We attended App Promotion Summit London, the place specialists from throughout the cellular advertising world gathered to share insights, methods, and success tales. Spanning a number of levels, the occasion coated every part from consumer acquisition and ASO to engagement, retention, and monetisation. Unsurprisingly, AI was a significant theme all through the day, with many audio system exploring its rising impression on app advertising.
On this article, we’ve rounded up just a few standout classes and takeaways that sparked concepts, challenged considering, and provided sensible recommendation for the 12 months forward.
How conversations on Reddit drive app installs
Hannah Walker from Reddit took to the stage to share how the platform/neighborhood is shortly changing into a go-to platform for customers searching for genuine, trusted recommendation, with search behaviour evolving to incorporate “Reddit” in on a regular basis Google queries. Actually, Reddit was among the many prime 20 most searched phrases within the UK and prime 6 within the US final 12 months. The platform performs a key position at each stage of the acquisition journey, from discovery and validation to decision-making and advocacy.
With over 915,000 advice requests and 18 million responses per week, it’s a goldmine for manufacturers trying to construct real connections and faucet into actual shopper perception. In contrast to conventional channels, Reddit captures genuine conversations, which regularly floor on Google outcomes, making it an more and more influential a part of the decision-making course of.
Customers acquired via Reddit are 46% extra engaged on Day 1, present 22% greater retention by Day 30, and spend practically 4 occasions greater than customers acquired via different digital platforms. They’re additionally extra more likely to advocate for manufacturers they genuinely belief. As Hannah defined, “Reddit helps manufacturers belief by listening first, after which appearing later”. Profitable manufacturers have taken notice, utilizing methods equivalent to community-driven AMAs (Ask Me Something), user-generated content material activations, and focused engagement round related conversations.
To assist entrepreneurs faucet into this chance, Reddit has additionally launched new instruments this week. Reddit Professional Developments gives real-time visibility into conversations about manufacturers, merchandise and industries, serving to entrepreneurs determine rising alternatives, whereas enhanced submit insights present deeper engagement metrics to optimise efficiency. With customers actively searching for suggestions, validating purchases, and advocating for his or her favorite merchandise, Reddit gives a novel setting for entrepreneurs to drive significant, lasting engagement.
ASO in 2025: The brand new progress engine for UA, retention & past
In a packed-out room Megan Dean, Strategic Development Director at Yodel Cellular, challenged the standard boundaries of App Retailer Optimisation (ASO), positioning it not simply as a top-of-funnel tactic, however as a robust, full-funnel progress engine. “ASO is not nearly visibility, it’s about driving significant impression throughout your entire consumer lifecycle,” she defined. With monitoring challenges on the rise (opt-in charges for SKAN now as little as 5%), Megan made the case for rethinking how we join with customers in-store and past.
Through the session, Megan explored the shift towards pure language processing (NLP). Apple and Google are each transferring past basic key phrase focusing on, favouring broader semantic relevance. “Optimising for human context and intent isn’t a nice-to-have anymore, it’s important,” Megan famous. As a way to assist enhance app relevance and visibility throughout extra nuanced providers, she advised key phrase clustering round practical, situational, and motivational themes. Suppose: puzzle video games for adults, enjoyable day by day challenges, or mind coaching apps – grouping key phrases round motivation and temper can dramatically enhance relevance.
Megan additionally highlighted how paid and natural methods should work in concord to drive true incremental progress. “You don’t wish to simply pay for installs you could possibly’ve earned organically,” she warned, displaying how ASA can be utilized to check and strengthen ASO methods when executed with intent.
With App Retailer browse behaviour growing by 12% and search declining by 2% (in keeping with Apple’s transparency report), Megan urged manufacturers to lean into options like Customized Product Pages and In-App Occasions, to attach with customers past search. Over on Google Play, she pointed to Collections, at the moment out there within the US, as a robust re-engagement software. And with uninstall warnings and AI-generated assessment summaries on the rise, retention and popularity at the moment are key drivers of ASO success.
The emotional aspect of AI: What we discovered from 73M conversations
AI was a key matter at APS London, with Angèle Lenglemetz, Senior Product Supervisor at CLEO delivering a thought-provoking session exploring the intersection of economic stress, emotional wellbeing and AI.
