In a recent collaboration with app growth specialists SplitMetrics, game developer Wargaming increased organic conversions for its game World of Warships: Legends by an average of 15% on iOS platforms by optimising seasonal, Christmas-themed screenshots.
The initiative targeted key markets, including Canada, France, the Philippines, and Brazil, leveraging the impact of seasonal visuals on user engagement. The success of the campaign, implemented without paid advertising, underscores the strategic role of regionalised visuals and seasonality in boosting app performance.
Market-Specific Visual Strategies Yield Significant Conversion Uplifts
The collaboration focused on optimising the game’s App Store visuals, implementing tailored, region-specific themes to coincide with the holiday season. Canada’s iOS App Store saw the highest conversion increase, at 31.45%, while the Philippines achieved a 9.61% lift, and France experienced a 3.44% increase. On Google Play, Android users in Brazil registered a 6.68% rise in conversions, highlighting the effectiveness of the strategy across platforms and regions.
Through A/B testing, SplitMetrics’ team examined various visual hypotheses to determine the most effective designs for each market. The project employed SplitMetrics Optimize, an experimentation platform allowing the agency to assess performance and refine images based on the preferences of local users. In Canada and France, visuals incorporated winter motifs like snow, fireworks, and Christmas trees, while the Philippines design featured white ribbons and ornaments decorated with the national flag, reflecting local Christmas customs. Brazilian visuals integrated fireworks and patriotic ornaments to engage local audiences during the holiday season.
Seasonal Optimisation Proves Impactful Without Paid User Acquisition
The partnership emphasised organic growth, with no in-app events or paid user acquisition campaigns running during the testing period, meaning that the observed performance changes were directly linked to the updated visuals. This approach illustrated how app developers can leverage calendar events like Christmas to drive user engagement and growth organically.
SplitMetrics Agency’s General Manager, Thomas Kriebernegg, pointed out the advantages of tapping into seasonal events to boost app conversions. “Christmas is one of the main calendar events that app marketers need to prepare for, especially in the gaming category,” he explained. “The World of Warships: Legends case study demonstrates how seasonality can significantly impact your app’s performance and give you a boost in users. And this can be achieved without an advertising budget.”
Kriebernegg underscored the value of forward planning for relevant calendar events and recommended A/B testing as an effective way to validate assumptions about visual performance and user engagement.
This case study demonstrates the impact of strategic, data-driven visual optimisation on app performance, particularly during globally significant holidays. For B2B marketers, the results from Wargaming and SplitMetrics highlight the importance of tailoring visual content to fit local preferences and timing strategies to align with seasonal trends.
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