AppsFlyer, the marketing measurement and experience platform, has released the 13th edition of its Performance Index, ranking the top media sources in mobile advertising. Analyzing 623 media sources, 33 billion installs, and over 17,000 apps, the report shows that Google continues to drive the highest number of app installs in Africa.
Each year, app marketers globally consult the AppsFlyer Performance Index on which media sources to partner with to maximise their marketing budgets. This year’s report also includes insights on the changing mobile media landscape, following the implementation of Apple’s Tracking Transparency (ATT).
Google continues to dominate Android, widening its lead from the rest
Google is continuing to exponentially drive the largest number of installs in app marketing, further increasing its lead over Facebook in Android devices. The search giant ranked first in the Retention Index’s power and volume rankings in all Gaming and non-gaming categories, with the exception of racing games.
In Africa, the only area where Google did not rank top in the Retention Index’s power and volume ranking was in the simulation gaming category where Unity Ads came out top.
Google’s unrivaled reach in Android is also the main reason why it is ranked number two in the In-App Advertising (IAP) Index global power ranking with a score that was only slightly lower than Facebook’s. However, it did claim the first spot in the global power ranking in non-gaming as well as in the Casual gaming group.
The remarketing Index shows that although Facebook still dominates this category, Google is closing the gap and has even claimed the top spot among Finance apps, globally. In fact, Google increased its share of the app remarketing conversion pie by 33% comparing H1 2021 and H2 2020.
Apple Search Ads overtakes Facebook among consented users in iOS
AppsFlyer found that among consenting users, Apple Search Ads (ASA) ranked first in both the Retention Index’s global power and volume rankings. In fact, iOS marketers flocked to ASA following the enforcement of ATT, with ASA reaching almost 60% of its traffic from the previous index which covered the entire second half of 2020 in only seven weeks.
ASA is the only media source in iOS that functions independently of SKAdNetwork and deterministically attributes users. While ASA is not a lateral comparison to other media sources in the rankings, AppsFlyer applied the same methodology for ASA and its competitors despite the differences in which they operate due to ASA’s volume of users with full data granularity, which is ultimately what marketers seek
“This edition of the Index comes at a fascinating time, as the industry is still in transition following the enforcement of Apple’s ATT in April of this year,” said Daniel Junowicz, RVP EMEA & Strategic Projects, AppsFlyer. “Across Africa, while the number of users on iOS is rapidly growing, Android’s dominance means the impact of ATT has been less pronounced. App marketers in the region continue to see an increase in installs and having the latest insights and analytics is key to maximising returns on marketing spend.”
“The entire mobile marketing industry worldwide is now starting to see the initial tremors of dynamic shifts, and it is imperative that advertisers make decisions based on data.”
Adjoe is the fastest-growing media source in mobile advertising thanks to success in the Middle East and Africa
The fastest growing media source in Android was Adjoe with a 60% clients growth and a 2.5x leap in the number of attributed non-organic installs. Most of its growth was driven by success in the Middle East & Africa.