Challenge
Scaling Google Ads across multiple cities without a clear picture on which campaigns were most efficient
Playo invests in Google Ads to drive app installs across India's top metros, NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, and Delhi. The growth team was running campaigns across multiple geographies, ad formats (app installs, YouTube, Search, and even sport-specific creatives for pickleball and box cricket), and time periods.
Without independent, campaign-level CPI visibility, the team could not have a clear picture. With 13+ active campaigns across different geos and formats, budget allocation depended on more intuition than data. This leads to high-performing campaigns not scaling fast enough, and underperformers continuing to consume budget. The team knew they could be more efficient, and they needed to see where.
Solution
Campaign-level CPI attribution across geos, formats, and channels
By integrating Linkrunner as their mobile measurement partner, Playo gained real-time, campaign-level CPI tracking across their entire acquisition stack.
City-level CPI visibility revealed exactly how NCR and Mumbai campaigns were performing relative to Bangalore, Pune, Delhi, and other test geos, enabling data-driven budget consolidation.
Format-level attribution showed install performance across app install campaigns, YouTube campaigns, Search campaigns, and sport-specific creatives, making it clear which formats drove volume vs. which burned budget.
Cross-channel tracking gave Playo a single view of installs across Google Ads and their GrabOn partnership, so every acquisition channel was measured against the same standard.
Outcome/Impact
Playo cut CPI by 34% while scaling installs 2.8x, then expanded to iOS and partnerships
Armed with Linkrunner's granular attribution data, the Playo growth team moved fast. Within three months, they identified their winning campaigns, killed underperformers, and consolidated the budget where it mattered most.
Monthly CPI Breakdown
Month | Google Ads Spend | App Installs | CPI (Cost Per Install) |
December 2025 | ₹81,284.53 | 4,004 | ₹20.30 |
January 2026 | ₹2,09,730.93 | 10,633 | ₹19.72 |
February 2026 | ₹1,48,764.62 | 11,112 | ₹13.39 |
*Android only. Playo also launched iOS campaigns in March (₹38,483 spend), expanding attribution to a new platform.
The numbers tell a clear story: Playo grew installs 2.8x (from 4K to 11.1K) while cutting CPI by 34% (from ₹20.30 to ₹13.39) in just three months. Even in March, as campaigns matured and audiences saturated, Android CPI at ₹17.62 remained 13% below where they started in December.
What drove the improvement
Ruthless campaign consolidation: of the 13+ campaigns Playo tested across geos and formats, Linkrunner's data showed that two city-specific campaigns (NCR and Mumbai) were driving the vast majority of all attributed installs. The team quickly shifted budget from underperforming campaigns, including test campaigns for YouTube, Search, and sport-specific creatives, into these proven performers.
Geographic precision: rather than spreading budget thin across 5+ cities, the attribution data showed NCR and Mumbai were delivering dramatically better CPI than other markets. This geo-level clarity let Playo concentrate where it had the highest impact.
Partnership channel made visible: Playo's collaboration with GrabOn (tracked via Linkrunner click attribution) grew from 107 installs in January to 1,013 in March, a 9.5x increase. By measuring this non-paid channel alongside their paid campaigns, Playo could see the full acquisition picture and invest in partnerships with confidence.
iOS expansion with day-one attribution: when Playo launched iOS campaigns in March 2026, Linkrunner provided immediate attribution coverage for the new platform, ensuring the team had CPI visibility from the first day of iOS spend.
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