Apptivate: App Marketing Explained

Remerge
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Semimonthly

Apptivate is a show that explains app marketing, one expert at a time. It's produced by retargeting specialist Remerge, focusing on the challenges and advancements in the ever-evolving world of mobile marketing. Every week, we interview marketing game-changers and app experts to share industry insights and real-life lessons, covering optimization, incrementality, creative strategy, data science, and more. Subscribe now to stay on the cutting edge of app marketing strategy.

  1. 2d ago

    Solving affiliate attribution for app businesses - Michael Butler (Insert Affiliate)

    After realizing the customer acquisition cost with Apple Search Ads and Meta Ads was too high to scale his app, Michael Butler looked for a better acquisition model. In the process, he discovered an opportunity to solve an overlooked growth marketing problem: no reliable way to track app transactions back to the affiliates or influencers driving them. In this episode, the Insert Affiliate founder explains how app marketers can turn creator partnerships into a measurable acquisition channel using attribution links, referral codes, and real-time transaction tracking. Michael also shares why engaged micro-influencers can outperform larger creators, how to structure revenue share, and why affiliate marketing is becoming more compelling as traditional user acquisition costs continue to rise. Questions Michael Butler answered in this episode: What is affiliate marketing, and how does it work specifically for mobile apps? How can app marketers attribute transactions and revenue back to individual affiliates and creators? What problem led Michael to build Insert Affiliate? Why has affiliate marketing historically been underused compared with traditional paid UA? What does a simple affiliate marketing program look like for an app launching one for the first time? Which types of apps and verticals tend to perform best with affiliate marketing? What does “optionality” in affiliate attribution mean, and why does it matter? Is it better to recruit hundreds of affiliates or focus on a smaller group of highly engaged creators? Should app marketers compensate creators with flat fees, recurring revenue share, or a combination of both? How much commission should an app offer its affiliates, and should that commission be based on installs or sales? Timestamp: 00:00 — Introduction: Making affiliate marketing measurable for apps 00:41 — What affiliate marketing means for mobile apps 01:01 — How Insert Affiliate tracks referrals and commissions 01:21 — The acquisition problem that inspired Insert Affiliate 02:07 — How affiliate traffic and transactions are attributed 03:01 — Spending nearly £30K on Apple Search Ads and searching for an alternative 04:22 — Why affiliate marketing has been underused in mobile UA 05:47 — How to launch a simple affiliate program 07:07 — Which app categories perform best with affiliates 08:13 — Attribution optionality: links, short codes, and incentive structures 10:11 — How None To Run generated $5K with a handful of affiliates 11:47 — Quality vs. quantity when recruiting creators 14:00 — Flat fees vs. recurring revenue share 14:55 — Turning affiliate UGC into paid advertising 15:35 — How much commission should apps pay affiliates? 16:49 — The biggest misconceptions about affiliate marketing 18:17 — Rapid-fire questions 20:04 — Michael's guide to visiting Jersey Island 21:03 — Final thoughts and where to connect with Michael Quotes: (7:39) "If you know who your customers are and where they hang out, you'll also learn which influencers and affiliates are going to resonate with them.” (12:40) “If you find an affiliate that’s a really good fit, really likes what you’re building, and will post about it in a very genuine way, they don’t need a large audience -- just an engaged one.” (17:39 “You need to give influencers some guidance. It’s the same as hiring any sort of staff member. If you bring them on but don’t give them training or show them your product, they’re going to be a lot less effective.” Mentioned in this Episode: Michael Butler’s LinkedIn Michael’s Calendly Insert Affiliate

    Solving affiliate attribution for app businesses - Michael Butler (Insert Affiliate)

  2. Aug 12

    How to make your app visible in ChatGPT searches - Alexandra De Clerck (AppTweak)

