing consideration with an eye-catching experience, or Swiggy driving app installs with the revolutionary one-click install feature, brands have started embracing the era of lock screen marketing.

Gaming - the new avenue for deep engagement

Mobile gaming has seen massive growth worldwide and has become the perfect escape anyone can take at their own time and pace. The audience on mobile games is extremely engaged, giving brands a window to connect with them.

Research reveals 97% of brands who spent on mobile game advertising in 2022 reported high levels of satisfaction. However, gaming advertising can seem daunting and complicated for those who haven’t begun their journey.

This is where lock screen game advertising can help, enabling a seamless discovery, greater engagement, and simple solutions. It lets brands capture the interest of mobile gamers by offering unique, fresh, and scalable experiences within or around the game.

Big trend: privacy-first advertising

2022 had advertisers in every country sit up and take notice as they witnessed unmissable amendments in privacy regulations. The year went by with the advertising ecosystem anticipating two significant changes - cookie-less targeting and Apple’s app tracking transparency privacy framework. While the latter has materialized and the former is still to come, there is a clear indication that advertisers must prioritize the user’s privacy.

This doesn’t mean the doom of advertising. Brands must adopt alternative strategies such as new ways of contextualizing, data enrichment, and attribution. While APAC’s advertisers spent the year understanding the changes alone, it is time to gear up and prepare for this new advertising wave.

Against the backdrop of these trends, brands would need to have a novel take to enhance engagement, accelerate their standing, and boost their growth while staying ethical. A journey that they need to start sooner than later.

Vasuta Agarwal, chief business officer of consumer platform advertising at InMobi.