Thomas Kriebernegg, General Manager of SplitMetrics Agency: “We may see AI-based apps start to rival gaming apps”

Thomas Kriebernegg, General Manager of SplitMetrics Agency, doesn’t call himself a futurist. But we think he has futuristic leanings that way. He was one of the first to foresee that the problem of search engine optimisation would come to app stores – and then to create a startup, App Radar. He also saw how apps could boast home security, launching Austria’s most successful Kickstarter campaign (at the time) for the Nuki smart lock.

So let us be very clear: when Thomas speaks, it’s worth listening to what he has to say!

In this interview, we begin with the impact of AI. Once again, Thomas’ thoughts aren’t on the here and now but on what’s coming down the line: how AI will influence what we see on the app stores (chatbots are so 2023), how it can help apps be marketed, the growing importance of “human-machine partnerships”.

As General Manager of SplitMetrics, which acquired App Radar in November 2023, Thomas finds himself leading teams that are building AI-powered technology. His main goal? The same as it was when he launched App Radar all those years ago: to help app developers and businesses accelerate the success of their apps. But we suggest you read this in-depth interview first.

Why Dust or Magic? That stems from a quote by legendary American advertising creative director, William Bernbach: “An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.” (And if you’re wondering where you’ve heard the name, Bernbach was the inspiration behind Don Draper of Mad Men fame.)

Could you please introduce yourself to our audience? What motivated you to pursue a career in marketing, and how did you embark on your journey in this field?

During my studies in Information Management, I developed a strong interest in online marketing. I then started working in this field with the goal of reaching customers online. I specialise in search engine optimisation, helping websites and businesses all around the world to attract users and be found on search engines, namely Google.

When mobile apps and app stores then came along, I could predict that visibility would become a challenge in the future. It seemed logical that there would be more and more apps competing for app store visibility. So I identified this as a market need and began to consult customers who wanted to optimise their apps and gain better app store visibility. Already at the start, I was working with some really big mobile apps and games. At some point, I concluded that I needed to scale the business because working as a freelancer I wasn’t able to accommodate the workload.

This was the starting point for App Radar. I teamed up with Christian, my technical co-founder, and we founded App Radar together. Late last year, App Radar joined the SplitMetrics family and now we are on a mission to create a one-stop shop for mobile app marketers and the industry’s largest platform providing AI-powered services.

What are your thoughts on the escalating integration of AI in digital marketing and its potential influence on the future of marketing, Martech and social media?

I think it’s opening up a lot of opportunities in this space. For app marketing more specifically, as AI gets more powerful there will be numerous innovative ways app developers can leverage the technology to create new experiences for users. At the moment, the bulk of apps focus on AI-enabled chat, however, we’ll soon see more AI imagery and audio apps, followed by more complex solutions that use AI in some weird and wonderful ways. In a few years, we may see AI-based apps start to rival gaming apps in terms of revenue generation, innovation and scale of development.

It’s important to note that AI’s impact hasn’t just been confined to boosting app development, it is also impacting the wider app sector by creating new tools to market apps, support development and handle customer service. Generative AI, more specifically, can be used can be used at each step of the app user lifecycle (Awareness, Acquisition, Engagement & Retention, Revenue, Loyalty)

Recommended reading: Amanda Cable, Global Head of People at Educative: “The old way of thinking, ‘live to work’, no longer applies”

How do you ready yourself for an AI-driven landscape as a marketing leader? What new skills do you need?

It still requires the human element and it is most likely that marketers that leverage AI will be more in demand in the near future. The human element comes in setting up the data properly with the right wording tailored to your app or product, as this is something that can go wrong without prior experience with AI. And when using generative AI the generated output must be reviewed and improved upon rather than taken at face value.

As AI becomes a bigger part of our everyday work life, marketers will need to take advantage of these tools to be able to compete with other businesses that are embracing these new technologies.

When it comes to new skills, the reality is that no current technology, including AI, can replace humankind’s capability of original thought, empathy and ingenuity. Inherently, any AI is trained only on pre-existing material, therefore it can only create new content that is similar to that work. This means that it cannot be impulsive or spontaneous, generate fresh ideas or invent anything, and human oversight will be needed.

People need to learn to work in a human-machine partnership, though, developing the skills that businesses are going to need if they are to keep pace with the innovation that is happening, and so leaders need to be looking to future-proof their employees in this way. They need to have a decent understanding of the workings of AI, and the necessary digital skills at their fingertips to allow them to utilise the potential on offer.

Looking ahead to 2024, what AdTech trends do you expect to dominate?

From my point of view, we won’t see any big changes in the AdTech space as such, we will still be seeing Google, Meta, TikTok, Apple and some newcomers like Pinterest and Reddit dominating most of the digital advertising space.

However, what we will see in the background will be optimised internal processes, obviously supported by AI with the goal of managing multiple channels with more and more customised messaging more efficiently. I also see a big pull towards the Apple Search Ads automation platform from SplitMetrics, helping app and game publishers optimise their Apple Search Ads results on autopilot, obviously supported by AI.

Do you anticipate any significant disruptions in marketing and sales technology for 2024? If so, what?

AI will continue to disrupt Martech and the business world as a whole. Generative AI is relatively new still and as the technology matures, it will become the norm for each Martech application to have a Generative AI “assistant”. 

The other space to keep an eye on is XR (extended reality). While it may not become mainstream in 2024, the release of Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 is making some waves and as these technologies become more affordable, marketers and developers will need to adapt.

Recommended reading: Bence Pap, CEO of Artefact: “Never be afraid of new adventures”

Could you share some of your most noteworthy accomplishments that you take particular pride in?

I hit a big milestone in my career when the company that I founded App Radar eight years ago was acquired by SplitMetrics, forming the most likely biggest and best alliance of tools and services to support app growth for internal category-leading apps and games – as well as inspiring startups and scale-ups. I am really happy to now be part of such a professional and international team pushing the boundaries of app growth possibilities.

How do you ensure you’re up to date with the latest marketing trends and technologies, and how do you integrate them into your strategies?

I think every marketer needs to find their own ways and channels that resonate with their specific field of interest and expertise. I would say participating in industry-leading events, sharing thoughts with like-minded experts on the stage of various events as well as trying to stay up to date with the latest trends on X and TikTok are the ways I make sure to stay ahead of the curve.

What piece of advice would you offer to fellow marketing leaders that has been particularly beneficial to you personally?

Always try to stay connected with the industry and the area that you are working in. We are living in such a fast-paced world and everything that you might know today could become obsolete in a matter of days. Therefore you must build a network of experts with whom you are exchanging thoughts regularly so that you can stay up to date.