    Your next customer may be asking ChatGPT which app to download, but will your app make the list? AppTweak’s CMO Alexandra De Clerck draws on more than eight years in app store marketing to explain how LLMs interpret user intent, combine internal knowledge with live web retrieval, and use “query fan-out” to decide which apps deserve a recommendation. She reveals why app store descriptions have become critical AI discovery assets; how detailed reviews and community conversations help validate an app’s positioning; and why smaller apps have a rare opportunity to compete for AI visibility before the market becomes saturated. Questions Alexandra answered in this episode: What’s the biggest shift in app store marketing you’ve seen in the last three years? How are consumers using ChatGPT and other LLMs to discover new apps? How does an LLM decide which apps to recommend for a specific prompt? What is ‘query fan-out’, and why does it matter for app marketers? How can marketers determine whether their app is visible in AI-generated recommendations? Why are app store descriptions becoming more important in the age of AI discovery? What helps an app appear among ChatGPT’s first sourced recommendations? Why do games receive more citations from Reddit and Wikipedia than other app categories? How can smaller apps compete against brands with larger budgets and more downloads? Can app reviews and developer responses influence how LLMs understand an app? How should marketers measure AI visibility when most app discovery journeys are zero-click? Timestamp: 00:23 – Introducing Alexandra De Clerck and AI app discovery 00:43 – About AppTweak and Alexandra’s journey to CMO 02:50 – How app discovery has changed in the past three years 04:06 – How ChatGPT and other LLMs choose which apps to recommend 06:11 – ‘Query fan-out’ and how AI interprets complex prompts 07:17 – Why most app marketers do not yet have an AI visibility strategy 09:27 – The first steps marketers should take to improve LLM visibility 09:38 – Why app store listings are such important AI citation sources 11:59 – How apps can reach the first five or six sourced recommendations 13:28 – Why AI discovery works differently for games and non-game apps 15:41 – How smaller apps can outperform larger competitors in AI search 17:25 – Using app reviews and developer responses to reinforce positioning 18:48 – Measuring AI visibility in a mostly zero-click user journey 21:28 – The long-term advantage of investing in AI visibility now 22:56 – Rapid-fire questions with Alexandra 25:30 – Where to connect with Alexandra and learn more about AppTweak Quotes: (6:07) “An important concept to understand in AI search is how AIs actually interpret the prompt.” (9:48) “What we’ve seen from our research is that actually almost 50% of all citations in ChatGPT are app store listings.” (10:19) “LLMs really look at app store listings to understand what an app is about, who it’s for, and what the main use-cases are, so that’s the highest leverage opportunity for app marketers getting started with an AI search strategy.” (12:22) “So we see when ChatGPT makes a recommendation [for a mobile app], usually the first five to six answers are sourced. So that means that they actually did a live web retrieval to find information about this. And for where it's not sourced, it actually means that they looked into their internal knowledge base to build the answer. (22:11) “If you start now by optimizing your intent  coverage around the web and really helping ChatGPT and other LLMs understand what your app is and what your app is about, build that context into their internal knowledge base as well, then you have an edge up compared to people who are still exploring or discovering or wondering whether or not it's worth it to get started.”  Mentioned in this episode: Alexandra De Clerck on LinkedIn Email: alexandra [at] apptweak.com AppTweak AppTweak’s Playbook: AI Visibility for Apps & Games

    How to make your app visible in ChatGPT searches - Alexandra De Clerck (AppTweak)

  3. Jul 29

    The psychology behind better in-app conversion - Irwin Hau (Chromatix, ConversionCow)

    Irwin Hau, founder of Chromatix and ConversionCow, joins Apptivate to unpack the psychology behind customer conversion and why acquisition is only the beginning of the user journey. Drawing from more than 17 years of experience analyzing tens of thousands of websites, apps, and digital experiences, Irwin shares the principles that separate traffic from customers, how clarity and proof influence decision-making, and why education, gamification, and ongoing engagement are critical to reducing churn. Irwin goes on to explore with Remerge’s Patrick Eichmann how mobile marketers can improve onboarding, build stronger habit loops, and think more deliberately about retention rather than assuming installs automatically translate into long-term users. Questions addressed in this episode Why do mobile marketers focus so heavily on acquisition while overlooking conversion? What are the biggest mistakes companies make after generating traffic? How can marketers communicate their value proposition more clearly? Why is social proof so important in driving action? How should apps educate users after installation? What role do tutorials and onboarding play in retention? How can gamification reduce churn? What apps are doing engagement particularly well? How can marketers identify friction points in the user journey? What principles from human psychology should guide app growth? Timestamps 0:22 — Introducing Irwin Hau and his agency background 1:44 — The origins of Chromatix and ConversionCow 3:21 — Why marketers obsess over traffic instead of conversion 4:44 — The formula: traffic × conversion = customers 5:28 — Clarity: explaining what your product actually does 6:28 — Why social proof matters more than ever 7:00 — Making the call to action impossible to miss 7:56 — How to communicate value in just a few lines 10:24 — The biggest mistake marketers make after acquisition 11:44 — Why features come after solving the customer's problem 12:27 — Conversion doesn't stop after the install 13:27 — Education, tutorials, and onboarding experiences 14:28 — Push notifications, habit formation, and Duolingo 15:27 — Building virality through sharing and community 16:00 — Apps that get engagement right 16:52 — My Drive Hero and reward psychology 18:12 — Why group behavior reduces churn 19:00 — Where to find Irwin and closing thoughts Quotes (5:28) “If you cannot explain your app in less than seven words, I think you're waffling.” (12:30) “Conversion to me isn’t a one-off thing. There are many different conversion points.” (13:09) "You can't just assume if they come through the door, we've got them for life. They will churn.” Mentioned in this episode Irwin Hau on LinkedIn Chromatix ConversionCow

