A changing landscape for mobile marketers
The pandemic changed both the behaviour and needs of consumers dramatically. Some apps rose to high positions organically — driven by increased demand for remote work, remote learning, delivery, and entertainment. Other marketers used the period to improve the functionality of their apps, investing in changes that would pay off in increased downloads and better user retention long after the pandemic.
A great example is the Żabka convenience store chain, which in a very short time launched a pilot e-commerce project through its 'Żappka' app, allowing users to shop online and pick up orders at selected locations.
Adapting your app and communication to current needs
Insights from App Promotion Summit London, held online during the pandemic, offered a range of perspectives from marketers, publishers, and agencies worldwide.
Alexandra Lamachenka, Global Marketing Manager at Skyscanner, analysed the top 100 search terms in the US App Store at the onset of the pandemic. Notably, they had little to do with crisis-related categories. Most consumers entered the App Store intending to download specific brands they already knew and now needed more urgently — Zoom being the obvious example.
Looking at the fitness app category, there was no global spike in downloads across the entire category. What grew were large brands — Nike Training Club, for example — which also met users where they were by offering free access to the entire app until the end of the pandemic.
According to Lamachenka, companies should focus on meeting people's actual expectations. A sustainable growth plan matters far more than chasing aggressive short-term numbers. Brands will be remembered for how they responded to people's needs — not for how hard they pushed their products.
The pandemic as a window for user acquisition
Peak Labs, a games and entertainment app developer, increased its spending during the pandemic, focusing on acquiring as many new users as possible and planning to re-engage them through retargeting later in the year.
Thiago Monteiro, Director of Growth at Peak Labs, noted that many e-commerce companies were pulling their budgets during this period, freeing up ad inventory. CPM prices dropped, and those who remained active found access to placements they had never been able to afford before. The opportunity was real.
A similar dynamic played out for language learning apps. Tina Zhang from Memrise noted that the market became more competitive — because companies were acutely aware of the surge in potential new users. Cost per install dropped by as much as 40% in some markets. For companies that had not previously promoted their apps, the pandemic became an ideal testing window.
Key takeaways for mobile marketers
More free time, economic uncertainty, and shifting consumer habits don't have to mean freezing your app marketing budget. If anything, this period showed that:
- Testing new tools and placements is easier when inventory is more available and cheaper.
- Investing in new, highly functional app features now will pay off in retention and downloads after the market normalises.
- Sustainable user engagement strategies built during challenging periods create lasting competitive advantages.
