1. What Exactly Is OEM Advertising?

Original-Equipment-Manufacturer (OEM) advertising places your app inside the phone’s native interface—setup wizard checklists, OEM app stores, home-screen “Recommended Apps” folders, push notifications, even hard pre-loads. Because Apple keeps iOS closed, OEM inventory is almost entirely Android, and it’s sold either directly by the manufacturer (Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, etc.) or through certified aggregators.

2. How OEM Placements Work

Common touch-points and how you pay for them

• Static pre-load – Your APK ships on the device out-of-box. Brands charge a one-time flat fee per phone model or country.

• Dynamic setup list – During first-time setup, users tick a box to install your app. Pricing is cost-per-install (CPI) or cost-per-opt-in.

• OEM store feature – A hero banner or top-chart boost inside GetApps, AppGallery, Galaxy Store, etc. Fees are usually tenancy-based or CPM/CPI.

• System recommendations – Home-screen folders, feed widgets, or push alerts that “feel” native. Bought on CPI or CPM.

• Carrier co-op inventory – App suggestions inside activation portals from operators like Verizon or Vodafone, sold on CPI or revenue share.

Behind every placement is first-party device data—model, OS version, carrier, region—so targeting is granular and fraud is rare (you can’t fake a boot sequence).

3. OEM vs. Traditional UA at a Glance

• Reach: OEM = Android-only (but 70 %+ of global handsets). Social/search ads cover Android and iOS.

• Ad position: OEM ads are embedded in the device UI; no extra taps. Traditional ads sit in third-party apps or feeds and rely on click-through.

• Competition: Only a handful of advertisers can occupy an OEM slot at any given time, so CPMs stay predictable. Social/search auctions spike during peak seasons.

• Fraud risk: Minimal on OEM because installs are tied to real hardware events. Click-spamming and bots remain issues on open exchanges.

• Ease of launch: You’ll need either direct contracts or an aggregator dashboard for OEM; anyone can open a Facebook or Google Ads account in minutes.

Used together, the channels deliver both depth (higher LTV from OEM) and breadth (mass reach from social/search).

4. Why OEM Advertising Belongs in Your 2025 Mix

1. Lower CPIs, higher ROAS – Installs occur during the “honeymoon” phase when users are eager to customise a new device.

2. Stickier cohorts – Retention curves often beat feed-ad traffic by 15-25 %.

3. Untapped markets – In Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and LATAM, up to 40 % of app downloads already flow through OEM or carrier channels.

4. Laser targeting – Filter by device class, region, or carrier with first-party accuracy.

5. Near-zero fraud – Installs are verified against hardware IDs and boot events.

5. 2025 Trends to Watch

• Mainstream adoption: Analysts expect 60 % of UA teams to dedicate budget to OEM this year, up from 45 % in 2023.

• Programmatic pipes: New DSPs—including our own Qi Ads platform—bundle multiple OEMs into one unified auction and post-back stream.

• Dynamic pre-loads: Device makers are testing real-time app bundles that switch based on user profile, lifting install-to-open rates by ~20 %.

• Native MMP support: Measurement partners now ingest on-device impression and install signals, closing the attribution gap that once scared finance teams.

6. Getting Started in Three Steps

1. Decide on direct vs. aggregator

   • Go direct if you need deep penetration in a single key market (e.g., South Korea via Samsung).

   • Choose an aggregator like Qi Ads to tap into 15+ OEM and carrier inventories with unified billing.

2. Match creative to the context

   • Device UI offers limited real estate—use concise benefit-led copy and high-contrast icons.

   • Localise assets; OEM impressions skew toward emerging-market users.

3. Measure beyond CPI

   • Compare day-7 or day-30 ROAS against your social baseline.

   • Track uninstall rates; OEM traffic should outperform your average by double digits.

Key Takeaway

OEM advertising has graduated from “experimental” to “essential.” By meeting users inside the phone’s first moments, you lock in cheaper installs, cleaner cohorts, and audiences traditional networks miss. Add OEM to your 2025 channel mix—and if you want proof fast, reach out to claim a $500 credit toward your first campaign on Qi Ads.