71% of marketing spend is focused on just 10 countries

• Moloco’s latest study found 40% of worldwide marketing spend targets audiences in the US
• 71% of spending targets players in just 10 countries

71% of marketing spend targets paying players in just 10 countries.

The figure comes according to Moloco’s new study Beyond Borders: Mobile Gaming Insights for Global Growth, which suggests that mobile game marketers are “overly focused on a limited number of countries” and may be overlooking “hidden opportunities” around the globe.

For example, the US takes a major lead in spending representation, with 40% of marketing spend directed there. The UK follows in second at only 6%.

Regional representation

Moloco studied spending that’s primarily focused on acquiring paying players and found that after the US and UK, Germany receives the third-most spending at 5%. Japan follows at 4% of the global total.

This means 55% of worldwide user acquisition efforts are concentrated in just four countries.

When considering where those marketers are located themselves, US-based marketers have an even higher focus on North America than the global average. 60% of their UA spending is focused on North American audiences.

When adding European marketers’ spending, 82% of UA efforts are focused on North America.

App marketers in China are leading the diversification charge, targeting audiences around the world to scale games. Only 36% of marketing spend targets the US, Canada, and Mexico – below the 40% US average – as China’s marketers are placing greater focus on regions like Europe and Asia Pacific.

According to Moloco, this still leaves “pockets of opportunity” for marketers to reach high-value users around the world, whether in Brazil, Iceland, South Africa or elsewhere.

“This research intends to inspire marketers to think outside of their comfort zone. The hyperconcentration of advertising spend in a few countries creates a huge opportunity to uncover high-value users in new global markets that can be unlocked through targeted user acquisition strategies,” said Moloco senior insights manager Tom Shadbolt.

“Perhaps there is some bias that is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy as marketers focus their spend too narrowly. The key learning from this research is that marketers may be missing out on opportunities to capture users of value and that constant experimentation of new audiences is essential as global markets evolve.”