Hanoi: Mintegral, a leading global advertising platform, has unveiled its latest data and advertiser insights highlighting three major shifts shaping mobile growth across APAC as 2025 draws to a close. The new analysis points to the mass adoption of AI-powered apps, the meteoric rise of short-form drama content, and the emergence of third-party Android stores as the next “blue ocean” opportunity for scalable, cost-efficient user acquisition.
According to Mintegral’s findings, AI features are moving mainstream, short-form drama is fast becoming a global entertainment format, and alternative Android channels are quietly delivering high-quality growth beyond the traditional app store duopoly.
AI Crosses the Chasm
AI-powered consumer apps have gone fully mainstream. In 2024 alone, the category recorded 1.5 billion downloads and US$1.3 billion in revenue. Within this segment, AI chatbots grew 119% year-on-year, while AI art generators expanded by 21%. Notably, 16 generative AI apps surpassed US$10 million in in-app purchases, and 25 apps exceeded 10 million downloads, signaling that users are increasingly willing to pay for AI-driven utility, creativity, and productivity.
What it means for marketers: AI is no longer a novelty—it’s a durable consumer habit. Developers who build pragmatic, need-based AI features across productivity, finance, and community are seeing strong traction, while advertisers are accessing conversion-ready audiences at scale.
Short-Form Drama from APAC Goes Global
The “short-drama” phenomenon—episodic, snackable video storytelling—has seen explosive growth, with short-video apps posting 50–200% quarter-on-quarter expansion since Q3 2023. The monetization model remains largely ad-supported (~90%), with the remainder stemming from in-app purchases and token-based subscriptions (~10%).
Indonesia now leads global short-drama downloads at 39% share, followed by Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and Japan/Korea — reflecting how APAC-born entertainment formats are resonating with worldwide audiences.
What it means for marketers: A new entertainment category is emerging that blends bingeable storytelling with performance marketing opportunities. Rewarded video units, daily check-ins, and task-based engagement are now the standard levers to balance reach and retention.
Third-Party Android Stores: The New “Blue Ocean”
Beyond Google Play and Apple’s App Store, third-party Android stores—including Xiaomi, Amazon, Samsung, Oppo/Vivo, Huawei, and regional platforms across Eastern Europe—are becoming high-potential channels for advertisers seeking affordable scale.
Through Mintegral’s self-serve access and SDK integrations, performance advertisers can target and optimize campaigns across these stores with ease. Case studies from Amazon’s app store show CPI as low as US$0.26–0.42 and daily installs between 2,000–5,000, depending on app genre and bidding strategy.
What it means for marketers: These “blue-ocean” channels are reducing dependency on crowded ad auctions while expanding reach for gaming, utility, and entertainment apps.
Actionable Guidance for Advertisers
Mintegral recommends advertisers act now to capture this momentum through three key approaches:
- Adopt ROAS-Aligned Bidding Models: Run Target ROAS, Hybrid ROAS, or Target CPE strategies to optimize toward revenue outcomes like D7 retention or paid conversions, rather than vanity metrics.
- Leverage Creative Automation: Use dynamic creative optimization and playables to iterate rapidly across short-drama and AI-driven app formats.
- Diversify Distribution: Incorporate third-party stores into media plans to unlock incremental, cost-efficient scale while whitelisting high-performing verticals and sub-channels.
