Moburst’s Monthly Mobile Marketing Roundup #19

Industry News Mobile Marketing

Lital Castel 01 December 2024

Welcome back to the 19th edition of Moburst’s Monthly Mobile Marketing Roundup!

In this edition, we’ll bring you up to speed on key industry shifts that could reshape your marketing strategies. From TikTok’s escalating U.S. ban saga to Apple’s latest advertising push into direct ad sales and new ways to get your app featured on the App Store—keep reading for actionable mobile marketing insights.

Mobile News

TikTok’s U.S. Ban: What Brands Need to Do Now

Earlier this year, we highlighted TikTok’s impending U.S. ban and its potential implications for advertisers. At the time, legislative ambiguity left brands and marketers speculating about the platform’s future. 

Now, the situation has escalated: a U.S. appeals court has upheld a law requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. With TikTok’s projected $12.3 billion U.S. ad revenue for 2024, this raises the stakes for brands heavily reliant on the platform’s reach. Despite this, brands are staying put—for now—as TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users remain engaged.

In a recent email to advertisers, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, Blake Chandlee, reassured them of the company’s commitment to fighting the ruling, seeking an injunction to delay the ban. This confidence, combined with TikTok’s consistent performance, has kept advertisers on board.

Nonetheless, the new deadline reignites the urgency for brands to assess dependencies and adapt quickly. While TikTok’s leadership works to overturn the ruling, competitors like Meta and YouTube may be positioned to snag any displaced ad spend, intensifying pressure on TikTok’s dominance.

What Should Marketers Consider?

• Diversify Your Strategy: As we advised earlier this year, brands must prepare for a potential TikTok exit by investing in alternative platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. This doesn’t mean overhauling your entire marketing strategy overnight—but it ensures audience engagement will remain consistent across all channels, regardless of TikTok’s future.
• Monitor User Behavior: Keep an eye on shifts in user activity. Should TikTok users migrate to other platforms, brands that act quickly to meet them there will have the upper hand.
• Consider First-Party Data Strategies: Now is the time to build direct relationships with audiences through first-party data collection, such as leveraging Apple’s Search Ads for apps or other tools.

As always, we will continue to monitor these developments and provide you with actionable insights to navigate this evolving landscape.

Apple Expands Advertising on News App

Apple is officially directly selling ad inventory to brands for its News app. This is a significant step, as the company previously relied on third-party vendors. Apple is pitching new ad units to maximize revenue for itself and its publishing partners.

• New Ad Units: Brands can purchase banner placements, video ads, and carousel ads across 17 formats.
• Publisher Revenue: Publishers receive a 70% share of ad revenue from their articles and continue to keep 100% of revenue from ads they sell directly.
• High-Value Sponsorships: Brands can sponsor specific News feeds or secure premium banner ads at the top of the News feed for more visibility.

Apple’s News app is one of the most popular advertising platforms in regions like North America, the U.K., and Australia. With the company’s global ad revenue projected to reach $11 billion this year, this expansion offers marketers access to engaged, high-value audiences.

Microsoft vs. Google: The Future of Xbox on Mobile

In a significant legal dispute, Microsoft and Google are battling over the future of Xbox’s mobile ambitions. Microsoft recently revealed its plans to launch a dedicated Xbox game store for Android, which is definitely a bold move, as it directly bypasses Google Play Store’s restrictive policies. However, Google’s successful bid for a temporary administrative stay has delayed the launch, forcing Microsoft to rethink its strategy.

At the heart of the dispute is Google’s 30% commission on in-app purchases, which Microsoft claims is economically unfeasible for its Xbox ecosystem. Microsoft argues that Google’s Play Store policies are actively preventing a seamless purchase-and-play experience within the Xbox app. While Google maintains that Microsoft has always had the option to sell games via Android, the reality lies somewhere in between.

So why should app marketers care? Microsoft’s vision for an “Xbox everywhere” ecosystem—including its “This is an Xbox” marketing push—speaks to a broader industry trend of breaking free from app store constraints. If Microsoft’s efforts prevail, this could signal a positive industry shift toward challenging the status quo and opening up new opportunities for app promotion and visibility.

App Store Updates

New ‘Featuring Nominations’ in App Store Connect

Apple has introduced ‘Featuring Nominations’ in App Store Connect. This new tool helps app marketers share updates about new launches, in-app content, or functionality to be considered for featuring on the App Store. If selected, app owners will now also receive a notification via the App Store Connect app.

Additionally, brands looking to promote app highlights—such as launches or feature placements—can now do so with ready-made, Apple-designed marketing assets. These are available through the App Store Connect app and are optimized for sharing on social media, allowing you to include a link to your app on the App Store for seamless user downloads.

Play Store Updates

Google Introduces Restore Credentials for Android Apps

Google’s new ‘Restore Credentials’ feature simplifies the process of account recovery for users switching devices. It uses Android’s Credential Manager API, which enables apps to automatically log users back into their accounts after restoring data from a previous device. 

For app owners, this can significantly reduce churn during device upgrades and ensure users stay connected without having to re-enter their login information. 

Developers can implement Restore Credentials using the Jetpack Credential Manager library.

Google Play Enhances Play Integrity API

Google Play recently updated its Play Integrity API to improve app security. These enhancements protect businesses from fraud, bots, and unauthorized usage while safeguarding user data.

What’s new:

• Reduced latency by up to 80%, with improved hardware-backed security signals.
• New “meets-strong-integrity” responses now require recent security updates on Android 13+ devices, offering greater control for apps with higher security needs.

Developers can choose to opt into these updates now or wait for the automatic transition in May 2025. 

Ready to level up your marketing strategy and stay ahead of industry trends? Look no further than Moburst! 

As a leading full-service, mobile-first digital and app marketing agency, we specialize in helping businesses like yours grow and become category leaders.

Lital Castel

Lital is Moburst’s Content Manager & Email Marketing Specialist. She specializes in coming up with engaging ideas and research to capture the trendiest topics in the digital and mobile marketing world. She is passionate about productivity and optimizing your day, but you can probably find her playing video games while cuddling with her dog on the couch to wind down at the end of a long day.

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