Here is an analysis of the global non-gaming App user acquisition marketing trends for October 2024, based on ad data from 50 countries/regions and 28 global media platforms, according to AppGrowing's report.
In October 2024, shopping, finance, and Tools apps continued to lead the app advertising landscape in terms of app count.
However, in terms of the share of newly launched apps, the leading categories were food & drink and health & wellness categories.
Entering the year-end promotional period, overall ad volume for shopping apps surged, surpassing 5 million ad groups. Ranking second to fifth in ad volume were food & drink, entertainment, Tools, and finance categories.
Regarding ad formats and video lengths, image-based ads saw an increased share this month, reaching 64.53%, while videos under 15 seconds remained dominant, accounting for 40.73% of all video ads.
01.Top Non-gaming App Developers & Apps
According to data from AppGrowing, in October’s Top 30 rankings for app advertisers, the top three were TEMU, Пятёрочка, and SHOPEE.
Russia’s Пятёрочка, ranking second, continued to maintain large-scale ad campaigns for its flagship product, Пятёрочка.
Notably, 10 Chinese developers made it into the Top 30 list this month, consistent with September’s ranking.
With the onset of the year-end promotional season (e.g., Double 11, Black Friday), shopping apps significantly ramped up ad spending, with four e-commerce companies breaking into the top 10 advertisers.
Turning to the Top 30 product rankings, TEMU held onto first place, while ad volume for Пятёрочка saw a 172.99% month-over-month increase, securing its second-place position.
Shopping apps occupied more spots in the Top 30, with most showing a positive trend in ad volume growth.
Notably, India’s Zepto experienced a month-over-month increase of 372.56% in ad volume, rising to 12th place.
The latter half of the rankings saw several "new faces." Ranked 19th was iFood, a food and drink app, while German coffee retailer Tchibo's e-commerce app, Tchibo, took the 25th spot. Additionally, India’s audio app Pocket FM entered the Top 30 for the first time.
02.Top Apps in Selected Catagories
This month, AppGrowing spotlighted four categories: AI image generation, social-audio rooms, reading, and travel.
In the AI image generation category, the top three were Fotorama, Revive, and MyMood AI.
Fotoramastands out with its focus on “AI-generated professional portraits,” with ads showcasing the transformation of casual photos into polished LinkedIn profile pictures.
For social-audio apps, Thailand’s Xenia Live, a chat app performing particularly well in the Middle East, took the top spot.
In the reading category, familiar names dominated, with Dreame Media’s Dreame ranking first and Dianzhong Technology’s Webfic in fourth. The travel category’s top three included Grab, MIOTO, and Trip.com.
In terms of the Google Play download leaderboard, the TOP 15 downloads were largely occupied by Google-owned apps, with WhatsApp Messengerbeing the sole exception.
On the leaderboard of apps with the highest month-over-month growth rate, Object Removal & PeopleEraser, an AI-powered app that removes unwanted elements from photos, took the top position.
03.Ad Creative Case：Pocket FM
Pocket FM, an audio app offering audiobooks and podcasts in eight languages (including English, Hindi, and Bengali), is developed by India-based Pocket FM.
Founded in 2018, the company completed a Series D funding round in early 2024, following an A-round investment led by Tencent in 2020.
After its Series D round, Pocket FM maintained robust ad placements in global markets, particularly in the U.S. and India, with October’s daily ad volume averaging over 8,000 ad groups.
As an app in the general entertainment content segment, Pocket FM resembles short video platforms in its reliance on viral content to attract users. It also benefits from content synergy with the company’s novel app, Pocket Novel, which provides a steady content supply.
In terms of ad creativity, Pocket FM often uses the plot from its audio series to capture attention. Due to the inherent lack of visual appeal in audio content, Pocket FMemploys simple cartoon animations or live-action short clips as ad formats to quickly grab user interest.
For instance, one ad portrays an animated scene from the audiobook God Eye. Our hero, defeated in battle, gains superpowers under intense emotional stress. This unexpected turn fuels a dramatic transformation, offering a satisfying contrast. As the plot thickens, new mysteries keep viewers hooked. The ad ends by showcasing the audiobook's interface in the app, enticing users to download with the promise of "Start for Free."
