Unlocking the power of programmatic in-app advertising: Insights from Moloco & Dentsu

Mobile apps have evolved from a “nice to have” to a critical driver of brand growth. With consumers relying on apps for seemingly everything — from shopping and working to staying connected — the competition for their attention is fiercer than ever. To scale efficiently and reach new users, mobile app marketers need to find untapped opportunities and optimize their strategies for long-term, sustainable growth.

In a recent eMarketer webinar, industry leaders Tim Woitkun, VP of Mobile App Marketing at Dentsu Media, and Dario Sheikh, Head of Agency at Moloco, explored the power of programmatic in-app advertising and how brands can unlock incremental growth beyond walled gardens on the open internet. 

Watch the full webinar below:

Unlocking value from mobile apps requires meaningful investment

Mobile apps are more than just another touchpoint — it’s prime real estate on a consumer’s most personal device. When users download and keep an app on their home screen, they’re signaling trust and engagement, giving brands a direct line to their audience. This level of access unlocks valuable insights, enables deeper personalization, and strengthens customer relationships in ways that other channels can’t.

But simply having an app isn’t enough. To truly maximize its potential, brands need a thoughtful, diverse app marketing strategy — one that focuses on retention, engagement, and incremental growth.

“90% of time spent on mobile by users is in-app. This is the lifeline for brands to reach their consumers and bring them into the fold.” — Dario Sheikh

Success on the open internet is dependent on marketers focusing on deeper funnel KPIs and leveraging a platform specifically designed for the programmatic in-app ecosystem 

Users spend the majority of their mobile time on the open internet, beyond walled gardens like Google and Meta — yet ad spend in these channels remains disproportionately low. This gap presents an opportunity for app marketers to reach engaged users in less saturated environments, drive more efficient performance, and scale their growth strategies.

Moreover, the app marketing landscape has shifted — traditional audience cohorts and publisher-based buying are no longer the key drivers of performance. Instead, success now hinges on business outcomes with a focus on deeper funnel metrics — like ROAS or CPA — that go beyond the install. To effectively find and acquire these high-value users, a specialized platform built for programmatic in-app advertising on the open internet is essential.

“Much of brands’ reservations about entering the open internet stem from feeling unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the space. That’s where leveraging specialized partners and solutions can help you understand the ecosystem, maximize and track performance, and deliver actionable insights to accelerate success.” — Tim Woitkun

Looking forward in 2025

The mobile app marketing landscape is set to evolve even further in 2025. As competition intensifies and technology advances, the brands that succeed will be those that embrace AI-driven personalization, align mobile marketing KPIs with broader business goals, and tap into the open internet for scalable, incremental growth.

“Everyone’s talking about AI. But how do we make it work for us in terms of creativity and personalization? That will be a big thing this year going forward.” — Tim Woitkun

“Mobile app marketing needs to harmonize with your business goals to deliver meaningful performance. The leaders of tomorrow will leverage mobile apps to tell their brand story and tap into the open internet for incremental growth.” — Dario Sheikh

Moloco specializes in navigating the complexities of the open internet to drive measurable business outcomes for marketers everywhere. Connect with our team of experts to learn how Moloco can help you unlock incremental growth.