Driving Performance and Innovation with PEPr: Liftoff’s Experimentation Program

Summary

Liftoff's Performance Experimentation Program (PEPr) is a structured internal process that complements R&D by rapidly testing and scaling high-impact campaign optimizations. Ideas originate from operations teams who identify promising setups and strategies during customer work. Experiments focus on measurable KPIs like CPI, conversion rates, ROAS, and atypical metrics such as reinstall rates.

A standout success is the Hourly Pacing experiment, developed during a Super Bowl campaign for a sports-betting app. This custom solution enabled precise hourly spend control, meeting goals with near-perfect accuracy. Results were dramatic: 3x higher CTR, 5x improvement in impression-to-install efficiency (ITI), and over 30% better CPA. This approach has since been adopted across travel, iGaming, and eCommerce verticals.

Another notable initiative tested a high-percentile, revenue-based CPA model for High Value Users. The experiment demonstrated that more aggressive bidding on top-tier super-users could double campaign budgets while maintaining KPIs, particularly for gaming partners.

For ad ops decision-makers, PEPr offers actionable insights: leverage frontline observations for quick tests, prioritize metrics aligned with client goals, and scale proven strategies across accounts. The program shows how rapid experimentation can unlock performance gains that traditional product development might miss, turning promising ideas into scalable drivers of ROI.