Founded in 2015 and based out of Vietnam, Rocket Studio is a top 3 game publisher in Southeast Asia across all mobile gaming genres. Today, they’ve attracted 5M+ daily active players and 500M downloads, and have launched 200+ games successfully.
Thế Bảo Lương, Head of Monetization, describes how Rocket Studio used Vungle in-app bidding on ironSource LevelPlay to overcome the fill rate and revenue challenges he experienced with traditional waterfalls - increasing ARPDAU 38%.
Missing out on ad fill opportunities with the waterfall
Until six months ago, our team at Rocket Studio was manually optimizing our waterfalls - however, adjusting bids and positions took away time and resources that could’ve been spent maximizing our success elsewhere, such as testing new placements or ad units.
In addition to the time commitment, the team at ironSource informed us we had low fill rates on some of our ad placements, especially in the US. Not only did this mean we were missing out on revenue, it also led to a poor user experience when an ad didn’t show.
We’d seen great success with Vungle in-app bidding on LevelPlay in Asia, so the team at ironSource suggested we turn on Vungle in-app bidding for rewarded and interstitial video in the US as well.
Confirming Vungle bidding had a positive impact with ironSource’s A/B testing tool
We turned on Vungle bidding 6 months ago. With guidance from the hands-on team at ironSource, the process was seamless and we were up and running in just a few clicks.
"With guidance from the hands-on team at ironSource, the process was seamless and we were up and running in just a few clicks."
- Thế Bảo Lương, Head of Monetization at Rocket Studio
Before going all in on this strategy, we first wanted to measure the potential for success. ironSource has an A/B testing tool already integrated in the platform, meaning we were able to start accumulating performance data almost instantly. This allowed us to quickly decide whether turning on Vungle bidding was the right move for our monetization goals, ensuring we didn’t lose out on any potential revenue.
We quickly started noticing the positive impact the bidding had on our operations as well. It was impressive and exciting that - for the first time - we could guarantee maximum revenue for each impression without spending any of our own time or resources.
Achieving 99% fill rate and increasing ARPDAU 38% with Vungle bidding
The LevelPlay technology coupled with valuable feedback and suggestions from the team at ironSource, we’ve achieved a significant increase in revenue and have a nearly perfect fill rate.
Specifically, since moving to Vungle bidding, our ARPDAU has increased 38% in the US.
On top of that, our fill rate jumped to 99%. That’s because in-app bidding reduces latency - the ad request doesn’t have to make its way through the waterfall - ensuring an ad is always ready to play.
Working with LevelPlay and Vungle, we’ve been able to expand our revenue sources without any risk - the best scenario possible. Doing so, we’ve also been able to maximize our time spent on tasks that require our creative, undivided thought. We look forward to continuing building our monetization strategy with the ironSource team.
"Working with LevelPlay and Vungle, we’ve been able to expand our revenue sources without any risk - the best scenario possible."
- Thế Bảo Lương, Head of Monetization at Rocket Studio
