As the mobile app market grows increasingly competitive, developers are seeking alternative strategies for user acquisition. AVOW, a company specializing in mobile OEM advertising, enables brands to reach new audiences through partnerships with major device manufacturers.
In this interview, CEO and Co-founder Robert Wildner discusses AVOW’s approach, the role of mobile OEM advertising, and its impact on app growth.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Robert Wildner, the CEO and Co-founder of AVOW. We’re an award–winning global app growth company that specializes in helping app developers and mobile marketers get their apps discovered by new users through mobile OEM on-device advertising.
Over the years, we’ve developed some solid partnerships with major mobile OEMs like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo, which gives brands access to a massive user base of over 1.5 billion daily active users globally.
The Turkish market is especially important for us, with its strong demand for gaming apps and a rich tradition of producing awesome mobile gaming companies. We work with many top gaming brands in Turkiye, such as Dream Games, Fugo, Zynga, and Unico Studio, offering exciting opportunities for developers to expand their reach.
How did AVOW begin, and where did the idea of mobile OEM advertising and app distribution come from?
AVOW was founded in March 2018 by a team that had worked together for over 12 years across various AdTech companies. We initially focused on mobile ad fraud detection but quickly realized it wasn’t disruptive enough to set us apart.
The turning point came when shifts in the industry, like Google’s clash with Huawei and Fortnite’s dispute with Google and Apple, highlighted the untapped potential of alternative app stores and mobile OEM advertising. That’s when we saw the future: a chance to connect brands with new audiences through on-device user acquisition.
Today, with the rise of alternative app stores, AVOW is leading the charge in helping app developers everywhere grow their businesses.
What were some of the early challenges AVOW faced, and how did you overcome them?
Initially, it was challenging to persuade the market about the effectiveness of mobile OEM advertising. Many brands were resistant to change and hesitant to adopt new strategies.
We overcame this by building key partnerships with 11 major OEMs, including Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo. This helped us build our reputation and show that alternative app stores really work. While AVOW may be young, the ecosystem of alternative app stores is also relatively new, and we’ve been an integral part of this movement from the start.
What unique advantages does AVOW offer brands compared to traditional UA channels, and what common misconceptions do advertisers have about mobile OEM advertising?
AVOW offers brands exclusive on-device placements that aren’t available through traditional UA channels. Brands can engage users during critical moments, like device setup, within native apps, and through pre-installed app stores, driving higher engagement and visibility.
Mobile OEM advertising is misunderstood as being limited to preloads, Asian markets, or app promotion within alternative app stores. It is much, much more. Mobile OEM advertising is a global strategy with advanced targeting, dynamic optimization, and strong potential for both user acquisition and branding campaigns, supported by the fact that our mobile OEM partners cover 86% of the global Android market, providing access to a vast, untapped audience.
Why are e-commerce businesses increasingly leveraging mobile OEM advertising?
E-commerce businesses are using mobile OEM advertising to directly reach consumers because it’s so competitive now. Since COVID-19, everyone’s shopping online, so it’s harder to get noticed. Regular ads aren’t working anymore, so brands need to find new ways to stand out.
Mobile OEM advertising provides precise targeting using first-party device data, allowing brands to reach users based on device type, app usage, and behavior—all while respecting privacy regulations. Additionally, it enables multi-touchpoint engagement across lock screen ads, native placements, and in-app ads, driving higher conversion rates and more effective customer acquisition.
We’re also collaborating with Turkish e-commerce brands, including Karaca and Defacto, to support their global expansion and business growth.
What makes OEM channels particularly effective for customer acquisition?
Brands can directly engage users on their devices at critical touchpoints, such as during device setup via dynamic preloads or via a so-called “global search” placement, making OEM channels especially effective for customer acquisition. This ensures ads are seen in high-visibility, low-distraction environments, leading to stronger engagement.
Using first-party device data, OEM advertising allows precise targeting based on user behavior, device type, and app usage while respecting privacy regulations. With less competition for ad space compared to traditional channels, OEM advertising delivers higher conversion rates and more cost-efficient customer acquisition.
How does AVOW’s KYLN platform help game distribution beyond traditional app stores?
AVOW and KYLN joined forces in May 2024 to create a premium multi-channel distribution platform that goes beyond traditional app stores. Combining AVOW’s expertise in mobile OEM user acquisition with KYLN’s innovative distribution technology, we offer the only solution globally that provides both app distribution and user acquisition from a single source.
KYLN simplifies game distribution with an integration-free setup, eliminating the need for SDKs and ensuring private source code protection. It offers a centralized dashboard for full transparency, allowing developers to manage performance across multiple OEM app stores like Samsung Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery, and Xiaomi GetApps.
This helps drive real-time tracking, optimized monetization strategies, and the ability to reach new global audiences more effectively.
Many game developers struggle with discoverability in crowded app stores. When considering alternative distribution, what key factors should publishers evaluate before investing in OEM advertising?
Publishers should evaluate a few key factors when considering mobile OEM advertising. First, audience reach and device penetration—OEMs like Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO alone cover half of the Turkish mobile market, so working with our mobile partners can make an immediate impact for publishers targeting users in Turkiye.
Second, targeting capabilities are crucial. Look for platforms that use device-level data to target users based on behavior and app usage. Also, consider the ad formats available, such as dynamic preloads and native ads, which integrate smoothly into the user experience.
Dynamic preloads (also known as Google PAI) are particularly powerful. They integrate during the initial device setup, allowing your game to be the first app users see, driving immediate installs. For AVOW’s gaming clients, this approach has been highly effective, with up to 1000% growth in just 6 months. In a recent 8-month period, AVOW’s gaming clients reached 8.41 million installs, showing how OEM advertising can scale user acquisition effectively.
How do you see the mobile advertising landscape evolving in the next few years, and how is AVOW preparing for these changes?
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) in Europe is already shaking things up in the app store world! It’s taking aim at the big tech companies that have been running the show for years and trying to make things fairer and more competitive. This means lower fees for developers and users – a win-win!
As a result, alternative app stores are becoming more mainstream, and AVOW is well-positioned to help apps capitalize on this trend by advertising on these increasingly popular and cost-effective platforms. We’re also continuing to strengthen our OEM partnerships and continuing to expand globally and locally, including in Turkiye and the MENA region, to help clients scale effectively, stay ahead of the competition and reach their full potential, and achieve their desired outcomes.
Mobile OEMs and alternative app stores are here to stay. AVOW has been leading the way in mobile OEM advertising from the start, and we’ll keep pushing forward, helping brands make the most of these exciting opportunities.
