Pinger: 31% More Installs, 23% Lower CPA

Overview

Pinger develops communication apps that help millions of users stay connected. Their flagship apps, Sideline and TextFree, provide alternatives to traditional carrier phone plans and business phone systems.

With Apple Ads as a primary user acquisition channel, Pinger needed a solution that could scale efficiently while maintaining strict CPA targets across their app portfolio.

The Challenge

Pinger initially managed their Apple Ads campaigns through a rule-based platform. These systems proved inadequate for their needs:

• •Rigid automation: Rule-based systems couldn't adapt to market shifts
• •Limited scalability: Unable to efficiently scale ad spend without inflating CPA
• •Manual overhead: Managing multiple apps required constant intervention

The Solution

Catchbase replaced rule-based optimization with reinforcement learning that adapts to auction dynamics in real-time. The system continuously adjusts bids, discovers keywords, and allocates budgets without manual rules or intervention.

The Results

After six weeks, campaigns managed by Catchbase delivered a 31% increase in acquisitions and a 23% decrease in CPA compared to the control group, without adding keywords or increasing budgets.

Brand Campaign Performance

Catchbase had a particularly strong impact on brand campaigns, preventing overbidding while maintaining volume.

By intelligently reducing bids to prevent overbidding, Catchbase lowered the average Cost per Tap (CPT), enabling more cost-effective user acquisitions while maintaining volume.

What Happened Next

Following the successful experiment, Pinger deployed Catchbase across their entire Apple Ads account, achieving similar performance improvements on all campaigns.