Scaling with Soul: A New Framework for Sustainable App Growth
We’ve been in a race. A race for installs, for attributed ROAS, for the lowest CAC. And for a while, that worked.
But now the landscape has shifted. Audiences have changed. Creatives are ignored. Performance campaigns are plateauing. And the playbook that got us here won’t get us to what’s next.
At Mobile Masterminds Bangalore, we offered a new lens for growth: Scale with Soul.
This isn’t about choosing brand over performance. It’s about building the connective tissue between both: to grow deeper, not just faster.
Let’s break it down.
The Soul Scale Framework: From Installs to Impact
The future of app growth isn’t just about optimizing cost-per-click. It’s about building cultural resonance, emotional equity, and long-term trust.
Here’s how that shift looks:
| Stage | Performance-First Thinking | Scaling with Soul |
| Awareness | Paid reach campaigns | Cultural storytelling, creator voices |
| Acquisition | CPI, retargeting loops | Contextual creative, emotional cues |
| Engagement | Pushes, nudges, promos | Brand narratives, identity alignment |
| Retention | Lifecycle workflows | Relationship-building, shared values |
| Sustainable Growth | Scaling media budget | Compounding distinctiveness and trust |
Insight: You can buy installs. You can’t buy retention, loyalty, or resonance.
Why the Next Billion Won’t Settle for Generic
The next billion mobile users, especially in India, aren’t looking for ads. They’re looking for experiences that reflect them.
Case in point: A design app targeting Tier 2–4 India used first-party data to localize creative across language, color, and format. The result?
- 58% higher penetration in regional markets
- 31% lower CAC through vernacular creative and native platforms like ShareChat
Takeaway: Culture-first isn’t a brand play. It’s a performance accelerator.
When Performance Plateaus, Brand Picks Up
Research by Dr. Grace Kite and Tom Roach shows a clear curve: performance-only campaigns work, until they don’t. Once your low-hanging audience is exhausted, growth stalls.
That’s where brand equity steps in.
Brand campaigns build memory. They open new segments. They raise ROAS across all channels over time.
At M+C Saatchi Performance, we call it performance as ignition, brand as momentum.
Creators: The Authentic Growth Engine
Let’s get real. We’ve all seen creator campaigns flop. They felt fake, forced, off-brand. That’s because creators aren’t ads, they’re storytellers.
The fix? Give creators the freedom to be real. And you’ll unlock reach + trust.
Nielsen: Creator campaigns deliver 11x ROI
CreatorIQ: Top 20% of brands see 48.5% YoY retention lift
Edelman: 56% of Gen Z and Millennials trust creators more than brand messaging
Case in Action:
A gaming platform activated 400+ creators across its biggest gaming tournament. No rigid scripts, just authentic gameplay and storytelling.
Results:
- 67% increase in weekly deposits
- 37% increase in active users
- Performance, culture, and credibility working together
The Brand + Performance Health Check
Ask yourself:
- Is your CAC down because of brand trust or just bigger promos?
- Are your creators building equity or just impressions?
- Is your media plan delivering memory or just delivery?
- Do you measure brand lift as rigorously as ROAS?
If not, you may be scaling installs, not value.
Start Scaling with Soul: A 5-Step Playbook
- Audit Your Funnel: Look for fatigue signals: flat LTV, rising CPAs, declining engagement.
- Invest in Resonance, Not Just Reach: Reallocate part of your media budget to awareness + brand building.
- Work with Creators, Not Just Influencers: Choose voices that reflect your audience, not just your vertical.
- Localize Like You Mean It: Language, visuals, and tone should match not just where users are, but who they are.
- Measure the Marathon: Use social listening, branded search lift, and retention cohorts to track long-term growth.
Final Word: Why Scaling with Soul Matters
Because performance wins the moment. But the brand wins the marathon.
If you’re ready to unlock the next billion users, the answer isn’t just in media efficiency. It’s in emotional relevance, cultural credibility, and creative trust.
It’s time to scale with soul.
Need help building a brand-performance engine that resonates? Let’s talk.
