George is co-founder of Favoured – a full-funnel app marketing agency, specializing in growth and conversion at all stages of the customer app funnel. George is a former marketing lead at Apple working on global marketing campaigns for iPhone & Apple Watch, as well as launching Apple Music, and worked on campaigns for over 100 apps including Pokémon Go, and Clash Royal among others.
In your own words, what’s your role in the app business right now?
My focus is on pioneering innovation in acquisition campaigns and then converting those users at multiple stages across the app funnel to increase conversions, sales, and subscriptions. Over the past 3.5 years, I have grown the team at Favoured to 30 employees and have driven millions of downloads, and millions in sales. Companies that Favoured has worked with have raised in excess of $100M and many have exited.
How did you end up working in apps? / get started?
Before Apple, I worked in the music industry at Universal Music and launched many innovative projects and products including a few artist apps. However, I gained most of my app marketing experience working at Apple. I lead the launch of Apple Music in emerging markets, driving millions of subscriptions attributed to my marketing campaigns, as well as working on over 100 other apps ranging from games to lifestyle, fitness, and utility.
What are you most excited about in apps right now? (tech, trends, people, verticals)
I love that there’s an app for everything nowadays and I am a big fan of connected appliances and their app counterparts so you can control everything from your phone – whether it’s Apple’s own Home app or others like PlayStation, Feelfit or Meross.
What do you like most about working in apps?
I love breaking down the app funnel into key milestones then creating marketing strategies to cover those milestones and tracking how they contribute to users moving through the app funnel from milestone 1 to milestone 2 to milestone 3 and so on – and how, after time we can begin to forecast conversions by measuring the stages of the app funnel and how many users we are moving through it.
What one thing would you change about the app industry / market?
One challenge for a lot of app companies is the implementation of a solid marketing tech stack. Many companies have basic SDK implementations and advanced implementations – however, to really maximize the power of mid-funnel conversion marketing you need to have an advanced implementation. If I could change anything I would like to see more straightforward ways for app companies to implement tach stacks to enable more advanced marketing strategies.
Where do you think there’s an opportunity for apps / or unmet needs?
I think there is a big gap in the app space for app companies to collaborate. By collaborating apps can share the benefits of each other communities whilst offering their users perks or better content.
If you weren’t working in apps what would you be doing?
I also run a side business selling Pokemon cards, so I would probably be growing that business rather than opening all of the packs myself!
iOS or Android?
iOS
What app(s) have been most useful to you over the last year?
Delta – Investment Tracking
What’s on your Spotify / Music party playlist?
Tool
Any Netflix/ TV show recommendations?
Seinfeld
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I played bass in an electro band signed to Universal Music and played Glastonbury, Reading, and Leeds festivals.
Do you know someone driving change and growth in the app industry? Nominate an app leader here.
