App developers have been handed the ability to use their interactive advertisements as virtual product demonstrations thanks to a new technology from Voxel.
The app virtualisation company has unleashed AppFastForward, a tool that can create “test drive” ads without all the usual headaches this would entail.
Voxel believes its new converter will strike a chord with developers that want to steer away from their traditional creative and put the in-app experience first.
Seamless communication
AppFastFoward is said to provide prospective users with app tests that accurately preview the end product. According to Voxel, app developers have struggled to fully replicate the experiences of their campaigns due to the capability of previous tools.
The group claims to have seen evidence of brands having to go through the arduous process of rebuilding an app in HTML5 in order to embed a product demonstration inside a display ad.
At the other end, some of the first users to test drive ads were confronted with sluggish load times and menu screens which prevented them from getting into the thick of the app in question.
After launching its new product, Voxel claims that all brands need to do is upload their existing app onto the AppFastForward drive and watch as it is converted into a fully playable ad.
Early adopters
Mobile gaming figureheads including King.com, Electronic Arts and GSN have all signed up to use AppFastForward, along with Storm8, the developer of ‘Farm Story’ among other titles.
James Peng, head of acquisition at Storm8, believes there is a big case for app demonstrations within ads.
“With limited screen real estate and attention spans, mobile users desire ad formats that clearly communicate the end product in an efficient and seamless way.
“Playable ads create a win-win scenario, as users waste less time clicking and backing out of misleading ads and publishers maximise the value of each impression they deliver.”