The Future of Mobile Gaming Growth: Unlocking the Power of Neural Networks

The mobile gaming industry has traditionally relied on programmatic advertising partners to achieve scale. However, as the market becomes increasingly competitive, a new approach is needed. Mobile games now require aggressive ROI targets, which demand consistent user engagement, ad interaction, and in-app purchases. To achieve this, game developers need an advertising partner that can harness data in innovative and impactful ways. This is where neural network solutions like Liftoff's Cortex come into play. Cortex represents a significant evolution in Liftoff's machine-learning platform, powered by neural networks. By transitioning to neural nets, the capacity and types of data signals that models can harness have expanded dramatically. The new ML models can identify complex patterns from larger datasets, making accurate predictions for specific outcomes. For gaming advertisers, this means connecting their game with audiences that are more likely to engage consistently and spend more on in-game purchases over time. In recent years, programmatic advertisers have witnessed the rise of real-time bidding (RTB). RTB ads offer advertisers greater transparency into the ad buying process, enabling them to target their ideal audience with precision and deliver a personalized ad experience. This real-time approach has also given demand-side platforms (DSPs) that invest in robust machine learning a significant advantage. Game developers possess a wealth of first-party data that provides a holistic profile of their audience, including how they play and what motivates them to keep coming back. Advanced machine learning solutions leverage historical data, such as session time, ads watched, and previous purchases, to model current and future user behavior. Cortex, for example, combines first-party attribution data with exclusive data from the Vungle SDK and GameRefinery to predict user installation and engagement likelihood, as well as post-install purchases. In real-time, it selects higher-value users to target. For many mobile games, return on ad spend (ROAS) remains the standard KPI for a successful campaign. To maximize value from ad spend, mobile games need to identify and nurture high-value users, such as whales and high spenders. Deep learning, powered by neural networks, is better at spotting these quality users than traditional machine learning models. Neural network models like Cortex can recognize high-value users who spend periodically but spend big, whereas logistic regression models might misidentify them as low-value users. Engaging and nurturing quality users is crucial for growing a game. Superior, user-centric ad creative showcases what the game can do and sparks a connection with the user, potentially leading to a lifelong relationship. The key to creative innovation is iterating on existing formats to create more personalized forms of engagement based on user behavior. Neural net models accelerate creative testing, making it easier to identify winning ad formats. Liftoff now offers exclusive dynamic ad formats tested on Cortex, which change depending on user behavior. Our new page-turner format introduces a different playable if the user does not engage with the playable offered, resulting in a 9.5% increase in impression-to-install (ITI) and a 7.5% decrease in cost-per-install (CPI). By combining behavior modeling with advanced ML solutions like Cortex, advertisers can leverage motivational frameworks to map what drives audiences to convert. Integrated with data from GameRefinery, Cortex can improve gaming ad creative performance by personalizing delivery and helping advertisers match users with ads that tap into their motivations. The ultimate goal is to deliver a more personalized ad experience that benefits both advertisers and users. Another challenge gaming marketers face is privacy. Despite the introduction of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, advertisers on iOS still struggle to work without device-level identifiers. However, neural network models can optimize for outcomes based on user behavior, reducing reliance on single identifiers. At Liftoff, we are excited to see the impact that Cortex can have on our gaming partners. On average, we have seen 23% lower CPIs, 21% lower CPAs, and 16% higher ROAS for our partners, with expected continued improvement. Our partners have also shared positive feedback on Cortex's impact on their business. Seokyung Lee, Marketing Manager at Playlinks, stated that Liftoff's strong ML logic and Cortex have delivered strong ROAS results compared to other networks, with a proportion of new users nearing 80% on iOS. Performance marketing managers at Krafton, Sangbum Kim and Kevin Youn, shared that by launching user acquisition campaigns using Cortex, they successfully expanded their focus to purchase and retention optimization, leading to increased overall campaign ROAS and retention. To learn more about what Cortex can do, you can read more here or contact Liftoff directly.