In this Mondiad VPN campaign case study, we break down how a media buyer running a VPN offer for US iOS users cut their cost per install by 37% – from $8 down to $5 – through a series of targeted optimisations.
Sometimes the difference between an average campaign and a high-performing one comes down to a few smart decisions.
TL;DR
- A media buyer ran a 2-month VPN install campaign targeting US mobile iOS users via In-Page Push. Starting CPA was ~$8/install.
- Performance improved by whitelisting top zones, automating rules to cut underperforming traffic, dropping weak creatives, excluding low-quality connections and browsers, and adding micro-bids for tighter cost control.
- CPA dropped to ~$5/install – a 37% improvement – volume and quality held steady throughout.
About the campaign
Our partner was an experienced media buyer running a VPN offer for users in the United States. To reach a mobile iOS audience, the campaign used the In-Page Push format. The main goal was to maximise installs while keeping acquisition costs inside a profitable range. Trial and deposit were treated as secondary conversion priorities.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Campaign duration | April, May 2026 |
| Format | In-Page Push |
| Vertical | VPN |
| Targeting | United States, mobile iOS |
| Bidding | CPM |
| Initial budget | $200 daily |
| Desired CPA | $5–$8 per install |
| Conversion type | Install as the main goal; trial and deposit as secondary goals |
On to optimisations
Identifying our best audience
The campaign started with a standard setup and an initial CPA of around $8 per install. To improve traffic quality, Mondiad built and applied a whitelist of high-performing zones, allowing more of the budget to be concentrated on sources that had already shown stronger conversion potential.
At the same time, automated rules were configured for zones and sub-IDs so that underperforming traffic could be paused faster. This reduced wasted spend and helped the team react more efficiently without depending only on manual checks.
Scaling up results
Once the stronger traffic segments became clearer, Mondiad continued improving performance by removing weak creatives and shifting budget toward the best-performing ad variations.
The team also excluded 3G connections, underperforming browsers, and low-converting browser languages in order to keep the campaign focused on better-quality traffic.
To gain more precise cost control, micro-bids were introduced for selected zones and sub-IDs. These source-level bid adjustments gave the campaign a more refined optimisation layer and helped lower acquisition costs without compromising conversion quality.
Case Study Results
The result was clear. After two months of systematic optimisation, the campaign CPA dropped from around $8 to $5 per install, representing an improvement of approximately 37%.
Just as importantly, the campaign stayed inside the desired CPA range while preserving traffic volume and conversion quality.
Before
After
This case shows that in competitive verticals such as VPN, sustainable growth often comes from better traffic selection, automation, creative cleanup and granular bidding rather than from scale alone. With the right optimisation structure in place, Mondiad helped turn a standard setup into a much more efficient campaign.
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