Drawing on over 73M actual consumer conversations, Angela painted an image of what it’s wish to be in your early twenties, navigating cash with out steerage, assist, or confidence. Cleo is working to vary that by constructing an AI-powered assistant that feels much less like a chatbot and extra like a trusted buddy.
Cleo’s strategy is rooted in empathy. They began by learning an actual monetary coach, observing how she constructed belief, listened with out judgement and gave recommendation that felt private. From that, the crew developed a six-part monetary well being framework that guides customers via totally different levels, from managing necessities and constructing financial savings to paying down debt and planning for the long run. Crucially, this framework is versatile and designed to satisfy customers wherever they’re within the journey.
What makes Cleo distinctive is its persona. The app makes use of humour, engagement and a refreshingly human tone to interact customers. A standout characteristic is ‘Roast mode’ which playfully calls out spending habits – to not disgrace customers, however to assist them face monetary points with out worry. This mix of truthfully and levity reduces nervousness and builds belief over time. And it really works: 70% of customers say Cleo has improved their monetary lives, and plenty of work together with Cleo greater than their very own banking apps.
Cleo’s success proves that AI can do greater than automate duties, it may well construct emotional connections. Actually, customers are partaking with Cleo as much as 20 occasions extra typically than they do with their conventional banking apps. By combining good teaching frameworks with relatable, real-time conversations, Cleo is shaping a future the place monetary wellbeing is not only achievable however feels good to pursue.
The way forward for privacy-led advertising
All through the day, the Slicing Room performed host to some nice interviews performed by Peggy Anne Salz, Senior Author at Forbes. Close to the beginning of the day, Peggy interviewed Margarita Sovertokina, Account Government at Usercentrics, on the way forward for privateness led advertising.
On this interview, Peggy kicked issues off by asking how entrepreneurs would behave if it have been 2015, earlier than CMPs, GDPR, or privateness rules. She requested Margarita to share a “actuality examine” for these nonetheless in denial concerning the shift to privacy-first advertising. Margarita noticed that many entrepreneurs nonetheless “attempt to acquire as a lot knowledge as they’ll,” as an alternative of embracing a world the place relevance and consent matter greater than quantity. She emphasised the necessity to “acquire related knowledge to be extra human,” citing Netflix as a constructive instance, “They ask what you want, after which present you what you truly wish to see.”
The dialog then turned to sensible purposes of fine consent practices. Margarita defined how video games can combine banners after engagement moments, making them really feel “a part of the expertise,” slightly than an interruption. “We’re right here to enhance your expertise… is that okay?” is the sort of messaging that builds belief, she stated. Peggy agreed, mentioning that belief must be earned, “You wouldn’t ask an individual you simply met for all their knowledge.” Margarita additionally highlighted how poor experiences, particularly inconsistent ones throughout gadgets, undermine belief. “If you wish to construct a reliable setting, you need to do it till the top,” she stated, stressing the significance of aligning consent throughout apps, net, and linked gadgets.
In closing, the dialogue targeted on altering the narrative that privateness “kills advertising.” In line with Margarita, “Privateness is definitely a bonus. It lets you give attention to the viewers that cares, to be extra human, and create cooler campaigns.” She and Peggy touched on the idea of “steady personalisation,” the place consumer preferences evolve and are revered over time. Margarita was optimistic about the place issues are heading, “It’s not as dangerous as they assume… privateness may even have perspective.” A key takeaway from the session: privacy-led advertising is not non-obligatory, it’s the brand new frontier for manufacturers that wish to construct significant relationships.
Remaining ideas
APS London introduced collectively the very best within the enterprise to share how the cellular advertising panorama is evolving, from smarter consumer acquisition methods to the rising position of AI in personalisation and efficiency. Whereas every session provided its personal distinctive insights, a typical thread ran via all of them: the necessity for entrepreneurs to remain agile, data-conscious, and user-focused in an more and more aggressive and privacy-first world.
Whether or not you’re refining your ASO technique, exploring new acquisition channels, or navigating the implications of AI, there’s by no means been a extra thrilling time to be in cellular advertising! To debate any of the themes above, or share your ideas on the content material, get in contact!
