How we helped a taxi app expand into new markets in Eastern Europe and Latin America — achieving $0.5 per install and $4.5 per first order.
1%
CR in install
$0.5
Cost per install
$4.5
Cost per first order
Objective
Scale a taxi app into new geographic markets efficiently
The client — an established taxi app — had proven product-market fit in their existing markets and was ready to expand. The goal was to enter new markets in Eastern Europe and Latin America, driving app installs and converting new users into their first completed rides as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
Entering new markets for a ride-hailing app comes with a unique challenge: you need to build critical user mass fast enough for the marketplace to function, while keeping acquisition costs low in geographies where brand recognition starts at zero.
Solution
Dual-channel launch strategy: Google UAC + Meta app promotion
Rather than relying on a single platform, we deployed a two-channel approach from day one — using Google and Meta in parallel to maximize reach and compete for installs across different audience segments and placements.
Launch on both main channels simultaneously, then shift budget toward conversion optimization after gathering initial market data in each region.
Google UAC
Universal App Campaigns targeting app installs across Search, Display, YouTube, and Google Play. Optimized for first-open and first-order events.
Meta App Promotion
Facebook and Instagram app install campaigns using Advantage+ audience targeting to reach likely riders in each new market.
The campaign ran in a structured three-phase approach to maximize learning and efficiency:
Phase 01
Search Campaigns
High-intent keyword targeting to capture businesses actively looking for cloud solutions and infrastructure providers.
Phase 02
Search Campaigns
High-intent keyword targeting to capture businesses actively looking for cloud solutions and infrastructure providers.
Phase 03
Performance Max
AI-driven campaigns reaching potential clients across Google’s full inventory — Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps.
- Separate campaign structures per market — Eastern Europe and Latam treated independently
- Parallel Google + Meta spend to maximize coverage and competitive pressure
- Conversion event ladder: install → first open → first order
- Post-learning phase shift to conversion optimization for CPO reduction
Performance Results
Google Ads overview · Feb 1 – Mar 31, 2023
7.6M
Clicks across all campaigns
468K
Conversions tracked
593.6M
Total impressions
$0.27
Average CPC
1.3%
Average CTR
$2.04M
Total ad spend managed
Outcome
What this case proves
Entering a new market as a ride-hailing app is a race against the clock — you need users before you have brand, and revenue before you have loyalty. This campaign showed that a structured dual-channel approach, with a deliberate phase shift from installs to conversion optimization, can compress that timeline significantly.
At $0.5 per install and $4.5 per first order, the campaign delivered market entry economics that justify rapid geographic scaling. The combination of Google’s intent-driven UAC and Meta’s interest-based app promotion proved effective at covering different audience segments simultaneously — reducing reliance on any single platform and protecting against algorithm volatility.
The phased optimization model — launch broad, collect signals, then switch to conversion goals — is now a repeatable playbook for any new market entry in the mobility space.
