Welcome to Meet the Growthmakers, our new content series spotlighting the people shaping the future of app marketing.
First up is Megan Dean, Strategy Growth Director at Yodel Mobile. With years of experience driving app growth and success, Megan shares her take on industry shifts, where brands should focus on right now and what keeps her inspired in the ever-evolving world of mobile growth.
Tell us a little bit about your role at Yodel Mobile
I work across all four of our client-facing departments to make sure our strategies are aligned and that we’re making the most of any cross-department synergies. On top of that, I essentially act as an account director, I build and maintain relationships with our clients, handle things like contract negotiations and renewals, and have those bigger-picture strategy conversations to ensure we’re all aligned and delivering the best results possible.
I’m also involved in new business, particularly in scoping and strategy. That means making sure we’re proposing the right approach based on a prospect’s specific needs.
And then on the marketing side, I get involved with presenting at events, things like speaking on or hosting panels, and working with our partners on content.
What’s the most exciting part of your role?
I particularly enjoy working with more complex clients, especially when there’s a real need for strategic input. Whether they’re still figuring out their goals or how their app fits into the wider business, I love getting stuck into that. Using data and strategy to help define those goals and then recommending how we can best support them is a part of the job I find really rewarding.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or do you have a favourite quote?
I think I’ll go with my favourite piece of advice, it’s really stuck with me, probably because it was already so aligned with how I naturally developed in my role. I started out as an intern about ten years ago, and honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. I was on a lot of calls with my boss, our Managing Director, Ijah, and he used to notice when I had something on my mind. He could literally see it on my face, but I never spoke up because I assumed someone more experienced would’ve already thought of it.
But he really pushed me to share my opinions and speak up, because everyone brings a different perspective, and you never know when your take might be the one that adds real value. That encouragement helped me build confidence in my own viewpoint. Over time, I realised that when I do speak up, it often brings something new to the table.
That experience was such a turning point for me. It helped me find my voice with clients and ultimately shaped who I am today. It’s allowed me to grow into someone who’s comfortable sharing thought leadership, even if that means going against the grain. Not just to be contrary, but because if I genuinely don’t agree with something in the industry, I’m not afraid to say so.
What are the biggest challenges mobile apps face in growth today?
There are a few key challenges at the moment. On a practical level, attribution for user acquisition is a big one. With all the changes around Apple’s privacy framework, particularly SKAN, and Google now working on their own version, tracking has become a lot harder. It’s really muddied the waters, and a lot of marketers feel like they’ve been thrown back ten years because the data just isn’t as reliable anymore. That can make it really tough to make informed decisions.
Then there’s the sheer saturation of the app marketplace, especially with subscription apps. It’s incredibly competitive, and standing out is harder than ever. You really need a unique brand and a distinct solution to a real problem. Some apps are still managing to do that, but a lot aren’t, and that’s where many fall short.
On a more macro level, I think AI is going to be a major disruptor for apps in the next five to ten years. We could see a significant shift in how people interact with apps, whether they continue using them directly, or whether they start engaging through AI platforms like ChatGPT, Apple Intelligence, Gemini, or whatever comes next. That shift in behaviour could fundamentally change the app ecosystem.
How do you approach building a successful mobile growth strategy for clients?
So I guess there are a few key things to think about here. First, and probably most important, is really understanding the client and their business.
We often operate as an extension of their team, so our goal is to plug any gaps they might have. Sometimes they already have a few things covered, and we’re just focusing on a smaller part of their overall strategy. Other times, we’re owning the whole thing, which obviously changes how we approach it.Even if we’re just involved in one area, we still want to know what’s going on more broadly. That bigger picture helps us support them more effectively and shape the right strategy for their needs.
The second thing is setting meaningful goals. A lot of apps have goals, but sometimes they’re not really backed by data. That’s where we need to challenge assumptions and make sure the goals we’re working towards mean something and will move the needle.
Then there’s understanding the wider space, the industry, the competition, and where our client fits within that. We’re always looking to identify the low-hanging fruit, what’s going to give us some early traction. But alongside that, we’re also thinking medium to long term, building out the foundations that will drive sustainable success for the business.
If you weren’t in app marketing, what would you be doing instead?
This is a tricky one for me, but I think what I enjoy most about app marketing is the problem solving. It’s such a fast-evolving industry, there’s always something changing; whether it’s platform updates, privacy frameworks, or shifting user behaviour. So we’re constantly having to reassess and make sure what we’re doing is relevant, effective, and optimised. Even just navigating the complexity of the services we offer requires a lot of creative thinking. And I actually love that.
Funnily enough, I’ve recently been learning a bit of carpentry from my cousin, and I realised I enjoy it for exactly the same reason. There was this one cut we needed to make, and we had to get creative with the tools we had, figuring out how everything would fit together, what kind of frame we could build, and how to get the exact inset we wanted. That kind of hands-on problem solving is something I really enjoy.
So, in a weird way, the part of carpentry I love is exactly what draws me to marketing: it’s the challenge, the creativity, and the process of building something from scratch that really works.
Are there any common misconceptions about mobile growth strategy that you’d like to debunk?
One of the first common mistakes I see is an overfocus on vanity metrics, especially from senior stakeholders. These are metrics that might look good on paper but don’t really tell you whether your strategy is working. For example, cost per install (CPI) is often used as a benchmark for success, but someone could install the app and never use it again. If you optimise purely for that, you risk attracting low-quality users, ones that are cheap to acquire but ultimately don’t stick around or bring value.
Another one is category ranking on the App Store. It’s not that prominent on your listing, and most users don’t really see or engage with it. While it can feel good to rank high, it doesn’t always reflect actual performance or impact.
I’ve mentioned goals a lot, but that’s because they’re foundational. If the goals you set aren’t meaningful or aligned with what drives success, then everything else starts to fall apart.
Another pitfall I see is teams working in silos. For example, user acquisition and ASO are closely linked, what happens in one can directly affect the other. Same with creative and UA strategy. If those are treated as separate functions, like if UA is outsourced but creatives are produced in-house without much communication, it can really limit performance. Your campaign structure is often shaped by the creative you’re using, so the two have to work in sync.
Lastly, I think there’s often a misunderstanding around scalability. Brands might run a small test, say, spend 5 to 10k, and get great performance, then expect that same performance to scale 10x. But sustainable scaling doesn’t really work like that. It takes time, continuous testing, optimisation, creative iteration, and a strong handle on attribution. Patience is key if you want to scale in a way that lasts.
Final Thoughts
Thanks to Megan Dean for sharing her perspective on what it takes to drive meaningful growth in today’s ever-evolving app landscape. At Yodel Mobile, we believe great growth comes from great people, and Megan’s story is just one example of the thinking that powers our strategy every day.
Megan will be speaking at APS London on Thursday, 24th. If you’re heading over, you can catch her in the Growth Zone at 12.20pm.
