Advertisers diversifying beyond Google, Meta report up to 214% higher returns: Study

A new study has revealed that brands that diversify their advertisement strategies beyond Meta and Google can boost their returns up to 214%

According to Moloco, an AI performance advertising company, "Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) improved by as much as 214% (Day 30) for consumer mobile app marketers who diversified their media mix to include channels outside Google and Meta".

However, the report underscored that consumer mobile app advertising spend remains heavily skewed toward Google and Meta, despite shifting user behavior. The mobile app revenue jumped 25% in 2024, yet 88% of the marketing budgets stayed concentrated in big tech platforms only.

"High-value users are scattered across thousands of apps, making broad reach essential for maximizing every conversion opportunity," Moloco's Performance Through Independence: Unlocking Incremental App Growth Beyond Google and Meta report mentioned.

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It highlighted that India is witnessing one of the strongest mobile app growth trends globally. According to the report, time spent on apps in India surged between 2023 and 2024, led by entertainment (+68 billion hours) and gaming, which now commands 34% of total app time with 11% growth. Generative AI emerged as the breakout category, skyrocketing by 669% to become the fastest-growing segment in the country. In contrast, sports apps saw a marginal decline of 130 million hours, reflecting a shift in user attention toward higher-engagement spaces such as gaming and emerging technologies.

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“India is one of the fastest-growing mobile app markets globally, and our data clearly shows a dramatic shift in user behavior—particularly the explosive rise of generative AI usage and the continued strength of gaming,” said Siddharth Jhawar, Country Manager, Moloco India. “For advertisers, this means real opportunities lie in looking beyond big tech platforms and diversifying strategies to reach high-value users across new and emerging app categories.”

Consumer mobile apps, including all mobile app categories outside of gaming, such as entertainment, finance, delivery, and more, have experienced significant revenue growth in 2024, with in-app purchase (IAP) and subscription revenues rising 25% to reach $70.5 billion.