Advertisers have long directed most of their mobile ad budgets to Google and Meta, but that dominance is starting to face new pressures as mobile users spend more time in independent apps. Across Asia-Pacific (APAC), this shift is prompting many advertisers to rethink their dependence on the two tech giants. New research from Moloco, developed with Sensor Tower and Singular, shows that 88% of mobile ad budgets still go to Google and Meta—even though billions of users are spending their time elsewhere.

The study, titled Performance Through Independence, highlights why this overreliance may no longer make sense. It found that shifting ad spend into the independent app ecosystem can deliver up to 214% higher returns. This fast-growing space includes casual gaming, productivity, finance, delivery, and other apps that together now reach two billion daily active users, a scale similar to TikTok and Instagram combined.

Paul D’Arcy, Chief Marketing Officer at Moloco, spoke with Marketing Tech News about why advertisers are exploring alternatives, what’s driving this shift, and how APAC’s unique mobile environment is creating new opportunities.

Why advertisers are looking beyond Google and Meta

In APAC, advertisers remain heavily tied to Google and Meta for performance advertising, with China being the main exception. D’Arcy explained that while these platforms dominate ad budgets, they only capture about 30% of users’ attention on mobile devices. That imbalance alone is a key reason why marketers are exploring new options.

Cost is another major factor. Advertising on Google and Meta is becoming increasingly expensive, with prices rising at double-digit rates each year. As advertisers scale campaigns on just a few platforms, the cost of each additional conversion becomes much higher. Many brands are reaching a point where the returns no longer justify the spend.

“What every advertiser wants is an alternative platform that delivers three things: global scale, similar AI-advertising capabilities that maximise outcomes and deliver predictable results, and the ability to deliver cost-effective incremental growth,” D’Arcy said.

The independent app ecosystem fits this need. Two-thirds of user attention now lies outside the reach of Google and Meta. Independent platforms offer strong ad formats and, when combined with modern AI tools, can deliver the same kind of optimisation and performance advertisers expect from Google and other large platforms. According to Moloco’s research, advertisers that diversify into this ecosystem can see incremental return on ad spend rise by as much as 214%.

A region built for independent app growth

APAC’s mobile market is particularly well-suited for this shift. Unlike North America and Europe, where mobile app usage has levelled off, APAC continues to experience rapid growth, especially in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. People across the region are downloading more apps and spending more time in them each year.

“Moloco was built for this ecosystem,” D’Arcy said. The company’s AI models evaluate millions of ad opportunities per second across more than three million independent apps, reaching over two billion daily active users. “For advertisers, that means we can help them reach the right audiences, optimise performance in real time, and adjust as consumer behaviour shifts across both emerging and mature markets.”

This kind of scale makes the fragmented app environment more accessible. Instead of relying on a few centralised platforms, advertisers can tap into a broad and diverse network of apps where valuable users are increasingly active.

Understanding changing user behaviour

One common mistake advertisers make in APAC is underestimating how diverse user engagement really is. Social media remains popular, but habits are shifting quickly. Users are spending more time on gaming, productivity, finance, and even generative AI apps. Moloco’s research shows that people in the region engage with an average of 26 different apps each month.

“For younger consumers, that might mean gravitating toward apps with gamified experiences. For older users, it might mean spending more time in finance or lifestyle apps,” D’Arcy explained.

This behaviour creates multiple daily touchpoints where brands can reach users, but it also demands more thoughtful strategies. Instead of assuming that social platforms are the primary way to reach audiences, advertisers need to design campaigns that fit the context and category of the apps people actually use. AI tools are playing a growing role here, helping marketers identify and target these high-value moments at scale.

How advertisers can overcome friction when moving beyond Google and Meta

Shifting away from Google and Meta isn’t as simple as moving money. Many marketers face practical challenges when they diversify their ad spend. Some are less familiar with alternative platforms and how to measure success there. Attribution can be more complex, and there are concerns about whether campaigns will scale effectively or produce consistent results.

Audiences are also scattered across thousands of apps, making it harder to find and engage the right users. According to D’Arcy, the most successful brands treat the independent app ecosystem as a core growth channel, not just an experiment. They use premium in-app inventory combined with AI-driven optimisation and focus on measuring incrementality—the real impact of their spending rather than just top-line metrics.

“In practice, that means using platforms that bring together large, vetted app inventories with automation and outcome-focused AI,” D’Arcy said. “This combination makes it easier to manage creative formats, measure what really matters, and ultimately scale campaigns that drive both return on investment and incremental growth.”

Rethinking metrics in a privacy-first world

The shift toward privacy-first advertising is changing how marketers measure success. While return on ad spend (ROAS) remains a useful benchmark, D’Arcy noted that it doesn’t always tell the full story.

“ROAS is a mathematical average that does not always tell the full story. Marketers should also be calculating their marginal ROAS and using that to optimise channels,” he explained. Spending heavily on one platform often drives up costs for the last conversions while cheaper opportunities remain untapped elsewhere.

Another key metric is incrementality. Some paid conversions, especially on search channels, simply replace organic ones. Running experiments to measure incremental impact helps advertisers understand where their money is actually creating new value. D’Arcy also warned about self-attributing networks that inflate conversion numbers, stressing the importance of testing and normalising measurement across providers.

AI levels the playing field beyond walled gardens

AI and machine learning have powered digital advertising for years, but until recently, those capabilities were mostly concentrated inside Google and Meta. Now, companies like Moloco are applying AI-driven optimisation at a massive scale to independent apps, which account for 70% of mobile digital activity.

This development gives advertisers a new way to run outcome-optimised campaigns across millions of apps. By expanding beyond the walled gardens, they can reach more users, lower customer acquisition costs, and boost incremental conversions—all without sacrificing performance.

What will define advertisers’ success beyond Google in APAC?

As smartphone adoption in APAC pushes past 90% by 2030, mobile apps will continue to shape how people shop, play, and work. According to D’Arcy, the most successful advertisers will be those who adapt to two key trends.

First, they’ll diversify their marketing mix to match changing user habits. In markets like Vietnam and India, users are moving toward entertainment, gaming, and generative AI apps. In Japan and South Korea, social media use is falling while gaming and productivity apps grow. Reaching these users means embracing a broader app ecosystem.

Second, they’ll combine first-party data with real-time AI optimisation to operate effectively in a privacy-first environment. Responsible data use and smarter targeting will allow advertisers to turn signals into actionable insights and deliver more relevant experiences.

“The advertisers who thrive will be the ones who tap into this broader mix of apps to drive meaningful reach and engagement,” D’Arcy said.

Conclusion

The APAC mobile advertising market is changing fast. User attention is fragmenting, costs are climbing on traditional platforms, and privacy shifts are reshaping how success is measured. For advertisers, these changes bring challenges—but also real opportunities. By looking beyond Google and Meta, advertisers can tap into the independent app ecosystem to find new growth, improve performance, and future-proof their strategies in a rapidly shifting digital environment.

(Photo by Creatopy)

See also: Meta AI chat contents to be used to better target ads

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