Knowledge Base

A Demand-Side Platform (DSP) is a technology platform that allows advertisers to purchase mobile ad inventory programmatically across multiple ad exchanges and networks through a single interface. Think of it as a centralized command center for all your mobile advertising campaigns.

How Does a Mobile DSP Work?

When a user opens a mobile app with ad placements, a complex process happens in milliseconds:

1. Ad Request: The app sends an ad request to an ad exchange with information about the user (device type, location, app category, etc.)
2. Bid Request: The exchange sends bid requests to connected DSPs, including Cubemobi
3. Bid Decision: Our DSP evaluates the opportunity against your campaign targeting and bids accordingly
4. Auction: The exchange runs an auction; the highest bidder wins
5. Ad Display: The winning ad is displayed to the user

This entire process, called Real-Time Bidding (RTB), happens in under 100 milliseconds - faster than the blink of an eye.

Key Components of a DSP

• Bidder: The engine that decides whether and how much to bid on each impression
• Targeting Engine: Applies your targeting criteria to filter relevant impressions
• Optimization Algorithm: Machine learning that improves performance over time
• Creative Server: Hosts and serves your ad creatives
• Reporting Dashboard: Provides real-time performance insights

Benefits of Using a DSP

• Scale: Access to massive inventory that would be impossible to manage through individual deals
• Efficiency: Automated bidding and optimization reduce manual work
• Targeting: Precise targeting capabilities to reach your ideal users
• Transparency: Detailed reporting on where your ads appear and how they perform
• Control: Real-time control over budgets, bids, and targeting

DSP vs. Ad Networks

While ad networks aggregate inventory and sell it to advertisers, a DSP provides more control and transparency. With a DSP, you can see exactly where your ads run, set granular targeting, and often access inventory from multiple networks through a single platform.

Ready to launch your first mobile user acquisition campaign? This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know to set up a successful campaign on the Cubemobi platform.

Before You Start: Prerequisites

Before creating your first campaign, ensure you have:

• Your app published on the App Store and/or Google Play
• A Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) account set up (AppsFlyer, Adjust, etc.)
• Tracking links generated from your MMP
• Ad creatives ready (we'll discuss specifications later)
• A funded Cubemobi account

Step 1: Define Your Campaign Goals

Start by clarifying what you want to achieve:

• Volume Goal: How many installs do you want to acquire? (e.g., 10,000 installs)
• Cost Goal: What's your target CPI? (e.g., $2.00 per install)
• Quality Goal: What post-install metrics matter? (e.g., D7 retention > 15%, ROAS > 20%)
• Timeline: When do you need results? (e.g., 30-day campaign)

Step 2: Set Up Tracking

Proper attribution setup is crucial. To configure tracking:

1. Log into your MMP dashboard
2. Add Cubemobi as a media partner
3. Generate a tracking link with our click macro parameters
4. Configure postback URLs to send conversion data back to Cubemobi
5. Test the integration with a test install

Required macro parameters include click_id, campaign_id, and site_id for proper attribution and optimization.

Step 3: Create Your Campaign

In the Cubemobi dashboard:

1. Campaign Name: Use a descriptive name (e.g., "MyGame_US_iOS_CPI_Jan2024")
2. App Selection: Choose your app from the list or add a new one
3. Pricing Model: Select CPI for install-focused campaigns
4. Daily Budget: Set your daily spend limit (minimum $50)
5. Total Budget: Optionally set an overall campaign budget cap

Step 4: Configure Targeting

Define your target audience:

• Countries: Start with 2-3 top-priority markets
• Platform: iOS, Android, or both
• Device Type: Phone, tablet, or all
• OS Version: Minimum version your app supports
• Connection: Consider WiFi-only for large app downloads

Step 5: Set Your Bid

For CPI campaigns, set your maximum bid per install:

• Research benchmark CPIs for your category and markets
• Start conservative and increase if needed for scale
• Consider starting with auto-optimization enabled

Step 6: Upload Creatives

Add your ad creatives:

• Include multiple sizes: 320x50, 300x250, 320x480, 1200x628
• Upload at least 3-5 creative variations for testing
• Include video creatives if available (30-second recommended)
• All creatives will be reviewed within 24 hours

Step 7: Launch and Monitor

After launch, monitor these key metrics daily:

• Spend vs. Budget: Is the campaign spending as expected?
• CTR: Are creatives engaging? (benchmark: 1-3%)
• CVR: Are clicks converting to installs? (benchmark: 5-15%)
• CPI: Is cost per install within target?
• Quality Metrics: Check MMP for retention and events

Mobile attribution is the science of determining which marketing touchpoint led to a user installing and engaging with your app. Without proper attribution, you're essentially flying blind with your UA spend.

Why Attribution Matters

Attribution answers critical questions:

• Which ad networks are driving the most valuable users?
• Which creatives are performing best?
• What's the true ROI of each marketing channel?
• Where should you allocate your budget?

