A Majority of Mobile Consumers Prefer to Shop Through Direct-to-Consumer Brands Rather Than Third-Party Retailers, According to New Tapjoy Study

Survey of over 11,290 mobile consumers reveals that 70 percent want more subscription products or services

SAN FRANCISCO — Mobile consumers love the convenience of the direct-to-consumer model, and they’re hungry for more. That’s according to new research from Tapjoy (www.tapjoy.com), a leading mobile advertising and app monetization company, revealing that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of all mobile gamers prefer to shop directly from a brand than through a third-party retailer. Tapjoy’s latest report, Modern Mobile Gamer: Direct-To-Consumer Marketing Insights, takes a deep dive into the shopping preferences and general attitudes of mobile consumers towards the growing category of direct-to-consumer brands. Overall, the findings suggest that the mobile gaming community represents an untapped opportunity for direct-to-consumer brands.

Tapjoy’s fifth edition of the Modern Mobile Gamer report uncovers staggering adoption figures for direct-to-consumer brands among mobile consumers. It also examines the behavior and preferences of four critical direct-to-consumer demographic groups: Gen Z, millennials, parents, and high-income consumers. More than 80 percent of mobile consumers claim they subscribe to at least one clothing or lifestyle service, and 70 percent say they are interested in trying a new subscription product or service. Meanwhile, rewarded ads seem to be the best way to reach this lucrative audience: 64% of consumers surveyed said they are more likely to engage with an in-app rewarded ad than a social media sponsored post for retail advertisers.

“Mobile gamers are among the most eager and engaged audiences available to modern direct-to-consumer marketers,” said Aaron Thandi, Director of US Performance Sales at Tapjoy. “To them, the mobile gaming lifestyle and subscriptions services go hand-in-hand. Most already rely on these brands to take care of many of their personal shopping needs, and they’re hungry for more. They constantly seek new brand relationships to improve their lives with convenience, affordability, and personalization. Frankly, all direct-to-consumer marketers need to do is deliver the opportunity in their favorite app. Mobile gamers are ready to buy.”

Other findings from Tapjoy’s latest Modern Mobile Gamer report include:

  • Seventy percent of Gen Z, 90 percent of high-income earners, and 91 percent of millennial and parent mobile consumers subscribe to at least one clothing or lifestyle service

  • Clothing is the most popular product category for online shopping among mobile gamers
  • Women’s clothing subscription services have already gained major traction with mobile gamers of all types
  • All market segments identified convenience as their primary consideration in selecting new products and services
  • For generation Z and high-income mobile gamers, the key factor after convenience was personalization
  • For millennial and parent mobile gamers, the key factor after convenience was affordability.

Conducted from October to November of 2019, the report features survey results from 11,290 US respondents.

To download the complete report, visit www.tapjoy.com/lp/direct-to-consumer-retail-report.

About Tapjoy
Tapjoy is a leading mobile advertising and app monetization company. Our platform empowers advertisers to connect with over 925 million monthly active users through value exchange advertising that drives awareness, engagement and the metrics that matter most to their overall growth. Meanwhile, companies such as Scopely, Crowdstar, Topps and many of the Top 200 grossing app publishers trust our platform to monetize their content, grow their audiences and reward their users. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Francisco, Tapjoy is a global organization with more than a dozen offices worldwide.