    The psychology behind better in-app conversion - Irwin Hau (Chromatix, ConversionCow)

  4. Jul 15

    The future of ASO in an AI world - Yevhen Tarasenko (Apptonomy)

    Yevhen Tarasenko, CMO and co-founder of Apptonomy, joins Apptivate to discuss how app store optimization is evolving in the age of AI. After more than a decade in ASO, Yevhen shares how the discipline has changed from a keyword-focused practice into a broader challenge of app discoverability across app stores, search engines, Reddit, and large language models. The conversation explores the limitations of traditional ASO workflows, how AI is changing the way marketers analyze visibility, and why app teams need to think beyond rankings and metadata to succeed in a world increasingly shaped by AI recommendations and automated discovery. Questions addressed in this episode How did Yevhen get started in ASO? Why is app store optimization still so manual? What inspired the creation of Apptonomy? How can AI automate parts of the ASO workflow? What is AI discoverability and why does it matter? How are large language models changing app discovery? Why is Reddit becoming increasingly important for app visibility? What were the biggest AI and ASO themes at MAU Vegas? How should app marketers prepare for AI-driven search and discovery? What advice would Yevhen give someone entering ASO today? Timestamps (0:05) — Introduction to Yevhen Tarasenko and Apptonomy (1:10) — Getting started in ASO and the early days of app discovery (3:00) — Building ASO teams and thinking systematically about growth (3:54) — Freelancing, automation, and the origins of Apptonomy (5:00) — How Apptonomy was founded through a LinkedIn article (8:21) — Why ASO remains manual and repetitive in 2026 (9:34) — AI discoverability and visibility across LLMs (10:39) — Reddit, online presence, and app recommendations (11:48) — Measuring discoverability and reporting results (12:29) — MAU Vegas observations and industry trends (13:12) — AI's impact on ASO and app discoverability (15:00) — Advice for marketers entering ASO (17:21) — Resources, communities, and where to find Yevhen (18:15) — Closing remarks Quotes (4:17) “AI changes every month. Now we're using Claude, next month we're using ChatGPT or something else, and the quality standards with AI are not quite there.” (8:21) “ASO, even in 2026, is still very manual and boring, and people are tired of doing the same thing all over again.” (18:28) “AI will not replace ASO anytime soon. The human touch will be needed for at least 3-5 years.” Mentioned in this episode Yevhan on Linkedin Apptonomy

    The future of ASO in an AI world - Yevhen Tarasenko (Apptonomy)

  5. Jul 8

    Using incentives as your primary growth channel - Natasha Saviuk (Wealthsimple)

    Natasha Saviuk, Growth Director at Wealthsimple, joins Apptivate to discuss how incentives evolved from simple promotions into one of the company's most effective growth channels. The conversation explores the lessons Natasha brought from her background in neuroscience, how Wealthsimple scaled from $15 billion to more than $125 billion in assets under management, and why physical rewards often outperform cash incentives. Natasha and Taylor also discuss campus growth strategies, virality, incrementality, account transfer incentives, and the surprising results of campaigns, ranging from free bubble tea to Apple products and even a house giveaway. Questions addressed in this episode How did Natasha transition from neuroscience into growth marketing? What lessons from scientific research apply to experimentation? How did Wealthsimple approach growth in its early years? Why did bubble tea outperform cash incentives? How do incentives function as a standalone growth channel? How can marketers measure incrementality in incentive campaigns? Why did Wealthsimple pivot away from paid acquisition in 2022? How can incentives drive high-value customer behavior? How do you avoid attracting low-quality users through promotions? What can marketers learn from Wealthsimple's house giveaway campaign? Timestamps (0:41) — Natasha's background and transition from neuroscience to growth (2:02) — Research, experimentation, and finding growth opportunities (4:03) — Introduction to Wealthsimple and early growth challenges (5:27) — Building network effects through campus growth strategies (7:05) — The bubble tea experiment and local partnerships (9:06) — Why physical rewards outperform cash incentives (10:50) — Incentives as a dedicated growth channel (12:23) — Measuring quality, incrementality, and long-term value (14:02) — The 2022 market downturn and shifting growth strategy (15:28) — Asset consolidation and scaling incentive programs (16:25) — Avoiding reward-driven user behavior (18:00) — Incentivizing long-term customer commitment (19:46) — How marketers can get started with incentives (20:10) — Common mistakes when launching incentive campaigns (21:14) — The Wealthsimple house giveaway campaign (22:31) — Rapid-fire questions begin (25:06) — Where to find Natasha and closing remarks Quotes (7:19)  “It's not until we started doing partnerships with the local food places, in particular bubble tea, that we really stumbled upon something that was working.” (16:50) “By having these stricter hold periods and clawbacks, it does deter people who maybe did just have the intention to gamify.” (22:18)  “Sometimes the channel you should invest in is one that doesn't even exist, and you kind of just need to try and see what's resonating with your audience.” Mentioned in this episode Wealthsimple Natasha on LinkedIn

