The Challenge

Snail, a global game developer and publisher known for popular casual games such as Solitaire: Classic Deluxe Cards and Bible Word Search, has surpassed over 1 billion downloads and serves more than 100 million users.

To expand its presence in key markets, Snail set out to scale user acquisition (UA) while maintaining strict cost control and ensuring campaigns reached the break-even point quickly. In parallel, the team focused on improving monetization efficiency to maximize revenue.

Despite working with major ad networks, Snail encountered growing challenges, particularly in optimizing performance metrics such as ROAS and retention rate. So, they began seeking a new partner who could drive scalable growth, deliver higher ROI, and unlock new monetization potential.

The Solutions

BIGO Ads tailored a dual-track strategy focused on ROAS-driven user acquisition and incremental monetization uplift:

User Acquisition 📈

To help Snail achieve its KPIs, BIGO Ads launched ROAS-focused and retention-optimized UA campaigns using playable ads and localized creatives to maximize engagement and conversions.

Starting with a cost-per-install (CPI) model and a modest daily budget, campaigns entered a learning phase of 1–2 weeks to gather performance data. Following this period, Snail transitioned to BIGO Ads’ ROAS model with Day 1 retention optimization. In the meantime, BIGO Ads support team proactively filtered out underperforming sub-sources to ensure high-performance traffic. These approaches help Snail Games scale spending efficiently while maintaining ROAS and hitting break-even within targeted timeframe.

Monetization 💵

To unlock the new revenue streams, BIGO Ads worked closely with Snail on extensive A/B testing to customize the optimal ad sets to balance user retention and ad revenue growth.

Through the integration of BIGO Ads' app open ads format, Snail unlocked new inventory. A/B tests helped identify the ideal balance between user experience and revenue generation. For the native ads format, BIGO Ads provided customized format setup options and ran multiple tests to enhance higher ARPU and stronger ad engagement in key markets like the United States.

The Results

Since partnering with BIGO Ads, Snail has seen strong improvements across both user acquisition and monetization:

User Acquisition Performance 📈

· D0 ROAS + 150%

· D7 ROAS 63%

· Day 1 retention + 200%

· Daily spend grew 6x

Monetization Gains 💵

· Overall ARPU + 20%

· ARPU in key markets + 25%

· BIGO Ads became a Top 3 monetization partner in several European markets

· eCPM through native A/B testing + 10%

· App open ads integration drove incremental ARPU growth of ~20%

“We’ve tested many networks, but the combined UA and monetization gains we’ve seen with BIGO Ads have been outstanding. The platform’s support for creative testing and advanced ROAS optimization helped us scale faster than expected. BIGO Ads is now a core growth partner for us across key markets.”

— User Acquisition & Monetization Team, Snail

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