Achieving mobile marketing excellence in 2024: Lessons from 4 award-winning campaigns

InMobi look back at four award-winning mobile marketing campaigns to help inform brands' 2024 mobile strategy.

2023 was a game-changing year for advertisers and marketers. It showed us how embracing emerging technology and creating immersive experiences on new channels while keeping mobile at the core can help brands connect with consumers.

Campaigns that did this won their audience’s hearts and incredible industry recognition. In this piece, we explore four such campaigns from 2023 – award-winners that showcased the endless possibilities of innovating with mobile marketing.

How Inspired Square invoked app downloads for 2248

Award won: 

• Gold for Mobile Advertising Excellence in App Install Campaign, The MOBEXX Awards 2023.

With mobile taking over the gamers’ world, Inspired Square looked to drive app downloads globally for its innovative and popular puzzle game, 2248.

To target the gaming community in India, Inspired Square showcased 2248 on the smart lock screen gaming platform, Nostra, the destination for about 70 million gamers. This move enabled the brand to let gamers discover 2248 as a recommended one based on their interests, enhancing its visibility even before people unlocked their phones.

Being keen on reaching the American audience, the brand leveraged smart folders on the home screen, which are all the rage in The US. These smart folders helped gamers discover apps similar to what they like seamlessly.

Therefore, Inspired Square could bring 2248 to high-intent gamers, further increasing the possibility of downloads. The success was evident in the 620,537 installs they achieved.

How Nerolac made a splash with an online-to-offline journey

Awards won:

• Gold for Mobile Advertising Excellence in Programmatic Campaign, The MOBEXX Awards 2023
   
• Gold for Location Based Services or Targeting, The Maddies 2023 Awards
   
• Silver for O2O/New Retail/Innovative & New Tech Sales Channels, The MMA SMARTIES India Awards 2023

Amid the growing number of online consumer journeys, Nerolac had a mission to enable growth for its dealers. The brand chose the perfect time to do so – India’s biggest festival, Diwali, which is when Indians look to revamp their homes. Targeting people who celebrated Diwali aged 25-44 on their most-used mobile apps with an immersive rich media experience, Nerolac helped drive discovery of the dealers whose stores were closest to their location. This led to prompt action — be it a call, a visit, or a consultation.

The rich media experience prompted viewers to decorate a virtual living room with drag-and-drop Diwali elements. Viewers could also see gold coin offers and real-time results with winner updates, followed by recommendations of the nearest dealer store from the 5,000 outlets that were polygon-mapped. With dynamic creative optimization, the experience was tailored to every user. The three calls-to-action were simple and effective: Get Direction, Call Now, and Book Now.

This engaging campaign delivered remarkable results in just 10 days, reaching 3.6 million Indians and recording a 49% growth in sales volume.

How Pepsodent made Indonesians smile with Teledentistry

Awards won:

• Gold for Social Impact Marketing, The MMA SMARTIES Indonesia Awards 2023
   
• Winner: Silver for Customer/User Experience and Design, The MMA SMARTIES Indonesia Awards 2023
   

For years, Indonesians, particularly those in low-income and rural regions, have been plagued by dental troubles due to little awareness and limited access to dental care. For instance, 86% of the population never visited a dentist. Recognizing the intensity of this issue, Pepsodent initiated a movement for a massive change.

Joining hands with 32 dentistry faculty around World Oral Health Day, Pepsodent sought to increase awareness and offer free dental consultations. The brand brought the news of this initiative, as well as the importance of dental health, to Indonesians on every mobile touchpoint – from the smart lock screen to the app ecosystem, effectively enabling the booking of consultations through teledentistry and in-person appointments. This helped Indonesians address crucial oral health problems without financial concerns.

The results were phenomenal, with 1.67 million Indonesians reached and a 20% increase in free consultations compared to the previous year.

How ASUS aced the art of driving footfalls

Award won: 

• Gold for Mobile Advertising Excellence in Rich Media Campaign, The MOBEXX Awards 2023.

In an era where Indians browse and buy their gadgets and electronics online, ASUS wanted to drive offline store visits. This was a challenge that required the brand to target tech-savvy consumers who preferred online shopping, convince them that they needed to interact with laptops before making a purchase, and draw them to a physical store nearby for a hands-on, in-store experience with ASUS laptops.

ASUS achieved this with a multifaceted approach – a strategy that leveraged mobile and offered rich media experiences to technology enthusiasts, gamers, and corporate professionals. With location-based targeting, the brand found high-interest and high-income individuals and simplified store navigation. The visuals and communication were thoughtfully designed to emphasize the benefits of shopping for laptops in a physical store, thus enticing potential customers to step in for an offline experience.

The results surpassed the brand’s expectations beyond imagination – with a click-through rate (CTR) that was 133% higher than the target, 140,900 store footfalls, and higher sales for ASUS laptops.

The marketers’ roadmap for 2024

The best campaigns from 2023 had three things in common:

1. Thoughtful targeting: Considering factors such as location, time, and context, brands that reached audiences in a relevant manner made a lasting impact.

2. Seamless solutions and journeys: Every campaign that achieved success had simplified user journeys at their core, making it smooth at every stage, online to offline.

3. Meaningful mobile experiences: With mobile being an important part of consumers’ daily lives, being present there in a considerate and memorable way truly made a difference to the connection between the brand and the consumer.

As you get inspired by these examples of mobile marketing success, may they be a guiding light that helps you craft your strategies for the year ahead.