Unlocked: Mobile and App Growth Summit, Amsterdam!

The Future of App Growth in Europe - State of App Marketing 2026

Introduction

The economics of app growth are being rewritten.

Rising customer acquisition costs, AI-driven disruption, evolving consumer behaviour, and Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA) are reshaping how brands acquire, engage, and retain users. Traditional growth strategies built around paid installs and walled ecosystems are giving way to new approaches powered by AI, community-led growth, first-party data, alternative app stores, and deeper customer relationships.

As mobile becomes the primary gateway to digital experiences, app marketers are under increasing pressure to deliver sustainable growth while navigating rapid technological and regulatory change.

The Future of App Growth in Europe: State of App Marketing 2026 captures the perspectives of senior mobile, marketing, product, and growth leaders across Europe to understand how the industry is adapting to this new reality. The report will uncover emerging priorities, investment trends, strategic challenges, and the innovations shaping the next generation of app growth.

Participants who complete the survey will receive:

A complimentary delegate pass to the Mobile & App Growth Summit Amsterdam 2026

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1. Please enter your details: (Required.)

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2. Enter your work email ID: (Required.)

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3. Enter your contact number (Required.)

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4. Address

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5. Enter your professional details: (Required.)

Job Title

Company Name

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6. Which capability will define the next generation of app leaders? (Required.)

AI fluency

Ecosystem thinking

Community building

Regulatory navigation

Product innovation

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7. Which emerging format offers the greatest opportunity for customer engagement? (Required.)

AI-generated creative

Creator-led content

Gaming environments

Interactive video

Conversational AI experiences

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8. What is the strongest indicator of a healthy app community? (Required.)

Repeat engagement

User-generated content

Members helping other members

Referral activity

High daily active users

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9. Do you believe social commerce will become a primary sales channel for most brands within the next five years? (Required.)

Yes

Only for selected industries

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10. As a user, how long do you typically give a new app before deciding whether to keep or uninstall it? (Required.)

Less than 1 minute

Within the first day

Within the first week

After completing my first meaningful task

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11. What is the bigger challenge for app marketers today? (Required.)

Acquiring new users

Retaining existing users

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12. Is the traditional customer journey still relevant in an AI-driven world? (Required.)

Yes

It needs to be redefined

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13. What is the biggest reason brand partnerships fail? (Required.)

Poor audience fit

Lack of authenticity

Poor execution

Misaligned objectives

Inability to measure impact

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14. What breaks authenticity with customers the fastest? (Required.)

Overly polished content

Generic messaging

Excessive brand control

Obvious sponsorships

AI-generated content

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15. Where would you trust an AI agent first? (Required.)

Customer support

Campaign optimisation

Fraud detection

Personalisation

Marketing analytics

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16. Which trend will have the greatest impact on app growth over the next three years? (Required.)

Agentic AI

AI Search & Discovery

Community-led growth

Alternative app stores

Social commerce ecosystems

Privacy-first marketing

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17. What is your biggest reason for exploring alternative app stores? (Required.)

Compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA)

Lower platform fees and commissions

Greater ownership of customer relationships

Better app discoverability

Strategic diversification beyond traditional app stores

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18. Which area of app marketing will receive the greatest increase in investment over the next 12 months? (Required.)

AI and automation

Paid user acquisition

CRM and lifecycle marketing

Community and creator marketing

Analytics and measurement

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19. What is the biggest challenge your app marketing team faces today? (Required.)

Rising customer acquisition costs

Measuring marketing effectiveness

Privacy and data regulations

User retention

Personalisation at scale

Attribution across channels

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20. How is AI currently being used within your mobile marketing team? (Required.)

Content and creative generation

Campaign optimisation

Customer support

Personalisation

Analytics and reporting

We are not actively using AI yet

Unlocked: Mobile and App Growth Summit, Amsterdam!

Question Title

* 1. Please enter your details: (Required.)

Question Title

* 2. Enter your work email ID: (Required.)

Question Title

* 3. Enter your contact number (Required.)

Question Title

* 4. Address

Question Title

* 5. Enter your professional details: (Required.)

Question Title

* 6. Which capability will define the next generation of app leaders? (Required.)

Question Title

* 7. Which emerging format offers the greatest opportunity for customer engagement? (Required.)

Question Title

* 8. What is the strongest indicator of a healthy app community? (Required.)

Question Title

* 9. Do you believe social commerce will become a primary sales channel for most brands within the next five years? (Required.)

Question Title

* 10. As a user, how long do you typically give a new app before deciding whether to keep or uninstall it? (Required.)

Question Title

* 11. What is the bigger challenge for app marketers today? (Required.)

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* 12. Is the traditional customer journey still relevant in an AI-driven world? (Required.)

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* 13. What is the biggest reason brand partnerships fail? (Required.)

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* 14. What breaks authenticity with customers the fastest? (Required.)

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* 15. Where would you trust an AI agent first? (Required.)

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* 16. Which trend will have the greatest impact on app growth over the next three years? (Required.)

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* 17. What is your biggest reason for exploring alternative app stores? (Required.)

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* 18. Which area of app marketing will receive the greatest increase in investment over the next 12 months? (Required.)

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* 19. What is the biggest challenge your app marketing team faces today? (Required.)

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* 20. How is AI currently being used within your mobile marketing team? (Required.)

1. Please enter your details: (Required.)

2. Enter your work email ID: (Required.)

3. Enter your contact number (Required.)

4. Address

5. Enter your professional details: (Required.)

6. Which capability will define the next generation of app leaders? (Required.)

7. Which emerging format offers the greatest opportunity for customer engagement? (Required.)

8. What is the strongest indicator of a healthy app community? (Required.)

9. Do you believe social commerce will become a primary sales channel for most brands within the next five years? (Required.)

10. As a user, how long do you typically give a new app before deciding whether to keep or uninstall it? (Required.)

11. What is the bigger challenge for app marketers today? (Required.)

12. Is the traditional customer journey still relevant in an AI-driven world? (Required.)

13. What is the biggest reason brand partnerships fail? (Required.)

14. What breaks authenticity with customers the fastest? (Required.)

15. Where would you trust an AI agent first? (Required.)

16. Which trend will have the greatest impact on app growth over the next three years? (Required.)

17. What is your biggest reason for exploring alternative app stores? (Required.)

18. Which area of app marketing will receive the greatest increase in investment over the next 12 months? (Required.)

19. What is the biggest challenge your app marketing team faces today? (Required.)

20. How is AI currently being used within your mobile marketing team? (Required.)