Hervé Montoute, CEO of TapNation, sees the acquisition of UA Hero as a significant move towards creating predictive models using AI and first-party data. This strategic step is expected to help TapNation achieve higher lifetime value (LTV) targets and prolong player life cycles.

The conventional user acquisition (UA) approach, characterized by substantial spending, has encountered obstacles due to privacy changes by Apple and Google, limiting access to detailed data. In response, about 60% of app marketers, according to the 2024 App Marketer Survey by Liftoff, are now pursuing more ambitious key performance indicator (KPI) targets to adapt to the evolving industry landscape.

Vincent Février, TapNation CMO, emphasized that the UA Hero acquisition will empower the company to comprehensively build, run, and grow mobile games. Integrating the UA Hero team is anticipated to bring about campaign efficiencies and time savings of up to 50%, supporting a pivot to casual games and a sharper focus on gaming sub-genres monetized through in-app purchases and brand partnerships.

TapNation's acquisition of UA Hero aligns with the industry trend of major publishers investing in data analytics and in-app monetization platforms to automate UA with AI's assistance. This move is timely, addressing challenges in targeting due to privacy changes and a shift from hypercasual to casual games monetizing through in-app purchases.

In summary, TapNation's acquisition of UA Hero positions the company to navigate challenges, using AI to exert more control over user acquisition and monetization strategies in an environment increasingly emphasizing privacy.

Source: adapted from an article by Baytan Uğur Yem, Author for Mobidictum.