Abstract

Cross promotion is widely used by mobile app developers to acquire new users, yet prior research has offered limited insight into how cross-app characteristics shape cross promotion effectiveness. Drawing on Attention Economy theory, this study examines how cross-app market performance and user overlap between the focal app and cross-apps jointly influence cross promotion effectiveness. Using longitudinal data from top iOS game apps, we find that advertising placements in outperforming cross-apps (with growing new users) are less effective than placements in underperforming cross-apps (with declining new users). We further find that user overlap between the focal app and cross-apps moderates these effects across both contexts. These findings shed light on how attentional conditions and audience alignment interact to shape cross promotion outcomes.

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