The Objective

Expanding to new markets to acquire new paying users

Million Victories is a leading European game publisher known for Million Lords, a multiplayer mobile strategy game. The game involves building and expanding kingdoms, attacking opponents' cities, and strategically deploying troops. Players earn levels through successful attacks and building defences.

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Catering to strategy enthusiasts, Million Lords monetizes through in-app purchases, allowing players to enhance their progress and conquer new territories. Million Victories' primary marketing focus is acquiring engaged users willing to invest in the game, consequently boosting revenue.

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As "Q5" approached, the period spanning Christmas to January, the publisher seized the opportunity to expand into new markets, capitalizing on increased platform activity and heightened gaming interest. The aim was to generate higher return on ad spend by acquiring more high-quality users in new markets.

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The Solution

Scaling to new markets with TTCC and TTCX creatives

Prior to the campaign, Million Victories had been developing a winning formula for TikTok that consistently yielded stable results. The most effective combination identified for TikTok campaigns was the pairing of Mobile App Install campaigns with App Event Optimization.

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This approach proved to be the most cost-efficient for Million Lords as well. Crafting a creative approach for Million Lords also demanded thorough consideration. Given that Million Lords is a hardcore strategy game, a customized creative strategy was essential to ensure its resonance and effectiveness.

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After rigorously testing over a hundred videos through TikTok Creative Challenge and analyzing successful gameplay videos from various platforms, a consistent pattern emerged.

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Specifically, videos featuring a native-speaking creator engaging with the camera and seamlessly transitioning into a gameplay demonstration consistently showed a higher user acquisition rate. These acquired users, in turn, demonstrated increased in-game spending, resulting in a more cost-effective cost per install and a heightened long-term ROAS.

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This strategic fusion of relatable content and captivating gameplay proved to be a crucial factor in the success of Million Lords on TikTok. The most successful creative from the TikTok Creative Challenge came from an English-speaking creator who is a professional gamer. The video, tailored for English-speaking markets, gained substantial views and a significant portion of the ad spend. It demonstrated a stable and cost-efficient CPI with potential for positive long-term ROAS.To expand into additional markets, TikTok proposed creating French and German videos with badged TikTok creative partner Bambassadors, known for their expertise in UGC-like ads through the TikTok Creative Exchange.

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The creative brief focused on replicating the success of the English-language video, including the setup, player position, and voice tone. The text was closely reproduced in French and German. The outcome was 20 videos—10 in each language—featuring different variations inspired by that successful video.

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The Result

Performance success and increased ROAS

The campaign delivered exceptional outcomes in both markets, particularly on Android, known for having a higher affinity for hardcore strategy games.

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Notably, ROAS witnessed a remarkable surge of 175% in the German market and 150% in the French market. Furthermore, there was a notable improvement in CPl metrics, with a 60% boost in Germany and a 53% improvement in France.

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Moreover, the French market witnessed an impressive 114% increase in click-through rate, while in Germany saw a more modest yet significant 28% growth. These results underscore the importance of crafting relevant and relatable creatives, as they proved to be instrumental in engaging the gaming community on the platform

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👉Read the full case study on TikTok