Mobile users are hit with a barrage of content every time they unlock their device. Across mobile web, apps, and messaging, there is an abundance of information consumers interact with on a daily basis. It’s this exact reason why carriers must be mindful when selecting what content to place on-device – whether it be out-of-the-box or via an update.

As it stands today, it’s somewhat of a guessing game. Carriers use the tools at their disposal to choose what content they believe will pique the interest and resonate with consumers. It’s a twofold issue: what will entice a user to engage (in most cases, download an app) and how will it provide over-the-top revenue for the carrier. When done right, it drives significant revenue for both the carrier and the featured application/brand. When done wrong, you risk a user deleting your product, or worse, moving to a competitor.

Brands and app developers actively want to pay carriers to place their products on devices, but how do you juggle competing CPI rates? Does the highest bidder win top placement? Do you trust your gut instincts on what apps are going to be relevant to the end user? And what about the delivery method? Content can be displayed to users in a multitude of ways – what’s the best recipe for engagement?

Other digital delivery providers talk about the breadth of their portfolio and how many apps they have in their catalog. But in the on-device game, size doesn’t matter. What matters is finding the right app for the right user at the right time. This is how carriers maximize on-device revenue and better the user experience.

It’s a problem we’re actively solving. At Pinsight we run data-driven experiments in market, accessing over 50 million consumers in the domestic marketplace (across postpaid and prepaid consumers). Utilizing our content management system, we have the ability to impact in-market devices within minutes. These tests allow us to build on-device products that match the fluidity of consumers, adapting to user trends and behavior.

Using our App Recommender product, we recently ran a data-driven test to explore how to best present applications to users. To a first cohort, we presented apps generated from our standard CMS. This content was selected based on general CPI rates, taking no user information into consideration. To a second cohort, we presented content curated from popular or trending apps within the Google Play store. By analyzing marketplace trends, we can better predict what applications will resonate with users.

Based on our testing, the recommender group generated extended daily revenue when compared to the standard CMS group. This drove an overall 21.5% increase in engagement (CTR) and a 25.3% increase in installs when compared to the default CMS.

We scientifically validate, refine, and utilize these behavioral and industry learnings to inform the development of our on-device products. It’s the foundation of Pinsight’s agile development: insights-driven decisioning to better the user experience and maximize on-device monetization for all parties. By continually validating and refining our offerings, we utilize first-party carrier data to get behind the lock screen and better the user experience, maximizing the revenue potential for carriers along the way.