Written by: Mariana Fonseca, Editorial Team, DTCROAS
Key Takeaways for DTC Growth Beyond Social
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DTC brands face rising Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) on social platforms like Meta, where Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) often sits around 2-3x. Diversifying into high-engagement video ad networks helps restore profitable growth.
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Mobile gaming environments provide full-screen video placements with extended watch times and fast purchase behavior, which supports deeper storytelling and stronger intent.
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Axon by AppLovin delivers 5x+ ROAS and 53% higher Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) lift than social, validated through results such as HexClad’s incremental revenue and new customer growth.
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Implementation stays straightforward with one-click pixel setup, reuse of existing 9:16 videos, AI-driven ROAS targeting, and daily scaling without long ramp-up periods.
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Create your Axon account to tap into over 1 billion daily mobile app and game users and unlock incremental growth beyond social saturation.
Video Ad Networks 2026: Mobile Environments and Attention
Social feeds follow a “thumb-stop” pattern where users scroll quickly and give advertisers only a second or two to earn attention. This constraint limits how much story a brand can tell and how much intent it can build. High ROAS video advertising networks instead rely on immersive environments where users interact with content in a more focused way.
Mobile apps and games offer full-screen interstitial and rewarded video placements that hold attention for longer sessions. Users in these environments stay in a lean-forward, focused mindset and actively engage with their device. The App Store and Google Play review process maintains brand-safe inventory, while in-app purchase behavior signals strong buying intent.
Axon by AppLovin, an AI-powered advertising platform that helps DTC and e-Commerce brands acquire new, high-value customers, delivers ads across an audience of more than 1 billion daily users. Axon data shows 35-second average watch times with 80% of purchases occurring within one hour of ad exposure. This longer engagement window supports complete brand stories that social feeds rarely allow.
How High ROAS Video Platforms Work for DTC Brands
High ROAS video advertising networks focus on Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) or Cost Per Purchase (CPP) instead of reach or impressions. AI predictive models evaluate creative performance before broad distribution and remove long, costly ramp-up periods. Brands can scale faster because budgets no longer fund extended algorithm training.
The strongest format pairs 9:16 vertical video with interactive pages and dynamic product catalogs. Users move through a three-stage journey that starts with video storytelling, continues with interactive engagement, and ends with product discovery. This multi-screen flow increases conversion opportunities while keeping attention through each step of the funnel.
This user experience quality depends on the underlying ad inventory. Axon operates within a controlled ecosystem that avoids user-generated content and made-for-advertising sites common in open programmatic environments. Direct Software Development Kit (SDK) integration supplies stronger data signals and more reliable ad rendering than traditional web-based placements. This controlled environment translates into superior performance metrics compared to typical social platforms.
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Network |
Average ROAS |
DTC Lift |
|---|---|---|
|
Axon |
5x+* |
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Meta |
2-3x** |
*HexClad case study. **Triple Whale ROAS benchmarks.
Video Ad Networks for DTC: Five-Step Implementation Workflow
Testing high ROAS video advertising networks works best with a clear, low-friction process. The implementation workflow follows five core steps that support both performance marketers and founders.
The workflow breaks down into five distinct steps:
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Install one-click Shopify pixel integration or Google Tag Manager setup for conversion tracking. This step creates the attribution foundation for every campaign decision.
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Upload existing 9:16 video assets from Meta Reels or Stories campaigns to test creative performance immediately, without waiting for new production.
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Set ROAS or CPP targets with a prospecting audience strategy so campaigns focus on new customer acquisition instead of retargeting current buyers.
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Launch campaigns within one hour once tracking, creative, and targeting are configured, using AI-powered optimization that removes traditional setup complexity.
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Scale budgets daily based on dashboard performance data and third-party attribution platforms such as Triple Whale, which helps validate incrementality.
Performance marketers gain full integration with existing measurement workflows and can validate incrementality across the entire media mix. Founders benefit from a streamlined interface that needs limited ongoing management while still driving clear business results.
Launch your first campaign to reach high-engagement audiences in mobile apps and games.
Rewarded Video Networks: DTC Case Studies and Incrementality
Real-world case studies highlight the incremental impact of high ROAS video advertising networks across different Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) categories. Portland Leather achieved 65% higher ROAS than other social digital ad platforms while acquiring more than 8,000 new customers in three months. Attribution data from Triple Whale confirmed that these results added new revenue instead of shifting orders from existing channels.
