Liftoff’s most comprehensive survey of global app marketers finds rising optimism amid macroeconomic and privacy challenges

Liftoff, the leading growth acceleration platform for the mobile industry, today released the industry’s most comprehensive survey of global app marketing professionals. Liftoff’s 2022 App Marketer Survey brings together responses from over 500 mobile marketers, offering a detailed look at what it’s like to run mobile marketing campaigns for an app right now – and what marketers see as the key trends ahead in 2023.

App marketers – drawn from APAC, EMEA, North America, and LATAM – were asked a range of questions covering topics such as the impact of App Tracking Transparency (ATT) to changes in ad campaign budgets, and in which channels beyond conventional mobile ads they plan to invest.

Respondents were also asked their view on the current state of app marketing, and whether they are optimistic for the future of the space. As we approach the end of 2022, 58% said they felt positive or neutral about the industry, versus 42% who’s outlook is more negative. That’s understandable, as app marketing has had a turbulent year with COVID-19 winding down, a tough macroeconomic climate and industry headwinds all combining to make life more difficult for marketers.

However, the view of the future was brighter, with 63% of respondents believing that 2023 would be the same or better than 2022, and 88% expecting to maintain or exceed their current mobile advertising spend budget.

The impact of greater user privacy protections is a significant issue for app marketers, with 43% citing the industry shift toward being more privacy-first as their top challenge of the past year and the biggest obstacle ahead for 2023. While 59% of respondents said that changes such as App Tracking Transparency (ATT) had been good for consumers, 64% said this shift has had a negative impact on their UA campaigns, with a lack of available data and an increase in UA costs cited as the biggest issues.

Despite these and other challenges, marketers are planning to spend more in 2023, with 52% of respondents saying they plan to increase their overall ad budget, and only 12% expecting to reduce it in the coming year.

The survey also showed marketers turning to less trackable channels as a way of augmenting their mobile advertising campaigns. Influencer marketing (53%), social media content (52%), and investment in building fan communities (30%) are all areas where marketers plan to increase their ad spend in 2023.

“We set out to explore the current state of our industry, and app marketers from around the world have told us they are split on what the future holds, with positivity for the future tempered by a series of challenges – some technical, and some down to global economic trends”, said Dennis Mink, Chief Marketing Officer at Liftoff. “The good news is that the marketers we spoke to aren’t downbeat. Rather, our survey shows them becoming more adaptive and rising to the challenges ahead.”