Brutally Honest #60: Useful Stuff About UA in the Post-IDFA World

This industry analysis provides strategic guidance for mobile user acquisition (UA) and creative production in the post-IDFA landscape. The primary thesis emphasizes that creative volume and team composition must scale proportionally with monthly advertising spend to maintain performance. By outlining specific benchmarks, the analysis serves as a practical framework for mobile game marketers and studio leads to audit their internal resources and external partnerships.

Key findings establish a direct correlation between monthly budgets and the required output of unique creative concepts. For budgets under $50,000, four new concepts plus iterations are recommended, while high-scale operations exceeding $1 million per month require over 20 unique concepts. The analysis suggests a specialized creative team structure comprising 2D and 3D motion designers, character animators, and riggers. It further advocates for the use of external creative agencies to provide fresh perspectives and prevent conceptual stagnation within internal teams.

The scope of the analysis covers the global mobile gaming industry during the first half of 2023, with specific focus on platform updates from Meta and soft launch trends among top studios. Data points include a critical review of a Deloitte study projecting the Metaverse's contribution to the US GDP at $760 billion by 2035, though this is presented with skepticism regarding its commissioned nature. Technical insights also highlight tactical adjustments in UA, such as utilizing custom conversion windows and navigating Meta’s new "interaction" templates that require users to spend additional time on end-cards. The methodology relies on professional consultancy experience, internal team data from creative production cycles, and qualitative observations from industry peer groups.