Sleepwave

Sector

Health & Fitness

Services

In-House Growth Leadership
Paid Search & Social
CRM & Lifecycle Marketing

Scaling Sleepwave: From Launch to 120K+ Monthly Downloads Globally

We helped launch and grow Sleepwave, a smart alarm and contactless sleep-tracking app, to 120K+ monthly downloads globally, driving standout retention, reducing CAC by 60%, and building a high-performing multi-channel growth engine.

Highlights

  • Launched on iOS and Android, scaling to 120k+ monthly app downloads across 5 continents.
  • Reduced CAC by 60% through compounding organic growth.
  • Customer ratings of 4.7 out of 5 stars, reflecting strong user satisfaction and engagement.

Sleepwave, a revolutionary motion-sensing smart alarm and sleep-tracking app, was developed by the team behind SnoreLab. As they approached the final stages of development in late 2021, they sought Pollen’s expertise to develop and execute a global go-to-market (GTM) strategy. With a planned launch date of March 2022, our objective was to drive awareness, acquire users at scale, and ensure strong user retention across both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.


The Challenge

While Sleepwave had built a groundbreaking product with patent-pending sonar technology, they faced several challenges:

  • Market Entry: Establishing a foothold in the competitive health and wellness app space.
  • User Acquisition: Effectively reaching and converting their target audience across multiple markets.
  • Retention & Engagement: Ensuring users remained active beyond initial downloads.
  • Optimising Paid Media Spend: Achieving sustainable growth while keeping customer acquisition costs low.

Our Approach

Pollen developed a structured, multi-channel growth marketing strategy based on rigorous testing, data-driven decision-making, and audience segmentation. We collated a team of specialist marketers in app marketing, digital marketing, data, and attribution to formulate the strategy. Over the next three years, we executed this strategy in partnership with the team at Sleepwave, sharing knowledge, empowering their team, and ensuring long-term sustainable growth. Our strategy was built around the following pillars:

1. Comprehensive Go-To-Market Strategy

We conducted deep market research, customer persona analysis, and competitor benchmarking to tailor an approach that would maximize impact. We outlined a phased delivery plan, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and continuous optimisation.

2. Paid Media & Performance Marketing

We leveraged a diverse mix of channels, including TikTok, Meta, Snapchat, Apple Search Ads, Google, YouTube, and influencer marketing. Our test-and-learn framework enabled us to identify the best-performing creatives, messages, and audience segments.

3. SEO & Organic Growth

Beyond paid campaigns, we implemented a content and SEO strategy to drive organic traction. This included optimising Sleepwave’s website, developing high-value content, and leveraging app store optimisation (ASO) techniques.

4. Data-Driven Optimisation & Retention Strategies

By continuously analysing performance metrics, we refined our campaign targeting and creative approach. We also introduced retention strategies such as in-app notifications and personalised user journeys to maximize engagement.

5. Global Expansion Strategy

Initially targeting English-speaking markets (UK, US, Canada, Australia), we later expanded to a global audience, including Europe (Italy, Spain, France, Germany), ensuring localised messaging and advertising strategies.

6. Advanced Attribution & Measurement

To gain clarity on the full customer journey and effective attribution, we onboarded Branch as a Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) early on. Later, we migrated to AppsFlyer to further enhance tracking capabilities, critical in an app marketing landscape where attribution has become increasingly challenging.

Results

  • Launched on iOS and Android, scaling to 120k+ monthly app downloads across 5 continents.
  • Reduced CAC by 60% through compounding organic growth.
  • Customer ratings of 4.7 out of 5 stars, reflecting strong user satisfaction and engagement.

Key Takeaways

  • Strategic Foundations Matter: A well-planned GTM strategy set the stage for success.
  • Multi-Channel Experimentation is Crucial: Testing different platforms and creative approaches helped us optimise for the best-performing channels.
  • Retention Drives Long-Term Success: Beyond user acquisition, focusing on engagement and retention resulted in sustainable growth.
  • Attribution is Key: Leveraging the right MMPs (Branch & AppsFlyer) provided the insights needed to optimise marketing performance in a privacy-first era.

Looking to achieve similar growth for your startup or scale-up? Let’s talk!

"The team have been incredible to work with since launching our app earlier this year. They've been instrumental in helping us grow our brand and attract users across a number of channels. With their expertise and creativity, we've had a number of successful paid user acquisition campaigns. I would thoroughly recommend their services!"

Erin Anderson, Marketing & Communications Manager, Sleepwave

Sleepwave

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