Webinar Recap: Commerce Content in the Mobile-First Age”

We were delighted to host our second APAC webinar, titled “Commerce Content in the Mobile-First Age” on 19 June 2023. The event featured two panelists: Celina Fan, Head of Lifestyle and Commerce at Yahoo Hong Kong, and Jenny Chiang, Manager, Publisher Partnership, APAC at Rakuten Advertising. They shared invaluable insights on effectively tackling this subject and harnessing its benefits. Jade McDade, Director APAC at Skimlinks, expertly moderated the discussion, while Laurence Xiong, Publisher Account Manager, shared his experiences with clients as a speaker. Here are the highlights of the enlightening discussions by each speaker:   

Industry insight by Skimlinks

• In APAC, In-App tracking is not widely adopted. Among the top 40 merchants in the Skimlinks Network in Hong Kong, only 28% have enabled it. 
• To boost downloads, merchants can use in-app tracking to incentivize publishers to promote their app. 
• This is an opportune time to take action, especially with the post-cookie world approaching, where first-party data will be crucial.

This is not only for Premium Publishers who are missing out on potential revenue from app conversions, but also a significant missed opportunity for merchants, as publishers prioritize merchants with In-App tracking to feature them in commerce content.

Laurence Xiong,  Publisher Account Manager at Skimlinks

Why publishers consider In-App tracking is crucial

• As statistics show that APAC leads in mobile usage for online shopping compared to the rest of the world, Yahoo HK also sees mobile as a significant revenue source for their commerce content strategy. 
• To ensure a return on investment and exposure, they prioritize merchants with In-App tracking capabilities to receive fair rewards for driving conversions through apps, fostering long-term partnerships with merchants. 
• Considering APAC’s position as the leading market for mobile commerce, success here can serve as a blueprint for other regions as they catch up in terms of mobile commerce

In-App tracking provides publishers with insights into mobile shopping consumer behaviors, enabling us to optimize our content coverage and efficiency.

Celina Fan, Head of Lifestyle and Commerce at Yahoo Hong Kong

How Affiliate Networks can support merchants to enable In-App tracking

• Affiliate marketing managers are aware of its importance but face challenges in allocating tech resources and securing global support for adequate internal resource allocation. 
• There are different ways to implement it, with some options requiring minimal tech resources. Implementation options include Rakuten Advertising’s proprietary SDK, which requires moderate tech resources, or integration with existing mobile measurement tools like Adjust, Branch, or Appsflyer, which requires minimal configuration with Rakuten’s tech specialists.
• By adopting In-App tracking, we minimize opportunity costs and stay ahead of user trends in the mobile-dominated APAC market. 
• It helps us reward publishers fairly, create user-centric content, and enhance the overall mobile commerce ecosystem.

The key takeaway here is there is an easy way to do it. Let’s get the conversation going and getting started on In-App tracking

Jenny Chiang, Manager, Publisher Partnership, APAC at Rakuten Advertising

With the imminent arrival of the post-cookie era, where first-party data will be essential, now is a propitious moment for all industry stakeholders. Attribution and measurement hold pivotal positions in performance marketing and affiliate marketing, making it imperative that we seize this opportunity to foster collective growth. Let us take decisive action and propel the industry forward in unison.