How Attribution Works

The attribution process involves several steps:

1. Click/View Tracking: When a user clicks or views your ad, the MMP records this interaction with a unique identifier
2. App Install: When the user installs and opens your app, the MMP SDK fires
3. Matching: The MMP matches the install to the earlier ad interaction
4. Attribution: Credit is assigned to the appropriate ad source
5. Postback: The MMP notifies the ad network of the attributed install

Attribution Methods

• Device ID Matching: IDFA (iOS) or GAID (Android) provides deterministic attribution
• Fingerprinting: Probabilistic matching using device characteristics
• SKAdNetwork: Apple's privacy-preserving attribution for iOS

Attribution Windows

Attribution windows define how long after an ad interaction an install can be attributed:

• Click-through window: Typically 7-30 days
• View-through window: Typically 1-24 hours

Longer windows capture more conversions but may attribute users who would have installed organically.

Post-Install Events

Beyond install attribution, track key in-app events:

• Registration/Sign-up
• Tutorial completion
• First purchase
• Level/milestone achievements
• Subscription activation

These events enable CPA optimization and quality evaluation of traffic sources.

iOS 14+ Changes

Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) has significantly impacted attribution:

• Users must opt-in to allow IDFA tracking
• Opt-in rates typically range from 20-40%
• SKAdNetwork provides limited attribution data for opted-out users
• Probabilistic modeling helps fill attribution gaps

Despite these challenges, effective user acquisition is still possible with proper setup and optimization strategies.

Reducing your Cost Per Install (CPI) without sacrificing user quality is the holy grail of mobile user acquisition. Here are proven strategies that our top advertisers use to achieve better efficiency.

1. Expand Your Creative Library

Creative fatigue is one of the biggest drivers of increasing CPIs. Users who have seen your ad multiple times become blind to it, reducing CTR and conversion rates.

• Maintain at least 5-10 active creatives per campaign
• Refresh creatives every 2-4 weeks
• Test different concepts: gameplay, story, humor, ASMR
• A/B test thumbnails for video ads

2. Optimize for Post-Install Events

Instead of optimizing purely for installs, set up campaigns to optimize for in-app events like registration or first purchase. This often results in:

• Higher quality users with better LTV
• Lower overall acquisition costs when measured against revenue
• Better retention rates

3. Leverage Dayparting

Not all hours deliver equal value. Analyze your conversion data by hour of day:

• Identify peak performance hours (often evenings and weekends)
• Pause or reduce bids during low-converting hours
• Consider timezone differences for each target country

4. Test New GEOs

While Tier 1 markets offer scale, Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets can offer excellent value:

• CPIs in Southeast Asia can be 50-70% lower than the US
• Some emerging markets have strong payer populations
• Less competition means better inventory access

5. Implement Blacklists and Whitelists

Use performance data to curate your traffic sources:

• Blacklist sources with consistently poor retention or fraud signals
• Whitelist top-performing placements for dedicated campaigns
• Review and update lists weekly

6. Optimize App Store Presence

Your app store page is the final step in the conversion funnel:

• A/B test app icons and screenshots
• Optimize descriptions with relevant keywords
• Respond to reviews to improve ratings
• Ensure app size isn't a barrier (especially for cellular downloads)

7. Use Rewarded Video Strategically

Rewarded video often delivers higher-quality users at competitive CPIs:

• Users actively choose to engage with the ad
• Higher completion rates lead to better brand impression
• Consider the reward type in apps where you advertise

8. Implement Smart Bidding

Use our automated bidding features:

• Target CPI bidding adjusts bids automatically to hit your goals
• ML algorithms identify optimal bid levels by segment
• Reduces manual work while improving efficiency

9. Segment and Personalize

Create separate campaigns for different user segments:

• Segment by device type (phone vs. tablet)
• Segment by OS version (newer devices often have higher LTV)
• Use different messaging for different demographics

10. Monitor and Act on Fraud

Fraud inflates CPIs by wasting budget on fake installs:

• Review MMP fraud reports regularly
• Set strict time-to-install thresholds
• Block sources with suspicious patterns
• Claim refunds for confirmed fraudulent traffic

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is the ultimate measure of your user acquisition success. It tells you how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent on advertising.

Calculating ROAS

The basic formula is simple:

ROAS = Revenue from Acquired Users / Ad Spend × 100%

For example, if you spend $10,000 on ads and acquired users generate $15,000 in revenue, your ROAS is 150%.

ROAS Timeframes

ROAS is typically measured at specific points in time:

• D0 ROAS: Revenue on install day (useful for apps with immediate monetization)
• D7 ROAS: Revenue after one week (common benchmark for games)
• D30 ROAS: Revenue after one month (better LTV indicator)
• D90/D180 ROAS: Long-term value measurement

What's a Good ROAS?

