Stop Guessing Who Your Audience Is — Let Their Apps Tell You

Connected TV (CTV) targeting often falls in one of two camps.

Contextual targeting focuses on what’s playing on screen — not who’s watching. The problem with this is it assumes everyone tuned into a cooking show is in the market for a new KitchenAid mixer. Spoiler alert: They aren’t.

Audience-based targeting, on the other hand, separates the viewing content from the ads that accompany it. Instead, it places ads based on individual viewers. This means Jane will see a commercial for a local health food store and her neighbor Jack will see an ad for a credit union — despite the fact that they’re watching the same streaming content.

In theory, audience targeting is great. But too often, it relies on fleeting methods like third-party cookies or broad demographics that tell very little about true buying intent.

Enter App Install Targeting. This privacy-compliant tactic lets advertisers reach users based on the apps they’ve chosen to download.

No assumptions. No vague demographics. Just real behavioral signals that reflect viewers’ lifestyle, interests, and intent.

What Is App Install Targeting

People don't download apps on a whim. Each app install is a deliberate choice that signals interests, behaviors, and needs.

Think about it. Mobile users with the Zillow app are likely house-hunting. And one can assume anyone with Expedia or Airbnb on their phone enjoys traveling. Then there are the users with your competitors’ apps installed — a perfect audience for conquesting campaigns.

When people choose to download these apps, they create a behavioral fingerprint that reveals far more than basic demographics. It’s in this way that App Install Targeting paves the way to precise CTV campaigns that don’t sacrifice scale or privacy.

How App Install Targeting Works

App Install Targeting from Strategus transforms mobile app data into actionable CTV audience segments through a straightforward process:

1. App selection. First, we identify which apps align with your campaign goals from a library of 6,000+ iOS and Android applications. This could include competitor apps, category-specific apps, or apps that signal a specific lifestyle or interest.
   
   
2. Audience building. We then create custom segments of users who have these specific apps installed on their devices. The data is deterministic and privacy-compliant with a 180-day lookback window.
   
   
3. CTV delivery. Rather than serving ads within these apps, we target these users while they're streaming content on their connected TVs and other devices. This means you're reaching them in premium, brand-safe environments when they’re most receptive.
   
   

What makes this approach particularly powerful is the complete control it offers. You can select exactly which apps to include or exclude, creating hyper-targeted audience segments that precisely match your campaign goals.

For example, a luxury resort could target users with travel booking apps like Expedia and Airbnb, but exclude budget travel apps to focus on higher-income travelers. Similarly, a financial services company could target users with investment apps while excluding those who only have basic banking apps.

This granular control over audience composition isn't something you'd get with off-the-shelf targeting solutions.

App Install Targeting Strategies

App install targeting is great for upper-funnel campaigns that require a more focused segmentation strategy. Whether you're aiming to drive awareness or influence high-intent buyers, here are three smart ways to put this tactic to work:

1. Personal and Lifestage Targeting
   
   

   Connect with users navigating key life moments — like homebuyers browsing mortgage apps, new parents using baby tracking tools, or pet owners managing their pup’s vet schedule. Even behavioral signals like gambling or dating app installs can help you tap into specific mindsets and motivations.

2. Interest-Based Targeting
   
   

   Want to reach music lovers, sports fans, or luxury shoppers? There’s an app for that — and a segment for you. Use app installs to zero in on users whose downloads show they’re passionate about a particular category or lifestyle.

3. Competitor Conquesting
   
   

   If someone has a competitor’s app installed, you already know they’re familiar with your category and potentially open to a better option. App Install Targeting lets you reach these users with tailored messaging that positions your brand as the upgrade.

Benefits of Smart Audience Contextual Targeting 

Unlike traditional audience targeting that relies on cookies or demographic assumptions, App Install Targeting is based on verified user behavior. It's not about what websites someone visited last week, it's about the apps they've chosen to install and keep on their most personal device.

Even better, you’re not advertising inside these apps. You’re using them to understand who your audience is — and reaching them when they’re streaming shows, watching news, or tuning into live sports.

The result? Campaigns that align with how people actually live (and not just what they happen to be watching). 

Here’s a quick glance at the benefits of this tactic. 

• True behavioral signals. Target users based on real-life app choices that indicate real interest, not guesswork or generic demographics.
  
  
• Precision without privacy concerns. Target specific audience segments without relying on soon-to-be-obsolete third-party cookies.
  
  
• Complete audience control. Choose exactly which apps to include or exclude to align with your campaign goals.
  
  
• Cross-device impact. Use mobile app data to design CTV campaigns, creating a more cohesive audience strategy.
  
  
• Premium viewing environments. Reach your ideal audience while they're engaged with high-quality streaming content, not during app usage.
  
  
• Scalable reach: Tap into thousands of apps and millions of devices without sacrificing precision.
  
  

App Install Targeting Examples by Industry

Part of the beauty of App Install Targeting is its versatility. From financial services to hospitality, this tactic can be tailored to almost any industry and campaign goal.

For example:

• Travel & Hospitality: Say a boutique hotel chain wanted to reach luxury travelers planning their next getaway. By targeting users with high-end travel apps like Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons, along with flight-tracking and premium dining reservation apps, connecting with affluent travelers during the planning phase would be a straightforward process.
  
  
• Financial Services: Imagine a regional credit union needed to grow their customer base by identifying potential switchers. By targeting users with competitor banking apps plus budgeting and personal finance tools, they could create a segment of financially-engaged consumers ready for a better banking experience.
  
  
• Art & Entertainment: A casino looking to drive foot traffic or promote its sportsbook offering could target users with gambling-related apps like DraftKings or FanDuel, as well as sports apps like NFL or ESPN. These app installs indicate a high level of interest in betting and sports — making them a perfect match for a campaign requiring such nuanced targeting.
  
  
  

Example Audiences and Data Sources

App Install Targeting from Strategus connects brands and agencies with 250+ participating applications for audience segmentation.

To put another way: For whatever you may need, there’s an app for that.

Target Smarter With Strategus

Don't settle for broad strokes. With App Install Targeting, you can finally achieve the precision and performance your CTV campaigns deserve. 

Even better, our team of experts will work with you every step of the way — first to  develop a multi-channel strategy personalized to your business needs and then to make ongoing optimizations based on what’s driving the best results.

Reach out today to learn how Strategus can help.