October 10, 2024
Treeplla, a Seoul-based Korean gaming company, became a subsidiary of Neptune (a Kakao affiliate) in September 2021. Since then, Treeplla has rapidly grown, achieving over 26 Billion KRW in sales in 2023 from its portfolio of adorable cat and animal-themed casual games.
Among their titles, Cat Snack Bar stands as one of their most popular, featuring engaging gameplay where players manage a snack bar run by a cast of friendly cats. After the game’s launch in early 2023, it has accumulated over 30M+ downloads and achieved the top 3 free downloads under the simulation category in the US in H1 2023, establishing Treeplla as a leader in the casual gaming genre.
According to data.ai as of September, 2024.
By capitalizing on their superior game quality and robust UA strategy, Treeplla successfully rose to prominence as one of the leading gaming studios in the South Korean domestic market. To further expand its reach, the company embarked on a global expansion initiative. The United States was chosen as the next target market due to its vast market size, high consumer spending patterns, and distinctive brand positioning strategy.
To replicate their domestic triumph overseas, Treeplla was keen to find a local media source with deep penetration in the US market that could deliver high-quality, engaged users. Their search led them to Mistplay.
“Achieving high performance and securing sufficient volume in the U.S. market is our most important UA goal. While conducting marketing on domestic game-specific platforms, we confirmed the high quality of these users. Therefore, we wanted to secure similar high-quality users in the U.S. However, we faced difficulties in advertising due to the lack of information about local game platforms in the U.S. market.” – Dukryul Kim, UA Manager, Treeplla
Mistplay is the leading loyalty program for mobile gamers, with more than 2 million monthly active users across the world playing games and earning rewards through the platform. Unique from event-based incentive platforms, Mistplay’s loyalty platform rewards users based on their gaming duration and in-app activity. Users can redeem the earned units for gift cards or other incentives, resulting in long-term loyalty and engagement to the game itself.
With a strong presence in the US and Casual market, Mistplay was the perfect partner to guide Treeplla in effective user acquisition and retention for the local mobile gaming market – and bring new, high-quality users to Cat Snack Bar.
In an effort to boost the volume of high-quality users for Treeplla, Mistplay strategized and launched an AI-driven tROAS campaign to automate smart bids according to a user’s likelihood to spend or increase ad revenue.
With an AI-powered campaign driving new players to the game, and a play-and-earn mechanic fostering long-term engagement and loyalty, Mistplay was able to greatly strengthen Treeplla’s presence in the US market with Cat Snack Bar.
Overall, Mistplay’s campaign helped boost retention and ARPU for Cat Snack Bar during the first half of 2024, making Mistplay an important UA partner in the U.S. market. Compared with other media channels, Mistplay unlocked the following results for Treeplla:
“What impressed us most is the retention and LTV of Mistplay users. As a gaming community, Mistplay showed higher retention and LTV compared to other media – while other reward-based platforms had the drawback of users leaving after receiving rewards, Mistplay users showed continued engagement, demonstrating high loyalty to our game.” – San Heo, CEO, Treeplla
If you’re a mobile game studio looking to generate more installs and retention in global markets like Treeplla, Mistplay is ready to help. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can work together to unlock the power of your player loyalty and drive real results.