Case studies
How Guru Network tripled its ad revenue with Start.io using Amazon Publisher Services
Guru Network is a Singapore-based software company that makes more than two dozen
popular puzzle games for Android and iOS, such as Jigsaw Puzzles, Sudoku Puzzle,
the Find Difference series, and Find it Out, among other leading titles.
Collectively, their games have been downloaded by tens of millions of people worldwide.
The company was founded in 2015.
Goal
Guru Network wanted to maximize the amount of mobile, programmatic advertising revenue
they were seeing from Start.io’s ad platform.
Process
In late 2022, Guru Network began running Start.io ads on its mobile apps through Start.io’s integration
with Amazon Publisher Services’ (APS) Unified Ad Marketplace (UAM), a cloud-based header bidding
marketplace that provides access to APS’ network of vetted, third-party publishers at scale; through
one simple APS integration.
After early successes observed from the UAM integration, Start.io’s sales team reached out to Guru
Network and suggested shifting to a direct integration using APS’ Transparent Ad Marketplace (TAM).
This turnkey move from UAM to TAM benefits publishers who want to access premium advertising
demand and dedicated account management from Start.io.
Guru Network turned on the direct TAM integration with Start.io in early 2023, and for several months
ran a side-by-side test, running ads from Start.io from both UAM and the direct TAM integration, to
compare performance.
Start.io’s monetization algorithm learned Guru Network’s traffic behavior and was able to serve ads that complied with the company’s goals and expectations.
Start.io’s monetization platform uses AI and machine learning algorithms to study multiple mobile
signals, including the context of the app itself, to deliver high-performing ads.
Outcome
Start.io’s direct advertising integration via TAM enabled Guru Network to access unique,
premium ad demand from top-performing demand partners.
The direct TAM integration gave Guru Network unlimited access to hundreds of premium ad
campaigns, increasing the company’s daily revenue in less than 30 days.
By the third month of the test, Guru Network saw 3x higher revenue from its direct integration
with Start.io through TAM.
“Start.io has been a great monetization partner,” said Hao Li, Monetization Lead at Guru
Network. “The team has really worked hard to deliver the highest quality ads possible. We’re
looking forward to a long and successful partnership.”
Results
- Over a 3-month test period, Guru Network experienced a nearly 65 percent increase in revenue with Start.io's direct TAM integration
- In the final month of the test, Start.io's TAM integration yielded 3x higher revenue for Guru Network