In Q3, as the year progresses, eCPM performance in mobile apps continues to reflect seasonal patterns and evolving advertising strategies. The summer months introduce both challenges and opportunities for advertisers and publishers. Usually, the year’s third quarter brings a mix of summer holidays and back-to-school campaigns, which create distinct advertising trends that affect mobile app revenue potential.
This article is part of a series that provides insights to help publishers check and anticipate revenue trends, as well as optimize their strategies. If you missed it, get familiar with our previous article comparing Q2 2024 with Q1 2024 for further context.
Mobile apps eCPM performance Q2 2024 vs Q3 2024
This article delves into the dynamics of eCPM within the Bidlogic ad network, examining variations by region, ad format, and platform. The maps below illustrate eCPM fluctuations across the USA, UK, Germany, India, and Japan on Android and iOS, covering three ad formats: Rewarded Video, Interstitial, and Banner:
Overall, for both Android and iOS, eCPM trends show an upward tendency, with only one instance of a decrease across multiple ad formats in one country. This exception occurred in the USA on Android, where eCPM decreased across all studied ad formats.
For iOS, Interstitial ads showed the most significant growth, with the United Kingdom experiencing the highest increase in this group – 31.92%, followed by the USA at 29.27% and Japan at 28.33%. The performance of Rewarded Video ads was mixed: Japan saw a notable rise of 24.84%, while the USA, United Kingdom, and Germany recorded more modest increases ranging from 2.39% to 9.27%. Conversely, India experienced a decline of 7.86%. Results for Banner ads were less encouraging, with Japan facing the most considerable drop in this group – at 25.08%. At the same time, Germany and the United Kingdom saw decreases of around 15%. On a positive note, India achieved a substantial increase of 26.49%.
As for Android, Japan’s Rewarded Video category achieved the most robust growth in both this group and study, reaching 42.36%. Meanwhile, developers in Germany and the United Kingdom experienced moderate gains below 5.84%. Interstitial ads showed steady growth, particularly in Germany (12.69%) and the United Kingdom (10.32%). The USA remained primarily stable at -0.30%. Banner ads experienced declines across most regions, with Japan recording the steepest drop at 27.29%, followed by the United Kingdom and Germany. India stood out with a 5.15% increase, making it a rare positive performer for Android banners.
Broader view of the advertising ecosystem
Several industry reports noted a significant boost in ad spending in Q3, which is one of the factors responsible for higher eCPMs in our network. According to Sensor Tower’s Q3 Digital Market Index report, global consumer spending across iOS and Google Play exceeded $38 billion and resulted in a 12.4% increase year-over-year and 4.7% compared to Q2. Most of the top markets reported higher ad spending in Q3 than last year, with a surge of +10% in the US and UK and +7% in Germany. This report points to a positive trajectory for the digital advertising industry in Q3 2024, showing it is on a rising tide. However, to better understand the changes in individual rates, it’s advisable to reach for a more granular analysis, like the one prepared by Bidlogic. It reveals how eCPMs vary across regions, platforms, and ad formats, underscoring the importance of publishers adopting tailored and strategic ad approaches based on the phenomenon evolution in their zone of interest rather than relying solely on general industry trends.
Although data indicates that Q3 performed well compared to Q2, most developers are still looking forward to Q4, when eCPM in mobile apps typically rises even more significantly due to higher ad spend, increased competition, and heightened user engagement in the holiday season. Yet, optimizing monetization strategies year-round remains crucial for steady growth, where specialized tools like Bidlogic come into play. By automating waterfall and bidding auctions with intelligent algorithms and ongoing optimizations, Bidlogic helps developers achieve consistent eCPMs, making seasonality less of a factor.
