We launched a TikTok acquisition campaign for a Casino & Sports Betting App with a single goal: find the most efficient path to first deposits, without wasting budget. Across six months we cut CPA 78% from its learning-phase peak to the campaign's best week, grew monthly volume more than 5×, and absorbed a harder conversion goal and a seasonality spike without losing control.
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The client needed the most efficient possible path to first deposits on TikTok, without wasting budget during the learning phase or losing control once volume scaled. Along the way, the campaign also had to absorb a harder conversion goal — shifting from install to purchase optimization — and a seasonality spike that threatened to erode efficiency. Z2A launched with install-optimised campaigns and multiple creative concepts, then cut the weakest concept entirely and scaled budget behind proven winners, driving CPA down 78% to the campaign's best week. As the goal shifted to purchase optimization, the team added interest and lookalike audiences and kept a weekly creative-refresh cadence to hold performance steady. When seasonality pushed CPA to a peak still 26% below the original learning-phase high, a pre-launched defensive retargeting strategy contained the dip, and activating TikTok's AI-powered Smart CPA system in the final month delivered a full recovery at the highest sustained volume of the campaign.
How our specialized teams collaborated to deliver a unified result.
Launched broad, install-optimised campaigns across 10 video assets and 3 creative concepts, with age exclusions only. CPA peaked in the learning phase before falling 74% by month's end. The following month, cut the weakest creative concept entirely, scaled budget behind proven winners, and tested new hooks and video lengths — reaching the campaign's best week down 78% from the peak, and lifting monthly volume more than 4x versus December.
Moved from install to purchase optimisation, added interest and lookalike audiences, and maintained a weekly asset-refresh cadence. CPA stepped up 126% versus the prior month's average on the harder goal before recovering 32% from that spike, at a peak week of 75 conversions. The next month held the purchase goal at a steady baseline, tightening delivery on best-performing audiences for the most consistent month of the campaign — CPA within -22%/+10% of the monthly average while holding 202 conversions.
Anticipating warmer weather cutting app activity, pre-launched defensive retargeting and install campaigns to protect spend efficiency through the seasonal dip, which pushed CPA to a peak still 26% below the original learning-phase high, and volume to a low of 21, before recovering. In the final month, activated TikTok's AI-powered Smart CPA system once the campaign was mature enough for automated delivery, sustaining the weekly creative refresh and achieving a full recovery — CPA 24% below the December baseline — at 200 conversions, the highest sustained volume of the campaign.
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