Competitiveness For Mobile Ad Space Rises 300 Per Cent

Mobile ad server MoPub says competition for serving ads has shot up by 300 per cent in the first six months of 2012, and demand has risen from 18 per cent to 37 per cent over the same period.

The data comes from MoPub's real-time bidding exchange and examines four key indices: eCPM, Win Rate (percent of auctions with winning bids), Bid Depth (buyer bids per impression request), and Share of Auction Volume, which may serve as an indicator of future price movements.

Banner ads, popular among brands and performance advertisers, continued to dominate with 86 per cent of Auction Volume. Horizontal full screen interstitials, popular in gaming apps, declined in Auction Volume, along with gaming volume impression.

iOS still commands a premium over Android, of 86 per cent, with a difference of 37 cents in eCPM. Android has gained share in Auction Volume from 28 per cent to 39 per cent from April to June, though, indicating Google's OS might see future price increases.

The greatest increase in price was for full-screen landscape iPad ads (1024x768) finishing at an eCPM of $4.47, up from $3.61 in April.

Social networking shows the greatest growth in Auction Volume. Music and lifestyle apps also showed steady demand growth through Q2, and demonstrated eCPMs of 78 and 79 cents, respectively. Business apps yield the greatest eCPM at 84 cents.

Spain, Australia, and Canada demonstrate the highest eCPMs. Italy and Korea dropped in popularity, while the US remained strong.