OEM Advertising

What is OEM Advertising?

OEM Advertising is the practice of placing ads directly within the ecosystem of a mobile device manufacturer, including pre-installed apps, device launchers, setup flows, and recommended app placements. It enables advertisers to reach users at the earliest stage of device ownership, before competing apps or habits are established. OEM Advertising is exclusive to Android smartphones, where manufacturers have the flexibility to customize the native device experience.

How it works

OEM Advertising integrates brand placements into the native Android device experience through two primary formats and a network of facilitating platforms.

Pre-Installed Apps

Manufacturers bundle advertiser apps directly onto new devices before they reach consumers. These apps appear on the device home screen or app drawer from the moment the user powers on the device. Common examples include utility apps such as weather tools, calculators, or alternative app stores. Because the app is present without requiring any user-initiated download, it bypasses the traditional install funnel entirely.

Recommended App Placements

This format places an advertiser's app across designated ad units within the device interface, such as the default launcher, notification panels, or built-in content discovery surfaces. The app appears as a recommendation during natural device usage moments, integrating into the user journey without interrupting it. This model supports both brand awareness and direct installs from engaged users.

Platforms That Enable OEM Traffic

Three types of intermediaries connect advertisers to OEM inventory.

First, integrated ecosystem platforms embed directly into devices via Android Package (APK) integrations, acting as intermediaries between manufacturers and advertisers. Major players in this space include IronSource Aura and Digital Turbine.

Second, device manufacturer platforms, such as those operated by Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi, run proprietary advertising systems or maintain direct partnerships with advertisers and agencies.

Third, advertising platforms acquire OEM traffic by integrating with supply-side platforms (SSPs), then making that inventory available through standard programmatic buying workflows. This allows advertisers already using DSPs or ad networks to access OEM placements without building direct manufacturer relationships.

Why it matters

OEM Advertising delivers access to users at one of the highest-intent moments in the device lifecycle: initial setup and first-use. At this stage, users have not yet developed app preferences or established habits, making them significantly more receptive to new app recommendations.

The authenticity of OEM placements contributes to stronger user trust compared to banner or interstitial formats. Because ads appear as part of the native device experience rather than interrupting content consumption, they generate less friction and tend to produce higher engagement and install rates.

For user acquisition teams, OEM traffic provides a scalable complement to traditional paid channels such as social and search. The install quality from OEM sources is frequently compared to organic traffic in terms of downstream retention and engagement, because users are making an active choice to install or engage with a recommended app rather than responding to an interruptive ad.

OEM Advertising also provides access to audiences that may be harder to reach through standard ad networks, particularly users in high-growth markets where brands like Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo hold strong device market share. Advertisers using a mobile measurement partner (MMP) can track OEM-sourced installs and in-app events with the same attribution precision applied to other paid channels, enabling direct performance comparison across the full media mix.

How to get started with OEM Advertising

Getting started with OEM Advertising requires selecting the right access point, configuring measurement, and optimizing based on post-install performance.

Step 1: Choose an access method. Decide whether to work directly with a device manufacturer's advertising platform (such as Samsung Ads or Xiaomi's marketing platform) or through an integrated ecosystem platform like IronSource Aura or Digital Turbine. Direct partnerships offer deeper inventory access, while integrated platforms provide broader reach across multiple OEM brands from a single integration.

Step 2: Define your campaign objective. OEM Advertising supports both brand awareness goals (pre-installed presence) and performance goals (recommended app placements with cost-per-install or cost-per-action models). Align your format choice with your KPI before negotiating inventory.

Step 3: Set up attribution tracking. Connect your campaigns to a mobile measurement partner (MMP) such as Airbridge before launch. OEM traffic sources must be mapped to tracking links or postback integrations so that installs, in-app events, and revenue are attributed correctly. Without proper attribution, it is impossible to compare OEM performance against other UA channels.

Step 4: Define target audiences. Use device model, operating system version, geographic region, and app category targeting to reach the most relevant users. OEM platforms often provide unique targeting signals derived from device-level data that are not available in standard ad networks.

Step 5: Monitor install quality. Track post-install metrics including retention rate, session depth, and in-app events to assess whether OEM-sourced users perform in line with your benchmarks. High install volume with poor downstream engagement signals a targeting or creative mismatch, not a channel weakness. Adjust bids, creatives, or audience segments accordingly.

Step 6: Scale or diversify. Once a specific OEM platform or format demonstrates consistent performance, increase budget allocation. Consider testing multiple manufacturers to compare install quality across device ecosystems and geographies.

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