AdMob Celebrates Knots Success

Mobile ad network AdMob has released the results of a recent case study with its homegrown iPhone application, Knots. The game is a simple touch and release game created by AdMob employee and developer, Josh Snyder. AdMob used the Knots application as a controlled case study to learn how developers could drive downloads of their iPhone apps with an advertising campaign through AdMobs Advertising Marketplace.
The application was admitted to the App Store on 11 September, 2008 and in the first three days, did not have a single download and was not ranked in the top 100 free applications in the Apple Apps store. Starting on 17 September, Knots began running ads within AdMobs iPhone Network,  driving consumers to download the game for free. It also started to serve ads within the application in order to monetize itself.
The Knots campaign delivered strong results. As soon as the campaign started, consumers began to download the Knots application and it began to rise in the rankings in the Apple Apps store, eventually reaching the top 10 free apps. Knots also began to generate a significant daily profit through in-application advertising as part of AdMobs iPhone Network.
At peak, the game had more than 7,000 downloads a day. In addition to being ranked in the Top 10 Free Apps in the Apple Apps store, Knots was also included in the Featured Apps section on 7 October. The average cost-per-click for the campaign was $0.50, and by the end of the campaign, Knots had earned an average of $600-$700 a day in advertising.
AdMob says the Knots campaign clearly demonstrates the value of advertising a mobile application, as well as the ability to generate ad revenue from free iPhone applications.
AdMob launched its iPhone Advertising Network in August 2008. It designed the iPhone ad formats to take advantage of the unique context and capabilities of the device to blend graphical display ads with one of eight iPhone-specific actions, such as one-touch access to the Apple Apps Store; maps to view relevant locations; audio to listen to content; or the ability to view video. The ads were designed to function in either the browser environment or native applications built for the iPhone and come in both brand and performance formats.
Following the launch of its iPhone Ad Network, AdMob launched a $1 million developer program to fuel growth of a new wave of mobile publishers. In September, AdMob announced the first members of the developer program: Loopt, Stitcher, Tapulous, Pandora, iRovr, Avantar, Trism, Wixi, AppCubby, and TinyPictures. Each developer received $5,000 in AdMob advertising credit to acquire traffic for their mobile website or application.
Developers who wish to apply to be included in the program should click here.