MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES

“May you live in interesting times.” This expression's origin is unclear. Supposedly, it is both a blessing and a curse - largely depending on what you understand from the word “interesting.” But, though it is an old one, the recent years feel like it was said for the past couple of years of our lives.

Since the first quarter of 2020, “interesting” has become synonymous with “unprecedented” for humankind. The pandemic led to lasting changes in every part of our lives. Millions of people are still mourning lost loved ones. Lockdowns and travel restrictions disrupted our daily lives. Its economic impact has also been severe. According to the IMF , the pandemic is expected to have a global cost of $12.5 trillion by 2024.

The world welcomed 2022 with a lot of hope. Nevertheless, I believe it’s safe to say that it was a tumultuous year, with the effects of the pandemic still reverberating throughout the world - the significant economic disruption, political uncertainty, and social unrest. Yet, like there is a light at the end of every tunnel, 2022 has also been a year of normalization. But this time, it was a different normal.?

Digitalization is something we have been talking about for a long time (since the 1950s, to be more accurate). Without a doubt, the pandemic accelerated it all manyfold. The end of lockdowns revived the footfall on the streets. However, the pandemic-driven digital transformation is here to stay. For mobile, the change is even steeper.

Data.ai says mobile usage surged 40% in the second quarter of 2020. In the past 2 years, a lot has changed in the mobile ecosystem. In Q1 2022, 37 billion apps were downloaded , an 11% increase over 2021. Today, people spend an average of almost 5 hours on their mobile phones every day - even higher in some markets - again, according to Data.ai. In fact, by 2025, the global app market is estimated to generate $613 billion in gross revenue.

Only a few stats are enough to show the power of mobile, how it is shaping the future, or (even better) how it is “becoming” the future… of everything!?

Back in 2015, BCG wrote, “Globally, mobile technology has emerged as a primary engine of economic growth, stimulating enormous private-sector spending in both R&D and infrastructure, and profoundly changing daily lives—everywhere.” We founded AppSamurai in 2016 with a “mobile” ambition at heart. We put “mobile growth” at the core of our business. The idea behind it all was very clear: We believed in the future and the power of mobile. The results we got over the years have become a testament to our ambition.??

2022 was a phenomenal year for AppSamurai! On top of strong financial results, we kicked off strong partnerships and joined forces with Xiaomi, and became their core agency partner in EMEA. We also extended our inventory for gaming apps and helped them build ROAS-positive campaigns. Finally, we improved its dashboard experience with a brand-new UI and added metric cards that allow users to review their campaigns’ data more efficiently.??????

We also aim to accelerate mobile apps more effectively in 2023 using Programmatic DSP strategies and strong app marketing models such as App Discovery, Rewarded Playtime, Rewarded Engagement, and more.

As those who followed our journey would know, in 2020, Storyly followed the footsteps of AppSamurai and was launched as a groundbreaking idea, bringing the leading mobile content format Stories to mobile apps and websites. Storyly is a special product that changes the name of the game in mobile user engagement. There are so many MarTech products that promise “user engagement like no other.” Yet, conventional channels have their own limitations in delivering timely and relevant content; they all resemble each other. Storyly does what conventional channels cannot do: Deliver a full-screen, interactive, immersive but non-intrusive mobile experience that will help mobile marketers engage with their users better while also gathering more accurate insights. That’s what makes it “the missing piece to the next-level mobile user engagement”. It’s amazing to see how far #TeamStoryly got in such a short period of time.?

2022 was a year of growth for Storyly. We invested our resources into expanding our presence in different markets and growing our team. We initiated our integrations with Braze , CleverTap , and MoEngage , ensuring our customers can fully benefit from the possibilities Storyly can offer. We introduced many new features, from Question Sticker to Audience Builder, to open up new opportunities for our customers. We launched our in-app community engagement solution Moments by Storyly, enabling brands to build, grow or revitalize their communities in their mobile apps with user-generated Stories.?

We also increased Storyly’s presence globally; the UK became the main hub (I actually made a big personal transition this year and moved to London. If you are around, let’s meet up!) and now we have offices in San Francisco, New York, Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Zurich, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, S?o Paulo, Buenos Aires, ?stanbul, and Ankara.

Our results confirm these expansion efforts and innovation initiatives: We have seen a revenue growth rate of 7 times this year. Over 350 brands in more than 40 countries, including Turkish Airlines, McDonald’s, New Look, Footasylum, Olly, Zappka, and SoulCycle, benefit from a boundless world of creativity, interaction, and connection with Storyly.?

What makes me even prouder is seeing that our efforts are being recognized. AppSamurai made the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America, and FT500 lists this year. Storyly, on the other hand, brought the “Most Effective App Engagement Platform” award home at the Effective Mobile Marketing Awards. In addition to numerous badges they were awarded in G2 reports, Storyly also became the leader in the Mobile Marketing Momentum grid in the Winter Report. But as we always say, “this is just the beginning.”

As we enter the third year of the roaring twenties, we will continue this growth and expansion journey with AppSamurai and Storyly and make sure you continue to hear the name of these brands in the mobile ecosystem.?

While feeling proud of the great team that we have established all together, I am (just like the rest of the members of our team) excited and eager to start a new year and embrace new opportunities and countless possibilities.??