    Using incentives as your primary growth channel - Natasha Saviuk (Wealthsimple)

  6. Jun 24

    AI governance, trust, and app growth - Adeel Shaikh Muhammad (Adeel Solutions)

    Adeel Shaikh Muhammad, founder of Adeel Solutions, is an advisor on cybersecurity, AI governance, and digital risk. He joins Apptivate to discuss the growing tension between AI-powered growth and user trust. The conversation explores why AI governance is becoming essential for modern marketing teams, how over-personalization can create a sense of creepiness for users, and where companies are introducing AI without clearly defined use cases. Adeel and Taylor also discuss shadow AI, human oversight in automated systems, the security implications of AI agents, and practical frameworks that organizations can use to balance innovation, speed, and accountability as AI adoption accelerates. Questions addressed in this episode What is AI governance and why does it matter? How should companies balance growth, personalization, and user trust? What mistakes are marketers making when adopting AI? What is shadow AI and why is it becoming a problem? When does AI-driven personalization become creepy? How can AI improve marketing performance while hurting long-term value? Which parts of marketing workflows should always include human oversight? What are the biggest security concerns surrounding AI agents? Who should own AI governance inside an organization? What practical steps can companies take to implement AI guardrails? Timestamps (0:00) — Introduction to Adeel Muhammad and his background (1:58) — Where companies are in their AI adoption journey (2:34) — Defining AI governance and the role of guardrails (3:30) — The biggest mistakes marketers make with AI (4:38) — AI use cases, visibility, and the rise of AI wrappers (5:40) — The creepiness problem and over-personalization (6:00) — When AI-driven growth starts eroding user trust (7:41) — Shadow AI and unauthorized AI usage (8:19) — Balancing speed, security, and business priorities (9:45) — Warning signs that trust is breaking down (10:12) — Why human oversight still matters (11:00) — The biggest cybersecurity risks in AI (13:11) — AI compliance, over-documentation, and risk prioritization (15:26) — Who should own AI governance? (16:57) — Human responsibility, AI access, and awareness training (19:02) — Adeel's seven-step AI governance framework (20:45) — The governance steps companies skip most often (21:25) — Trust as the foundation for AI growth (24:07) — Where to find Adeel and closing remarks Quotes (6:24)  “Growth breaks when the user feels watched, not when ads perform badly.” (6:53) “AI is optimized for CTR but not LTV, so you get high clicks from low-quality users.” (21:25) “The companies that win won’t be the fastest, but they will be the ones that scale trust alongside the growth.” Mentioned in this episode Adeel Solutions Adeel Muhammad on LinkedIn

    AI governance, trust, and app growth - Adeel Shaikh Muhammad (Adeel Solutions)

  7. Jun 10

    Fixing growth systems from the inside out - Ekaterina Gamsriegler (Mygroove)

