How eXtra Used Facebook Automated App Ads to Scale App Installs Acquisitions
“We are always seeking to improve engagement with our customers and Extra’s natives apps are an important tool for us in maintaining and enriching that relationship. As we approached Mega Sale, our key annual promotional event, we sought opportunities with Facebook to increase the level of engagement via our app. Facebook AAA has allowed us to efficiently extend the reach of our app properties and provided meaningful commercial insight.” – Steve Webster, E-Commerce Director at eXtra Stores.
With a total of +12 million shoppers, eXtra is a leading destination for consumer goods and electronics and the most popular electronics store in Saudi Arabia, with 43 stores across the kingdom.
At a time when an omnichannel approach and a strong mobile presence are key elements of any successful brand strategy, eXtra stores leveraged Facebook’s machine learning to scale their first app’s installs acquisitions right in time for Mega Sale, the brand’s most important annual shopping event.
With the support of its performance marketing agency Keyade Middle East, eXtra launched the campaign throughout October and November 2020, using Facebook’s Automated App Ads (AAA) to target new potential customers along with its existing base on a large scale.
The results spoke for themselves: the app installs campaign overachieved, widely displaying insight-based, eye-catching creatives perfectly designed to connect with the relevant Saudi audience, and automatically redistributing the budget to placements that would most effectively convert into sales.
Here’s what Steve Webster, E-commerce Director at eXtra Stores, told us about the campaign.
What were the main goals for the digital campaign that ran on Facebook platforms?
Our app is a key shopping destination for our customers. Our objective was to scale app installs acquisitions across iOS and Android, as well as re-engage with existing app users to drive sales and revenue during one of eXtra’s biggest shopping events.
Why did you choose Facebook’s marketing solutions, out of many alternatives?
Thanks to the efficiency of its machine learning as well as its personalized ads delivery, Facebook maximizes value for businesses. Facebook manages to show someone the right ad for the right product at the right time in their shopping journey; so, using its tools and services was a no-brainer for us.
Which Facebook/Instagram solutions/products did you use for this campaign?
We used Automated App Ads (AAA) as part of our app acquisition strategy, with broad targeting and static visuals on both Facebook and Instagram, since both platforms have strong traction in KSA.
What were the results of the campaign and did you achieve your goals?
The campaign overachieved, resulting in a 50% uplift in app installs, a 15% lift in purchases, and a 21x lift in return on ad spend (ROAS).
Which measurement methods did you use to gain new learnings?
We ran a conversion lift study, which gave us an in-depth understanding of the impact of our campaign on actual sales. We also used app installs and app engagement events such as app purchases to measure installs, sales, and ROAS.
