Shonen Jump+ app icon

Shonen Jump+

Loyal fans find favorite comic.
Shonen Jump+
grows revenue.

Shonen Jump+ ad on the App Store
Well-known comic magazine Shonen Jump+ wanted to increase app subscriptions within a competitive category in Japan. In partnership with their agency Septeni, Shonen Jump+ leveraged fan loyalty as well as seasonal trends to grow app installs by 30x and revenue by 7x with Apple Search Ads.

The Results

30x increase in installs in a month compared to similar platforms.
7x in-app revenue increase compared to similar platforms.
9.5x more total subscribers in a month compared to similar platforms.
1.2x higher retention rate for subscribers compared to similar platforms.1

The Challenge

To drive subscriber acquisition in the crowded comics category, the Shonen Jump+ team needed to increase brand visibility with their existing Japanese fanbase on mobile. They specifically wanted to capitalize on comic book readers showing intent and seasonal interest on the App Store. Staying ahead of rival apps already engaging this audience was also key to maximizing new user acquisition.

Apple Search Ads is a valuable tool for driving high-quality acquisition, understanding seasonal trends, and adjusting bidding in real time to stay ahead of competitors.

Miku Kinebuchi,

Editor at Shonen Jump+

The Solution

Invest in brand terms to drive performance.

The Shonen Jump+ team initially launched Apple Search Ads with competitive and category keyword campaigns to improve discovery by new users. They then brought on their agency partner Septeni, who helped the team further optimize performance and complement organic growth. The teams set up a discovery campaign to uncover new, relevant search terms and increase impressions. A brand campaign helped defend brand terms.

 

“Brand campaigns on Apple Search Ads gave us a critical advantage over competitors. We were able to tap into strong intent by loyal fans and increase installs by 30x with brand keywords,” says Septeni Account Planner Ryo Harada.

Monitor seasonal trends to optimize bidding.

Since comic book fans tend to do more leisure reading during vacations, seasonality plays a key role in the marketing strategy for Shonen Jump+. With Apple Search Ads, the Septeni team was able to monitor spikes in interest and quickly adjust keyword bids to optimize reach and performance. These seasonal market insights helped them increase impressions and capture the most potential subscribers during key holiday periods. The team also used keyword performance insights from Apple Search Ads to determine which popular content features to highlight across their marketing campaigns. 

Company Snapshot

  • SHUEISHA Inc.
  • Books category
  • Launched in 2014
  • Based in Tokyo, Japan
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