    Ekaterina Gamsriegler, former Head of Growth and Marketing at MyGroove and longtime advisor across music, education, and health apps, joins Apptivate to discuss why sustainable growth depends on systems rather than isolated wins. The conversation explores the nature of modern growth funnels, how creative strategy impacts retention and churn downstream, and why many teams optimize acquisition while misunderstanding activation and long-term value. Ekaterina and Taylor also discuss localization as a full-funnel growth lever, pricing strategy during high-intent seasonal periods, the realities of founder-led and offline growth channels, and how mapping the complete user journey can uncover hidden bottlenecks that data alone often misses. Questions addressed in this episode Why does Ekaterina compare growth systems to a house of cards? How do creative strategies affect retention and subscriber churn? What mistakes do apps make during seasonal growth periods like Q5? How should marketers evaluate long-term value instead of short-term ROAS? Why can localization improve the entire growth funnel? How did MyGroove grow paying subscribers 10x in one year? What role should brand, PR, and offline channels play in app growth? How should teams define activation properly? What should marketers focus on during their first 90 days at a company? How can apps balance credibility with accessibility for beginners? Timestamps 0:12 — Introduction to Ekaterina Gamsriegler and MyGroove 0:52 — MyGroove's global launch and mission 1:41 — Growth as a "house of cards" rather than a puzzle 3:18 — Diagnosing funnels and identifying hidden bottlenecks 4:42 — How creatives shape retention and churn downstream 6:56 — Credibility, UGC, and "fake podcast" creative concepts 7:51 — Why acquisition mistakes appear 60–90 days later 9:43 — Planning for Q5 and evaluating long-term value 11:25 — Pricing strategy, willingness to pay, and cancellations 12:52 — Localization as a full-funnel growth lever 15:23 — Founder-led growth, PR, and offline channels at MyGroove 18:23 — The biggest unlock behind 10x subscriber growth 20:38 — Mapping the user journey and identifying bottlenecks 23:08 — Activation metrics and offline user behavior 25:56 — Personalization and contextual onboarding examples 29:48 — Rapid-fire questions begin 31:08 — Norway, Iceland, and travel recommendations 31:33 — Vienna recommendations and closing remarks Quotes (2:22)  “Growth feels more like a house of cards because just one little change can completely ruin the whole system.” (4:59) “What I see happening sometimes is a mismatch between the product, the user experience and the people who are being targeted with creatives.” (22:38) “Build a user journey by mapping every single step from ad impression to renewal to purchase. This allows you to see where the bottlenecks are in your journey.” Mentioned in this episode MyGroove Ekaterina on Linkedin

    Fixing growth systems from the inside out - Ekaterina Gamsriegler (Mygroove)

  8. May 20

    Remerge and the evolution of app retargeting - Pan Katsukis (Remerge)

    Remerge CEO and founder, Pan Katsukis, joins Patrick Eichmann for the first video edition of Apptivate. They discuss the evolution of mobile advertising, the origin story behind Remerge, and where the industry is heading next. The conversation explores the rise of app retargeting, how ATT and privacy changes reshaped mobile growth, why probabilistic targeting is driving renewed momentum on iOS, and how AI is changing campaign optimization behind the scenes. Pan also reflects on Berlin’s startup scene in the late 2000s, the early days of mobile advertising before smartphones, and how infrastructure, automation, and user behavior will shape the next five years of app marketing. Questions addressed in this episode How did Remerge get started in the early mobile era? What was Berlin’s startup ecosystem like in 2008? How did mobile advertising evolve before smartphones? Why did app retargeting become such a large market? How did ATT and privacy changes affect app marketers? What role will AI play in campaign optimization? Why is probabilistic retargeting becoming more important on iOS? How does Remerge think about long-term product strategy? What trends will define the next five years of mobile growth? Timestamps 0:00 — Apptivate intro and Remerge video announcement 1:27 — Introducing Pan Katsoukas and Remerge’s origin story 2:11 — Pan’s background in mobile advertising before smartphones 3:33 — Why Remerge was founded and the rise of app retargeting 4:13 — Berlin’s startup ecosystem in the late 2000s 7:27 — Evolution of mobile advertising and measurement infrastructure 8:18 — User acquisition, app retargeting, and post-install marketing 10:15 — ATT, privacy changes, and the industry shift on iOS 12:23 — AI, automation, and the next generation of campaign optimization 14:10 — The future of mobile usage and emerging business models 16:14 — Probabilistic retargeting and the iOS “unlock” opportunity 18:57 — Where Pan sees Remerge in the next five to ten years 21:10 — Favorite app, running, and AI companions 22:10 — Favorite travel destinations and closing rapid-fire questions Quotes (10:20)  “One of the big things that also everybody is aware of is with Apple and the privacy changes with ATT in 2020, 2021, when they launched it, there was a big shift in the whole industry.” (12:27)  “With all the technology that is out there and what is capable, AI is one of the biggest drivers to just get better.” (16:42)  “AI just gets better and better, so even without a clear 100% deterministic match, you’re still able to get good retention and good results for retargeting campaigns on iOS specifically.” Mentioned in this episode Remerge Pan Katsukis on LinkedIn

    Remerge and the evolution of app retargeting - Pan Katsukis (Remerge)
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Apptivate is a show that explains app marketing, one expert at a time. It's produced by retargeting specialist Remerge, focusing on the challenges and advancements in the ever-evolving world of mobile marketing. Every week, we interview marketing game-changers and app experts to share industry insights and real-life lessons, covering optimization, incrementality, creative strategy, data science, and more. Subscribe now to stay on the cutting edge of app marketing strategy.

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