HOMA
Implementing Smart+ Day0 tROAS to drive more efficient growth in in-app ad monetized gaming
The objective
Enhancing profitability and testing new solutions for scalable performance
Homa’s Weapon Master is a fast-paced action-runner game where players combine gunplay and strategic crafting. The publisher had been advertising on TikTok since the game’s launch, using VBO IAA Highest Value bidding as part of their standard media mix.
While performance had been strong, Homa sought to further improve profitability, simplify campaign operations, and explore long-term growth potential for TikTok within their broader user acquisition strategy.
The goal was to reach and scale high-value users in cost-efficient ways while improving Day 0 ROAS. Given the title’s monetization model centered on in-app ads and its strong performance outside the US and EU, this campaign aimed to unlock broader reach and stronger returns.
The solution
Testing Smart+ Day 0 tROAS for improved control and ad revenue outcomes
To meet these goals, Homa used Smart+ Day 0 Target ROAS (tROAS) bidding. This new solution provided advertisers with greater control over IAA-driven ROAS, allowing Homa to guide delivery towards early high-value users from Day 0 onward—something not possible with manual setups.
Weapon Master’s Smart+ campaign ran exclusively on TikTok, targeting a broad audience in the Rest of World (excluding US and EU). The setup leveraged Smart+ to streamline creative management by automatically testing different creative combinations and language versions to identify top performers across markets.
To assess effectiveness, Smart+ tROAS bidding was tested head-to-head against the previous business-as-usual approach (VBO IAA Highest Value), with both performance and cost-efficiency under review.
The results
Higher ROAS, lower CPI, and creative performance gains
The Smart+ campaign delivered a +15% increase in ROAS compared to Homa’s Day 0 benchmark and achieved a 30% reduction in cost per install relative to the manual campaign.
Performance also met the publisher’s ROAS goal and showed similar D1/D3/D7 retention, confirming stability across cohorts.A healthy ROAS bid ratio (<1.2) indicated strong alignment between prediction and delivery.
Smart+ has been a promising feature to enhance our creative performances, while VBO IAA has been one of the best optimizations for games like Weapon Master in our portfolio. Mixing both exceeded our expectations.”