MobileAction, the all-in-one market analytics and user acquisition optimization platform for scaling mobile apps, announces today that Hawley Shpiro has joined the team as the new Global Sales & Strategic Partnerships Director. Hawley Shpiro joins the company from Luna from Unity, where she also served as App Sales & Partnerships Lead and will help MobileAction drive growth and elevate the company’s global sales strategy.

Hawley Shpiro, a respected figure in the mobile app industry, brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for the dynamic role of apps in integrated media strategies after a decade with Skai and Unity. With her extensive industry knowledge and strategic approach to sales, Hawley is well-equipped to contribute to MobileAction’s ongoing growth and success.

Let’s hear from Hawley herself why she joined Team MobileAction:

Could you tell us about yourself a bit?

I am an American Israeli, born and raised in California. I moved to Tel Aviv in 2009, where I began my career in app marketing, drawn by Israel’s prominence as a startup nation and a tech hub. I’ve always loved this industry for its dynamism and the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds across leading app marketing brands and agencies. Having been in sales for 15 years, I have a deep passion for my work, the clients I serve, the companies I’ve represented, and the teams I’ve been part of. Over the last decade, I worked with two notable Apple Search Ads CMPs — Skai for nine years and Luna from Unity for one year. I was involved in the Adquant acquisition by Kenshoo (now Skai) in 2014, leading global sales and later taking on various regional roles within Skai. In 2018, I relocated back to the U.S. to build the apps revenue business for Skai in the Americas, where I lead Sales and established a strong partnership with Apple Search Ads team when the CMP program launched. My roles have spanned across sales and leadership, including AMER and EMEA sales strategist and building Skai’s apps business unit in the Americas from scratch. I wouldn’t change my job for anything. I have a true passion for software sales and the app ecosystem.

 

Why did you choose to join MobileAction?

MobileAction has been a familiar face for me, since being in the industry for a long time and I’ve always maintained a friendly relationship with its leadership through industry conferences.

I’ve always held the principle of representing companies whose products and visions resonate with me. And as soon as I lose faith in something, I can no longer sell. Realizing that my professional path at previous companies was diverging from my career goals, I decided it was time for a change.

I believe that timing is everything in life, it was the perfect time to make the next move for me. And the opportunity at MobileAction came at a perfect moment.

The first thing I asked about was the product. I was blown away with MobileAction’s Apple Search Ads platform as well as the data and market intelligence tools. I had never seen such an impressive platform with this level of advanced capabilities given that this would be my third Apple Search Ads CMP experience.

My discussions with the board confirmed our alignment in goals and vision for the future and that’s when I knew it was there I wanted to be.

 

Are there any market trends that catch your attention these days? How do UA managers in mobile space behave?

The evolution of consumer behavior, with a significant shift towards mobile app usage in the last five years, particularly post-COVID, is striking. This increase spans across various industries like gaming, delivery, retail, finance, and streaming. UA managers are increasingly focusing on optimizing key performance indicators like Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and are prioritizing lifetime value (LTV). They are among the most savvy in the industry, adept at leveraging data to understand app trends and consumer behavior, ensuring their strategies are data-driven and targeted.

 

One of the biggest stories over the last few years in the app world is the breakout growth story of Apple’s mobile user acquisition ad network Apple Search Ads. What are your thoughts on Apple Search Ads and it being a main media source for apps and/or brands?

Over my career, I’ve had the chance to work with numerous premium direct publishers and media channels, yet Apple Search Ads stands out distinctly. Brands and marketers are continuously exploring diverse media mixes and testing new channels, focusing ultimately on those that deliver the best ROI for further investment.

What sets Apple Search Ads apart from other media sources is its intent-driven nature. Users arrive at the App Store with specific search intents, making this channel especially potent for user acquisition. Savvy marketers and brands recognize the superior Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) offered by Apple Search Ads and are investing in it as a primary media channel. Through comprehensive testing with a Campaign Management Platform (CMP) like MobileAction and close collaboration with Apple Search Ads’ team, advertisers have seen significant decreases in Cost Per Install (CPI) and have been able to scale their user bases by two to ten times.

Effective management, optimization, and performance analysis are crucial across all media sources, not just Apple Search Ads. I am continually impressed by the substantial investments leading brands across sectors like QSRs, fintech, fantasy sports, and delivery apps are making in Apple Search Ads. Ultimately, those who recognize the strategic importance of an app-centric approach to user acquisition tend to invest the most.

There’s still vast potential with more traditional brands that are just beginning to realize the necessity of a solid app strategy in order to build their customer base with loyal users. Part of my role and passion is educating and guiding marketers on how to construct effective app strategies, leveraging tools like Apple Search Ads for growth and engagement.

 

How does MobileAction’s vision fit into all of this? Are there any complimentary products of MobileAction that could help app marketers to boost their ROAS on Apple Search Ads?

As a new member of MobileAction, I have to say this: There is no other tool in the market that can offer what MobileAction has built. We’re bringing a holistic user acquisition approach to the table, the platform integrates paid and organic user acquisition so well that it supercharges your app marketing efforts.

SearchAds.com’s Co-Pilot and Automations with their pre-designed templates are crucial for optimizing campaigns, offering features like automated bidding and in-depth analytics. These tools are integral to efficiently managing and enhancing large-scale advertising efforts. Additionally, our suite includes Search Ads Intelligence and Custom Product Pages Intelligence, designed to enable marketers to make data-driven decisions effectively.

Combining these with a detailed Ad Intelligence, advanced keyword optimization capabilities on ASO, and market trends, our holistic approach helps mobile apps substantially improve their campaign effectiveness and ROAS on Apple Search Ads and ASO strategies as well as nurtures them with extensive and secure data to help app marketers make informed decisions. This leverages our deep understanding of the app marketing landscape and our partnership with Apple Search Ads, ensuring optimal outcomes for our clients’ advertising strategies.

 

What does the future look like for the mobile app marketing ecosystem? Where do you see app marketers investing their performance budgets in the near future?

App marketers are continually exploring new channels for user acquisition. From my time at Unity, I’ve seen the potential of Connected TV (CTV), especially with platforms like Roku, which is a leader in the American streaming market and reaches over 80 million US households. CTV is not just the present but also the future of advertising, with significant investment already flowing in—emarketer reports that over $21 billion was spent on CTV in 2022, with a projected annual growth of 18%.

Roku has been successful in partnering with top brands and is keen to expand into the app ecosystem to enhance performance marketing. I believe app marketers will increasingly invest in this channel due to its vast audience reach beyond traditional media. And, Roku’s introduction of Action Ads could be a game-changer for performance marketing for mobile apps. The current challenge is measuring CTV effectiveness, but Roku is collaborating with mobile measurement partners to devise creative solutions for this. I recommend that brands consider testing this channel, and I’m eager to help guide those interested in exploring CTV advertising. And, MobileAction is also working on integrating with additional channels to help marketers manage other sources in our platform, enhancing our tool’s versatility and effectiveness in multi-channel marketing strategies.

 

If you would like to chat with Hawley, feel free to email her at [email protected]

 

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