With 15 active titles and more than 4 million monthly users, Braly JSC is one of the leading app development studios in Vietnam. The creator of popular Android titles like “Time Warp Scan” facial filter and “Emoji Challenge” relies heavily on in-app ads for monetization. The company has been using Google AdMob since they started their business just over a year ago.
Braly recently decided to experiment with a new AdMob ad format known as collapsible banners in order to boost its average revenue per user (ARPU), using Firebase to run A/B tests.
"As an ad-first-funded developer, our top priority is to optimize revenue," said CEO Toan Doan. "Lower eCPMs for banner ads can adversely impact our return on ad spend (ROAS), which is why we are always looking for new ways to drive revenue. When our AdMob partner manager approached us with this idea, we were excited to try it out."
The results speak for themselves: increased ARPU, better fill rates and higher eCPMs.
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Collapsible Banner in "Time Warp Scan" App
Firebase allows for easy A/B testing without the need to update apps
For two weeks in August of 2022, Braly used Firebase to A/B test collapsible banners on 10 percent of its total user base. Half of the users in the test group saw standard banners when they opened Braly's apps; the other half encountered collapsed banners, which occupy half the screen but can be rolled down by users.
"We put a huge focus on perfecting our product, not only through its development stages, but also by incorporating data and analytics in our user acquisition, engagement, and monetization," said Toan Doan. "Firebase enabled us to run A/B tests without needing a third party or additional coding, and allowed us to roll out the changes without having to update our app on the Play Store."
The improvement was almost instantaneous. Braly tested collapsible banners using Firebase A/B test and saw 17% increase in their total revenue with this new format. Meanwhile, they saw no impact in retention or user engagement alongside a more than 30% improvement in fill rates and eCPMs. Braly JSC prioritized collapsible banners in transition areas or areas where there is less content to avoid impacting user experience.
AdMob helps boost scalability and profitability
After the success of its A/B testing, Braly began to deploy the new ad format to the titles in its portfolio. Today, 8 of its 15 apps deploy a collapsible banner, and the studio plans to introduce these ads in future products.
