The Client’s Challenges: Shifting to ROI-Focused UA
After more than a decade of success, Cooking Fever already enjoyed strong brand awareness and a steady install base. The real challenge was ensuring that new investments in user acquisition were ROI-driven.
- Goal: Maximize ROAS while keeping CPI stable
- Challenge: Many advertising partners struggled to meet the high ROAS benchmark, and achieving incremental growth was increasingly difficult for such a mature title
Consistently achieved and surpassed ROAS targets by 12% while maintaining a stable CPI
By partnering with Appier’s Ad Cloud, Nordcurrent adopted an approach that combined advanced audience modeling, dynamic inventory optimization, and creative best practices.
How it works :
- Country Model & Genre Signals: Leveraged a country model built on Appier’s expertise in the simulation vertical, combined with traffic signals from similar restaurant management games to accelerate user modeling.
- Purchase Lookalike Modeling: Transitioned from install-based lookalikes to purchase-driven audiences, improving ROI efficiency.
- Dynamic Optimization: Continuously optimized the inventory mix and creative formats to balance scale with cost efficiency.
The campaign consistently outperformed Nordcurrent’s ROI expectations:
- Consistently achieved and surpassed ROAS targets by 12% from February to August 2025
- CPI variance maintained under $1.5
This proved that even a mature, widely recognized game could continue achieving significant growth with the right AI-powered strategies.
Best Practice: Inventory x Creative for Simulation Game
Four High-Impact Profiles are discovered in audience segmentation:
Elderly & Daily-Life Users
- Small group, high-paying, strong LTV
- Inventory: Solitaire game; Local news & community
Deal Seekers
- Value-driven, steady IAP converters
- Inventory: Rewards & Cashback apps
Knowledge Seekers
- Large user base, medium purchasing power
- Inventory: General, politics, international news
Casual Gamers
- Low spenders, high installs, boosting visibility
- Inventory: Puzzle games; Celebrity & entertainment news
Creative Best Practice:
- Horizontal gameplay with first-person restaurant tasks emerged as the top-performing format, delivering the highest CVR.
- 1280x720 videos (15s and 30s) consistently performed best for engagement and conversion.
Looking Ahead: Scaling ROI in a Mature Market
Cooking Fever’s success story demonstrates that even in a crowded, highly competitive market, incrementality and ROI growth are possible through the right combination of AI-powered user modeling, dynamic inventory optimization, and creative excellence.
Alex Hitrik, Head of User Acuisition at Nordcurrent shared: “Our main focus with Cooking Fever is driving strong ROAS and making sure every marketing dollar counts. It’s not always easy for partners to meet our ROAS goals, but this campaign really stood out — ROAS goal was consistently achieved and even surpassed by 12%. What I appreciated most was the stable CPI and the clear proof of incrementality, which gave us confidence that every dollar spent was making a real impact.”
With Appier’s continued support, Nordcurrent is well-positioned to sustain profitable growth and ensure Cooking Fever remains a global favorite in simulation gaming for years to come.
