Adjust, an industry leader in mobile measurement, fraud prevention and cybersecurity, has published its inaugural Mobile Growth Map, showing just what apps offer high value users and where in the world they are.
The global report — which draws on data from nearly 3,500 apps released in 2018 — charts growth, retention and other key metrics. It also breaks data down across 31 countries and four industry verticals (E-commerce, Entertainment, Gaming and Utilities) to reveal how well the apps have performed.
The Mobile Growth Map uses the Growth Score, a new metric developed by Adjust to chart the rise of apps in global markets. This unique metric is calculated by dividing the total app installs per month by the number of monthly active users (MAU) for each vertical and country to reveal the rate of growth from installs relative to the MAU base.
APAC leads the way with robust growth and is primed to rise, with Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar being three of the fastest-growing nations. LATAM comes in second place, with Brazil and Colombia rounding out the top five.
Demand for Gaming apps and E-commerce apps is strongest in LATAM. In fact, four of the top five fastest-growing countries for Gaming apps are located in LATAM. Overall, Games dominate the number of installs (33%), time users spend in apps (10%) and the amount of ad spend (74%). Significantly, LATAM also dominates the demand for E-commerce apps, with Mexico, Chile and Colombia enjoying the highest growth in this industry.
Entertainment apps are quickly gaining traction. Vietnam, Russia and Thailand take the top three spots on the Growth Score. This growth is likely fueled by the demand for video streaming services, which are expected to continue gaining steam as industry giants such as Disney jockey for audience eyeballs.
Utilities among the fast-growing verticals in Indonesia. Indonesia is a powerhouse market fueled by the popularity of video apps and streaming services. This dovetails with the findings in the Adjust Global App Trends 2019 report released in May, which names Indonesia the “fastest-growing market.” Along with Entertainment and Gaming, Utilities is a fast-growing vertical in this country. Notably, the performance of Utilities is driven by the active use of weather apps.
The Mobile Growth Map “Retention Factor”
In addition to the Growth Score, Adjust developed its own metric to measure the impact of retention, called the “Retention Factor.” Retention Factor is calculated by dividing organic retention by paid retention, providing readers with the real divide between the two types of user.
With the highest retention of any vertical, Gaming averages 34% on Day 1, and 15% on Day 7. However, games drop 19% of their total user base between Day 1 and Day 7 — the steepest decline of any vertical. While this drop appears to be dramatic, it may also be linked with the impact of hyper-casual games. This high-flying sub-category accounts for a significant share of downloads but so far fails to drive lasting loyalty among players. Interestingly, North American gamers retain best, showing the highest Day 1 retention of all countries surveyed.
“Growing your app user base is a critical part of the growth equation, but in a market where most apps are history just 24 hours after the install, marketers need to focus more on engaging and retaining those users,” says Paul H. Müller, co-founder and CTO of Adjust. “To boostengagement, and extend the lifespan of the app, marketers must build data-driven capabilities to target users looking to churn and target them at critical points long before retention rates begin their inevitable decline,“ he explained.
