Background

Client Travian Games | Partner b.telligent | Industry Leisure | Key objective Make use of existing database to reactivate lapsed players

The challenge

Travian Games GmbH, located in Munich, is a globally known self-publishing developer of cross-platform games (online and mobile). The company offers complex and multilayer adventure worlds, which impress customers worldwide due to their game depth and guarantee long-lasting gaming fun for users. Games are translated into 42 languages and are played in more than 200 countries around the world by more than 137 million registered, confirmed players worldwide.

Within the gaming industry, “buying” valuable players is getting more difficult and more competitive with new mobile games popping up continuously. Travian Games was looking for a new way to make use of its existing database of former players within its campaign orchestration. 

Travian games app screen

Travian's reputation could have been harmed by addressing inactive players, due to bounces or complaints. From a cost effectiveness point of view, the use of email marketing was not recommended due to low open and click rates of long-time inactive players. 

Travian needed to consider:

  • How to use the enormous potential to reactivate people that were playing their games occasionally, some of which were paying players
  • How to avoid black listing not using old, inactive email-addresses and keeping their reputation intact
  • Staying efficient with their reactivation campaigns; conversion rates decrease in direct proportion to the term of a player´s inactivity
  • Keeping within legal constraints by complying with permission requirements and data protection laws
  • Additionally getting in contact with inactive and active players through channels other than email

Travian games screen example
Not only were 30% more players reactivated but also more payments were generated. These payments overran the CPC costs from Facebook, so achieved an ROI >100%

The Apteco solution

Travian Games license the Apteco marketing software via their chosen Apteco partner in Germany - b.telligent GmbH & Co. KG. A promising channel emerged due to the integration of Apteco PeopleStage™ with Facebook Custom Audience. Based only on their email addresses, Travian could target players through a different channel integrated into their existing processes and technical infrastructure.

After setting up and configuring Facebook and PeopleStage™, Travian began using and testing the channel and got some impressive results. Using matching, nearly every second player of "Travian: Legends" could be reached via Custom Audience. Using the PeopleStage™ channel integration with Facebook Custom Audience had both a positive financial impact and for reactivation targeting. More campaigns for game specific events, cross selling was executed to use the full potential of their accumulated player database and generated revenue for the company. Additionally using the channel integration within PeopleStage™ saved Travian around 5.000€ agency costs per year which they previously incurred for manual processes.

Using this channel within our campaign orchestration in Apteco PeopleStage™ gives us the advantage to select the target groups more specifically. Now we can combine campaigns via several channels to the same audience in parallel without using different tools, which strengthens the effect of their communication

The impact on the business

Explore some examples of how companies currently benefit from the Apteco marketing software.

Reactivation of lapsed players
Reactivation of lapsed players

30% more players reactivated
30% more players from the group targeted via Facebook Custom Audience started to play again, compared with the control group. Not only were more players reactivated, but more payments were generated.

Positive ROI
Positive ROI

ROI >100%
Payments overran the CPC costs from Facebook, so Travian achieved an ROI > 100% only a short time period after the campaign started.

Increased reach
Increased reach

50% more matched players reached
Overall 50% of the matched players were reached using Apteco PeopleStage™ and the Facebook Custom Audience integration during the campaign running time.

Using this additional channel can support our existing email communication and has a positive impact on our active player base as well. So our case for the Best use of the Apteco software 2016 Award was not only about reactivation with formerly not usable email-addresses, but also on combining channels to improve the effect of the existing email channel.