What every app can learn from Subway Surfers’ 4.5B downloads

Subway Surfers, an endless runner mobile game released by Denmark-based SYBO in 2012, has become one of the most successful apps of all time with over 4.5 billion downloads. SYBO's CEO, Mathias Gredal Nørvig, explains that the game's success is partly due to their unique marketing strategy, which relies heavily on organic content creation rather than paid advertising. By employing a nimble in-house creative marketing team, they capitalized on viral trends, such as creating viral TikTok content, to boost visibility and downloads without significant ad spend. Additionally, Subway Surfers uses a freemium model, incorporating rewarded ads to allow users to access the game without financial cost, while safeguarding younger audiences from inappropriate content. This approach, along with offering flexible monetization strategies like day passes and season passes, has provided a frictionless and engaging user journey, setting a model for other mobile apps on balancing monetization with user experience.