UA Digest #13: What’s new this month?

Discover our User Acquisition Digest, your monthly update on the latest trends and news in performance marketing!

Adjust releases its “Mobile App Trends 2026” report

Adjust unveils the 2026 edition of its Mobile App Trends report, with a clear objective: bringing clarity to an ecosystem that is more fragmented and more data-dense than ever.

The report highlights several structural shifts:

• The shift from a mobile-first approach to multi-platform strategies
• The operational integration of AI into marketing infrastructures
• The need to filter massive volumes of signals to make fast and relevant decisions

The study also includes contributions from Google Ads, Snap, TikTok, Roku, Sensor Tower and Alison.ai, offering a cross-market view of the industry.

Increasingly heterogeneous dynamics

Some trends illustrate this fragmentation:

• Gaming globally stable, but with strong disparities across sub-categories
• E-commerce growing, despite increased CPM pressure in the United States
• Finance seeing strong growth, particularly in LATAM

Gaps between verticals and regions are widening. Dynamics are no longer homogeneous, and global benchmarks are becoming less representative.

What this means for 2026

Performance is no longer driven solely by mobile acquisition. It requires:

• Multi-channel orchestration
• Granular analysis by region and vertical
• A more structured use of AI
• The ability to isolate truly actionable signals

More info here.

Google aims to reinvent advertising in the era of conversational Search

In its annual letter, Google announces a major transformation: integrating advertising directly into AI-generated responses within Search and Gemini.

The message is clear: Search no longer relies solely on keywords. Users now submit conversational queries, compare options, and explore. Google intends to monetize these new journeys.

Ads integrated into AI responses

Google is testing a new placement in AI Mode that displays sponsored products beneath organic recommendations, directly aligned with the AI-generated response.

 The ads will be:

• Clearly labeled as “Sponsored”
• Distinct from organic content
• Aligned with the intent expressed in the query

At the same time, Google is developing:

• “Direct Offers,” enabling personalized promotions to be integrated into AI response
• An integrated checkout system (UCP), already rolling out in the United States, allowing users to purchase without leaving AI Mode

In other words, Search is no longer limited to redirecting users to a website. It can now integrate discovery, offer, and transaction within a single environment.

A strategic shift in the making?

Google is still in the testing phase, but the direction is clear: evolving its advertising model by embedding AI at the core of Search journeys.

For advertisers, this means:

• A new inventory driven by high intent
• A potential evolution of Search Ads mechanics
• An impact to monitor on organic visibility and web-to-app journeys

The key question will be measurement. If these formats are fully integrated into existing attribution and optimization tools, they could quickly become an actionable lever in performance marketing.

AI is not replacing Search. It is reshaping it, and Google intends to capture its advertising value. More information here.  More info here.

OpenAI tests advertising in ChatGPT

OpenAI has launched an advertising test in ChatGPT for Free and Go users in the United States. Paid subscribers remain ad-free.

How it works

Ads:

• appear separately from AI responses
• are clearly labeled as sponsored
• do not influence the generated responses

Advertisers do not have access to conversations. Only aggregated metrics such as impressions and clicks are shared.

Targeting relies on broad signals such as the topic of a conversation, past exchanges, or previous interactions with ads. Sensitive topics such as health or politics are excluded, and no ads are shown to minors. Users can disable personalization or delete their advertising data.

A premium positioning… still very early

The reported CPM, around 60 dollars, places ChatGPT well above standard digital benchmarks.

At this stage, the model remains simple:

• CPM-based billing
• reporting limited to impressions and clicks
• no CPC logic or advanced conversion tracking

The strategic value lies in one key element: declared intent. While social platforms infer user interests, ChatGPT captures explicitly formulated queries.

It is therefore too early to consider it a performance channel. However, if measurement, attribution, and formats evolve, the conversational environment could become a high-potential lever in performance marketing. More info here.

Singular releases its “2026 Mobile App Growth Playbook”

Singular unveils its 2026 Mobile App Growth Playbook, a guide designed for mobile and performance marketing teams.

The assessment is straightforward: yesterday’s playbooks are becoming less effective. Signals are more complex, automation is taking a larger role, and costs continue to rise. The guide outlines a structured framework to navigate this new environment.

Among the key focus areas:

• Building strong growth foundations
• Scaling acquisition channels with a value-driven approach
• Leveraging store conversion and ASO as true growth drivers
• Connecting paid, organic, influencer, and web-to-app strategies
• Optimizing creative, attribution, and analytics within a privacy-first framework
• Integrating AI and automation into marketing processes

The playbook includes contributions from Persona.ly, AppTweak, and AppSamurai on audience strategy, ASO, and creative testing.

Beyond the content itself, a clear trend emerges: mobile performance is becoming more cross-functional, more data-driven, and less dependent on pure install volume. More info here.

The EU does not apply the DMA to Apple Ads

The European Commission has decided not to classify Apple Ads as a “gatekeeper” service under the Digital Markets Act. Apple Maps is also covered by this exemption.

To be designated as a gatekeeper, a service must play a central intermediation role between businesses and consumers at a European scale. According to regulators, Apple Ads currently represents only a limited share of the online advertising market in the EU and does not meet the required thresholds.

What this means for advertisers

The DMA imposes strict obligations in terms of openness and competition on designated platforms. By not being classified as a gatekeeper:

• Apple Ads is not subject to new regulatory constraints
• No specific adjustments are required for advertisers at this stage

Apple remains under scrutiny by the Commission, and the decision may be reassessed if Apple Ads’ market weight evolves significantly. In short: no immediate changes for acquisition strategies on Apple Ads, but a regulatory framework that continues to take shape around the Apple ecosystem. More info here.