The document discusses how mobile usage and app usage increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It summarizes trends in mobile activity across different app categories during the pandemic, including increased usage of social apps, grocery apps, finance apps, and decreased usage of travel, events and music streaming apps. It also discusses challenges for brands in 2021 related to platform fragmentation, changes to ID tracking on iOS 14 limiting cross-app tracking, and the need to focus on retention instead of acquisition as mobile usage grows.

1. in 2021

2. “Mobile is eating the world”
Ben Evans, 2015, Websummit

7. The rise of native apps

8. Apps are a critical part of the
ecosystem
Mobile apps convert
3x
better than mobile
websites
App users spend
20x
more time than
mobile web visitors
Apps drive
55%
of all mobile
eCommerce
transactions

13. COVID Changed The World

14. Cars
Real Estate
Weddings
People postponed large purchases, but not permanentlyChangeinmobileactivity
29,944,335 cases
(September 17)
March 11: WHO declares pandemic
Sources: JHU; Branch
Worldwide COVID-19 cases
Early May: countries begin
easing lockdown restrictions

15. Changeinmobileactivity
Home
Maintenance
Online
Groceries
App usage shows people learn new behaviors while sheltering in place
Sources: JHU; Branch
March 11: WHO
declares pandemic
Early May: countries begin
easing lockdown restrictions
Worldwide COVID-19 cases
29,944,335 cases
(September 17)

16. Changeinmobileactivity
Social Video
Dating
Hyperlocal
Social Networks
Social Games
During physical distancing, apps are helping us keep in touch
Sources: JHU; Branch
March 11: WHO
declares pandemic
Worldwide COVID-19 cases
Early May: countries begin
easing lockdown restrictions
29,944,335 cases
(September 17)

17. Changeinmobileactivity
Money Transfer
News
Stocks/Personal
Finance
Some verticals still see increased activity from COVID-19
February 20: Global
markets begin to fall
Sources: JHU; Branch
Worldwide COVID-19 cases
March 11: WHO declares pandemic
29,944,335 cases
(September 17)

18. Changeinmobileactivity
March 11: WHO declares pandemic; US bans
all travel from 26 European countries
Some verticals still see decreased activity from COVID-19
Events
Music Streaming
Sports
Travel
Sources: JHU; Branch
Worldwide COVID-19 cases
29,944,335 cases
(September 17)

19. Changeinmobileactivity
Sources: JHU; Branch
COVID-19 is having a significant effect on how we feed ourselves
Coffee Shops
Fast Food/Delivery
Online Groceries
Recipe Apps
Restaurant Finders
Early May: countries begin
easing lockdown restrictions
Worldwide COVID-19 cases
March 11: WHO
declares pandemic
29,944,335 cases
(September 17)

20. Arts & Crafts
Activewear
People are still shopping online, but buying different things
Fashion/Luxury
Kids/Pets
Cosmetics
Changeinmobileactivity
Sources: JHU; Branch
Early May: countries begin
easing lockdown restrictions
Worldwide COVID-19 cases
March 11: WHO declares pandemic
29,944,335 cases
(September 17)

21. COVID-19 impacts all commerce apps, but is hitting some formats harder
Department Stores
In-Store Payments
Marketplaces
Social Commerce
Changeinmobileactivity
Sources: JHU; Branch
Coupons/Discounts
March 11: WHO declares pandemic
Worldwide COVID-19 cases
Early May: countries begin
easing lockdown restrictions
29,944,335 cases
(September 17)

22. Desktop Web
Mobile
Web + App
All platforms show increased activity, but desktop web grew the mostChangeinactivity
Source: Branch
“Text-me-the-app” links sent
from desktop to mobile via SMS
Weekend
March 11: WHO
declares pandemic

23. COVID-19 disrupted how apps acquire new usersChangeinappinstallsbychannel
Source: Branch
Web Smart Banners
Paid Ads
Email
Pre-COVID Pandemic Return to Mean
Owned Social Media
Referrals/Sharing

24. The growth of mobile is not necessarily good news
for brands.

25. The biggest challenges
with mobile in 2021

26. The platform empires are growing stronger.
Discovery is broken.

27. Intent based
discovery
Non-intent
based discovery
The web

28. Google does not show app content

29. Apple can’t rank the content they have

30. Intent based
discovery
Non-intent
based discovery
Apps

32. Trend: A continued focus on web
discovery and on converting web to app
users.

36. Trend: Mobile growth will continue
expanding beyond games; a new focus
on content based,non-intent discovery

37. Share content instead of screenshots
SHARE SHEET IN THE APP SEND LINK TO FLIGHTPOPUP WITH SHARE LINKUSER TAKES SCREENSHOT

38. Trend: The emergence of
intent-based mobile content discovery
platforms

39. Fragmentation

40. APP
SafariViewController
WEB BROWSERS
OS Device Platform Channel
Mobile is messy

42. Fragmentation is getting worse

43. 2020 Fragmentation Trends

45. The continued global rise of super apps

47. AR will expand and start moving towards
mainstream in 2020.

48. By 2020,90% of automobiles will be
connected to the Internet.

49. Trend: New app stores will continue to
emerge

51. Trend: Identity resolution will become harder
in 2021

52. Apple’s IDFA Changes

54. This includes policy updates too, but
the biggest change is technical:
IDFA is default inaccessible.
Users must “Allow Tracking” for each
app that wants IDFA access.
iOS 14 limits cross-app “tracking”
CONFIDENTIAL

55. ● Device-level data.
● Uses unique, persistent
identifiers (IDFA, user ID, etc.) to
connect clicks and conversions.
Best accuracy, but inconsistent
with Apple's iOS 14 updates.
● Device-level data.
● Analyzes patterns in anonymous
event metadata to uncover the
most likely connection.
Privacy-safe by design, but
challenge is to optimize accuracy.
Matching vs. modeling
Matching Modeling
CONFIDENTIAL

56. Some Advice

60. 4. Retention is the new growth metric!

61. Thank you!
Find me:
mada@branch.io
@mada299