Niantic

The Objective

Boosting audience reach and in-game engagement

Niantic, a leader in augmented reality and location-based mobile gaming, made a solid marketing push for  "Monster Hunter Now" in the US market with an ambitious campaign that leveraged TikTok to drive increased reach and boost adoption of the Dimensional Links feature.

The Dimensional Links feature allows players to team up with friends or other players globally to hunt large, powerful monsters in real time. This multiplayer feature promotes social collaboration and enhances the immersive experience, making it a central focus for driving player engagement.

The game, based on Capcom’s popular "Monster Hunter" franchise, lets players embark on real-world hunts, bringing iconic monsters to life through AR technology. Niantic sought to tap into TikTok’s unique audience and expand its reach among both dedicated fans of the franchise and new players.

The objective was clear: broaden the game's audience through a highly visible media burst, attract new installs, and increase in-game engagement by highlighting key features like Group Hunt.

The Solution

Leveraging a full-funnel approach and creative partnerships

To achieve these goals, Niantic worked closely with TikTok's LiveOps program and dedicated gaming cross-functional resources, leveraging creative, product strategy, and content partnerships. The campaign was designed with a full-funnel approach, layering brand and user acquisition (UA) strategies to increase long-term performance.

At the top of the funnel, Niantic used TopView and Standard R&F ads to maximize visibility and build broad awareness. These high-impact formats ensured the campaign reached millions of potential players, particularly tapping into TikTok’s large and engaged user base. By generating significant reach across the gaming demographic through these branding efforts, Niantic was able to create initial excitement around the game, capturing the attention of both existing fans and new audiences.

In the mid and lower funnel, Pulse and Auction Ads were used with a focus on Mobile App Installs (MAI) and App Event Optimization (AEO). This allowed Niantic to specifically target users who were more likely to download the app and engage with key in-game events like Group Hunt.

TikTok’s creative solutions played a key role in shaping the campaign’s impact. Utilizing the TikTok Creative Challenge (TTCC), Niantic was able to generate compelling and TikTok-native creatives that resonated with users. The "Hunt Anywhere" and "Then vs Now" messaging, along with key in-game features like Group Hunt, were strategically highlighted to capture attention. Additionally, a high-profile partnership with creator Mr. Beast further amplified the campaign’s reach, incorporating exclusive in-game features tied to his avatar and gear.

The Results

Strong audience reach and engagement metrics

The campaign's success demonstrated how a layered, full-funnel approach on TikTok can drive installs and long-term engagement, making "Monster Hunter Now" a standout in the AR location-based mobile gaming market.

The synergy between brand and UA strategies resulted in success for the campaign and was measured using TIkTok's conversion lift study:

• Reaching over 21.9 million users the campaign drove a 35% incremental lift in app installs, demonstrating the power of TikTok’s campaigns in driving lower funnel outcomes.

• A 26% relative lift in in-app purchases highlighted TikTok's effectiveness in pushing deeper funnel actions, demonstrating impact far beyond just downloads

• The TikTok campaign achieved a 26% average lift in key in-game actions, such as reaching new levels and joining challenges, underscoring its power in driving critical deeper funnel conversions