Mastering Mobile In-App Advertising: Strategy, Scale, and Signal in a Fragmented Market

Apps sit at the center of how people discover, shop, stream, play, and share. Because the environment is closed, immersive, and identity-rich, it demands unique creative formats, privacy-sensitive signals, and dedicated measurement practices. When done right, in-app becomes the connective tissue of an omnichannel plan, reinforcing messages seen on CTV, digital out-of-home, or audio, and nudging consumers toward action in the palm of their hand.

Trusted and Transparent Supply Chains

Not all premium app inventory is created equal. Buyers now scrutinize how many hops occur between their bid and the publisher, knowing that every extra intermediary can introduce latency, fraud risk, or hidden fees. Magnite’s direct-supply strategy delivers over 72 percent coverage of the mobile app market, verified by Jounce Media, through tight integrations with leading app publishers, partners, and SDK providers. For buyers, these integrations mean:

• Brand-safe, direct supply. Fewer resellers, clearer log-level transparency, and the confidence that ads render where expected.
• Format diversity. High-impact interstitials, native units that blend into content, rewarded video that respects user choice, and immersive full-screen video for mobile OTT streams.
• Performance at scale. Latency reductions translate into higher win rates and stronger viewability, lifting downstream outcomes.

Unique In-App Targeting Tactics

Mobile apps surface a wealth of signals that do not exist, or are far less reliable, on mobile web. This creates valuable opportunities for personalized, relevant, and immersive ads that engage consumers in those mobile moments of high engagement. It also creates improved attribution capabilities to show what’s working and what isn’t, to then adapt and optimize.

• Device and operating system data (model, carrier, OS version) is useful for creative optimization and connection-type bidding.
• App-level context (IAB category, bundle ID, ratings) acts as a proxy for intent: a user deep in a fintech app is likely in a different mindset than one in a casual game.
• Granular location (Lat/Long), when allowed, supports footfall measurement and local-store offers.
• IP address signals, when available in a privacy-safe way, are useful for OTT buyers to target mobile in-app ads for several key reasons, especially in a privacy-evolving landscape: shared IP, cross-device graphs, and connecting impressions to conversions.

At Magnite, we’ve aligned our mobile strategy to give buyers access to the mobile spaces where consumer attention is highest and outcomes are most measurable. This translates into making the most of the signals available, including pairing moment-based app contexts with broader affinity signals and enabling the measurement of outcomes through SDK integrations.

From Living Room Screen to Lock Screen, and In Between

Second-screen behavior is becoming increasingly common. In 2023, YouGov found that 55% of US and UK consumers frequently use their mobile phones while watching TV. The trend is even more pronounced among younger age groups, with 59% of 18-34s in the US and 69% of 18-34s in the UK doing so. This dual attention unlocks powerful omnichannel opportunities, such as supporting a CTV brand spot with in-app units that retarget viewers and drive them to a shoppable landing page, or targeting a live sports-viewing household with an in-app ad for food or merchandise.

Beyond mobile with CTV, there is a host of creative examples where mobile provides a companion-based ad opportunity. Think of someone opening Spotify, then expanding their fandom experience with a streamed show or movie by listening to the original soundtrack, or commentary on a video podcast.

At Spotify, we see how audio powers a consumer’s day, whether they’re working out, commuting, grocery shopping, or winding down. Spotify users tell us that our platform is more than just a place to consume music, podcasts or audiobooks; it’s a companion that helps them enjoy their daily routines.

Anne Bouttier, Global Head of Automation Sales at Spotify

Because Magnite sits across an omnichannel landscape that includes CTV, OLV, web, audio, digital-out-of-home, and mobile, buyers can access a range of brand-safe, premium supply supported by targeting capabilities and purpose-built tools. Magnite’s tools, formats, and measurement capabilities are fully tuned for mobile apps’ unique characteristics. That means optimizing creative rendering, viewability, and user experience specifically for in-app use.

As our global partner for our programmatic offering, Magnite SpringServe is integrated into the Spotify Ad Exchange to help brands meet users during those moments through our first-party audience targeting, multiple ad formats, and in-focus environment. As mobile consumer experiences and advertising measurement continues to evolve, we’re thrilled to be able to bring brands the best of Spotify Advertising through Magnite’s transparent, omnichannel platform.

Anne Bouttier, Global Head of Automation Sales at Spotify

Own the Mobile Moment

Attention is a finite resource that flows seamlessly from living room screens to lock screens and back again. Capitalizing on that journey requires an SSP that couples premium, transparent inventory at scale with powerful data to power precise media buys. Magnite’s in-app marketplace coverage, deep SDK and partner integrations, and purpose-built mobile tools give brands greater confidence that their in-app impressions are viewable, measurable, and positioned to drive outcomes.

In an era where omnichannel success hinges on supply-side sophistication, mobile in-app is no longer an add-on—it’s a strategic centerpiece. Ready to close the loop between discovery and conversion? Own the mobile in-app experience with Magnite.