Target ROAS varies by business model and payback period tolerance:

• D7 ROAS 20-40%: Healthy for most mobile games
• D30 ROAS 50-80%: On track for profitability
• D90 ROAS 100%+: Profitable acquisition

Factors Affecting ROAS

1. CPI: Lower acquisition costs directly improve ROAS
2. User Quality: Higher-quality users spend more
3. Monetization: Better IAP/ad monetization increases revenue
4. Retention: Users who stay longer generate more revenue

Strategies to Improve ROAS

• Focus on payer optimization: Optimize for purchase events, not just installs
• Segment by value: Bid higher for segments with historically better ROAS
• Improve onboarding: Better Day 1 experience leads to more engaged (and paying) users
• Optimize monetization: A/B test IAP pricing and ad placements
• Use predictive LTV: Predict user value early and optimize accordingly

Creative testing is essential for sustainable user acquisition. Without systematic testing, you're leaving performance on the table. Here's how to run effective creative A/B tests.

Why A/B Test Creatives?

• Identify what resonates with your target audience
• Improve CTR, CVR, and ultimately CPI
• Combat creative fatigue proactively
• Build a library of proven creative concepts

What to Test

Focus on elements that can significantly impact performance:

• Concept: Gameplay vs. story vs. character-focused
• Opening Hook: The first 2 seconds are critical for video
• Call-to-Action: "Download Now" vs. "Play Free" vs. "Get Started"
• Art Style: Different visual treatments of the same concept
• Length: 15s vs. 30s vs. 45s video ads
• End Card: Static vs. animated end cards

Testing Framework

1. Hypothesis: Define what you're testing and why
2. Control: Use your best-performing creative as the baseline
3. Variants: Create 2-4 variations changing one variable
4. Sample Size: Run until you have statistically significant data
5. Analysis: Compare results and draw conclusions
6. Iterate: Build on winners, discard losers

Statistical Significance

Don't make decisions based on small sample sizes:

• Aim for at least 1,000 clicks per creative variant
• Run tests for at least 7 days to account for day-of-week variance
• Use statistical significance calculators to validate results
• 95% confidence level is the standard threshold

Southeast Asia (SEA) has emerged as one of the most dynamic mobile gaming markets globally. With a young, mobile-first population and rapidly growing economies, the region offers significant opportunities for game publishers and advertisers.

Market Size and Growth

• Total Market Value: $8.5 billion in 2024, projected to reach $12 billion by 2027
• Mobile Gaming Share: 60% of total gaming revenue (vs. 50% globally)
• YoY Growth: 12-15% annual growth rate
• Total Gamers: 250+ million across the region

Key Markets

Indonesia:

• Largest market by population (275 million)
• Strong preference for free-to-play games with IAP
• Popular genres: Battle royale, MOBA, casual
• Challenges: Payment infrastructure, Android dominance

Thailand:

• Highest ARPU in SEA
• Strong esports culture
• Popular genres: RPG, strategy, MOBA
• Higher willingness to pay vs. other SEA markets

Vietnam:

• Fast-growing market with 70+ million gamers
• Strong local game development scene
• Popular genres: RPG, card games, strategy
• Regulatory considerations for foreign publishers

Philippines:

• Highly engaged gaming community
• English proficiency eases localization
• Popular genres: MOBA, battle royale, casual
• Social gaming is particularly strong

User Acquisition Insights

• CPIs: $0.30-$1.50 for casual games, $1-$4 for mid-core
• Top Channels: Facebook, Google, TikTok, local ad networks
• Creative Preferences: Aspirational content, local celebrities, social proof
• Best Times: Evening hours (7-10 PM) show highest engagement

Localization Tips

• Each country has distinct languages - don't combine SEA as one region
• Local payment methods are essential (e-wallets, carrier billing)
• Cultural holidays drive significant revenue spikes
• Work with local influencers for authentic marketing

Japan is the third-largest mobile gaming market globally and the second-highest in ARPU. However, it's also one of the most competitive and unique markets to crack. Here's what you need to know.

Market Characteristics

• Market Size: $18+ billion in mobile gaming revenue
• ARPU: Among the highest globally ($100+ for top games)
• Platform Split: iOS-dominant market (60-65%)
• Competition: Extremely high, dominated by local publishers

User Behavior Insights

• Japanese gamers are highly discerning about quality
• Gacha mechanics are deeply ingrained and accepted
• Character-driven games perform exceptionally well
• IP collaborations are major revenue drivers
• Players expect frequent content updates and events

User Acquisition Considerations

CPIs:

• Casual games: $3-$8
• Mid-core games: $8-$20
• High-quality RPGs: $15-$40+

Key Channels:

• Twitter/X: Dominant social platform for gaming
• YouTube: Important for influencer marketing
• Line: Essential for community building
• TV Commercials: Still effective for mass-market games

Localization Requirements

• Quality is Non-Negotiable: Poor translation will sink your game
• Cultural Adaptation: Adjust art, content, and events for Japanese tastes
• Voice Acting: Expected for any narrative game
• Customer Support: Japanese-language CS is essential

Creative Best Practices

• Focus on high visual quality and polish
• Feature characters prominently
• Show actual gameplay (Japanese users are skeptical of misleading ads)
• Use Japanese voice-over for video ads
• Highlight limited-time events and exclusive content