MAËLYS scaled to $200,000 in daily spend within one week while beating its ROAS goal by 10%. The campaign achieved 94% of purchases within one hour of click, exceeding even the platform’s average conversion speed. Co-Founder and CMO Yariv Citron shared: “When we saw Axon’s performance exceeding our goals, we didn’t hesitate to scale, and Axon delivered.” [source]
The HexClad results mentioned earlier were validated through rigorous incrementality testing. Head of Growth Connor Rolain explained: “Our incrementality test proved beyond a doubt that Axon is not only driving net-new growth, but doing so far more efficiently than we expected.” [source]
These three case studies show how different DTC verticals validate incrementality through distinct measurement approaches:
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Brand |
ROAS Performance |
Incremental Results |
Validation Method |
|---|---|---|---|
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Portland Leather |
65% higher than social |
8,000+ new customers |
Triple Whale Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) |
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MAËLYS |
10% above target |
$200k/day spend |
Platform data |
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HexClad |
53% higher than largest social channel |
$1M+ incremental revenue |
Haus GeoLift test |
Measurement, Creative Challenges, and Attribution
High ROAS video advertising networks need robust measurement frameworks to prove incrementality and guide optimization. Day-0 and Day-7 ROAS tracking gives both immediate and extended conversion visibility, while new customer percentage metrics confirm that campaigns expand the audience beyond existing buyers.
For HexClad, 90% of Axon-driven purchases came from first-time buyers, which signaled strong prospecting performance instead of retargeting. This type of metric matters for brands that want true incremental growth beyond their current customer file.
Creative fatigue presents the main operational challenge, so brands benefit from structured testing of longer-form video content tuned for extended attention spans. Longer videos outperform shorter ads, especially in rewarded placements where users choose to watch content. Successful brands often test 40 or more video variations with different hooks and messages to keep performance stable.
Conclusion and Next Steps for DTC Marketers
Social saturation opens new opportunities for brands that expand into high ROAS video advertising networks. Mobile gaming environments provide access to more than 1 billion engaged users with proven purchasing behavior and the extended attention spans discussed earlier.
The implementation pathway follows the five steps outlined above: install tracking, upload creative, set targets, launch campaigns, and scale based on performance data. As AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi explains, “Axon is not optimized for budgets or reach. It is optimized for advertiser profit.”
Request access to Axon and start building a new profit center in mobile gaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I test high ROAS video networks without a costly ramp-up period?
Axon removes traditional ramp-up periods through AI predictive models that analyze creative performance before broad distribution. The system evaluates each impression in real time and optimizes bidding against return goals from day one. Brands can scale budgets quickly without burning cash on extended algorithm training. Teams see meaningful performance data within hours instead of weeks and can make faster scaling decisions based on real conversions.
What ROAS can DTC brands expect beyond social platforms?
High ROAS video advertising networks often deliver strong results for Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands through prospecting campaigns that focus on new customers. Case studies such as HexClad and MAËLYS show performance that sits well above typical social benchmarks. This advantage comes from reaching untapped audiences in mobile gaming environments where users show high engagement and fast purchase intent. The key difference lies in accessing users who have not been saturated by social ads, which creates new growth opportunities for brands that feel capped on traditional platforms.
Do I need to create entirely new video content for mobile gaming environments?
You can begin with existing 9:16 vertical video assets from Meta Reels or Stories campaigns. Many brands launch initial tests this way and gather quick performance insights. The strongest long-term results usually come from longer-form content created specifically for mobile gaming environments, where users have more time to watch. Videos in the 30 to 60 second range tend to outperform shorter formats because they allow full storytelling and stronger intent building, which often translates into higher conversion rates and stronger ROAS.
How do I measure incrementality to prove these channels drive new growth?
Incrementality measurement compares performance across your full media mix using third-party attribution platforms such as Northbeam or Triple Whale. The most rigorous method uses GeoLift testing, where you run campaigns in specific geographic regions while holding out control regions. This structure provides statistical confidence in incremental revenue attribution. Tracking new customer percentages alongside GeoLift results confirms that campaigns bring in fresh audiences instead of shifting existing customers between channels.
What makes mobile gaming environments different from social feeds for video advertising?
Mobile gaming environments provide full-screen, uninterrupted attention where users actively engage with their device instead of passively scrolling. These users already understand in-app purchases and often show immediate buying behavior. The App Store and Google Play review process keeps inventory brand-safe without the risks that come with user-generated content. Most importantly, these audiences have not been saturated by social advertising, which creates fresh room for customer acquisition at lower costs and with higher conversion rates.
