What CPI was achieved in the Calzen case study?

The lowest recorded CPI was $0.73 across approximately 7,000 installs.

Calzen Case Study: $0.73 CPI and Scaling an AI App with UGC

Q: What budget is needed to get statistically significant data?

In the Calzen case study, campaigns with budgets of $4,800-$7,200 already produced statistically significant results (400 to 800 subscriptions).

Q: What KPIs should you target for a Health & Fitness app?

Aim for a subscription CPA of $6-8 for CIS markets and up to $15 for Tier-1 countries (US, Europe).

Health & Fitness AI App Meta Ads TikTok Ads UGC

Result: PAD team developed and executed a promotion strategy for Calzen (an AI-powered photo calorie counter) from scratch. We achieved a cost per install (CPI) of $0.73, acquired subscriptions at $8.49–$9.47 (against a KPI target of $15), and boosted CTR by 30% using UGC creatives.

Results at a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Lowest CPI	$0.73	Across ~7,000 installs
CPA (Subscription)	$8.49–$9.47	Against a KPI target of $15
Top campaign reach	1,227,392	One of the install campaigns
CTR uplift	+30%	UGC vs. standard creatives
Test budget	$4,800–$7,200	For statistically significant results

About the Product

Calzen is a mobile app powered by artificial intelligence. Users take a photo of their meal, and the AI identifies calories, macronutrients, and a healthiness score.

Challenge: Despite having a unique technology, the product had no organic traffic and no marketing strategy in place. The market response needed to be validated from scratch.

Objectives:

Launch global targeted advertising campaigns
Achieve positive unit economics
Hit KPI targets: CPA of $6–8 for CIS markets, up to $15 for Tier-1

Strategy: From Local to Global

We chose Meta Ads and TikTok Ads as our primary channels — they are best suited for showcasing AI capabilities visually.

Phase 1: CIS Market Testing

Before going global, we tested hypotheses with Russian-speaking audiences. This allowed us to eliminate underperforming creatives at a low cost.

Average CPI during testing: approximately $1
Compared native-style videos against direct advertising

Phase 2: Scaling

Once hypotheses were validated, we segmented countries into Tier 1–3 and tested different time zones and interest-based audiences.

UGC Creatives: 30% CTR Uplift

Standard ads triggered skepticism ("Does this really work?"). The solution was UGC (User Generated Content).

Format: Short videos up to 25 seconds featuring content creators.

Script:

Filming real food (a banana, a plate of food)
Opening the app
Comparing the AI result with expectations

Why it worked:

Demonstrating AI accuracy addressed user skepticism head-on
Repurposing TikTok-style videos for Meta Ads delivered a 30% higher CTR
The native format was not perceived as advertising

Non-Obvious Insights

Tier-3 markets: India, the Philippines, and Nepal delivered a significant volume of subscriptions at a low cost
The "Street Food" use case: In Asia, the app resonated not only with fitness enthusiasts but also with users estimating the calorie content of street food
Skepticism as a driver: Demonstrating AI accuracy became the strongest argument in our creatives
Parallel objectives: Running "Install" and "Subscription" campaigns simultaneously accelerated the path to ROI

FAQ

What budget is needed to get statistically significant data?

In our case study, campaigns with budgets of $4,800–$7,200 already produced statistically significant results (400 to 800 subscriptions).

Is it realistic to achieve a CPI below $1 on the global market?

Yes, we recorded a CPI of $0.73. This is achieved through a mix of Tier-1 and Tier-3 countries and the high click-through rate of UGC creatives.

Why does TikTok-style content work on Meta Ads?

TikTok-style videos (fast-paced, native-looking) showed a 30% higher CTR on Facebook/Instagram because they look less like traditional advertising.

Is it worth targeting Tier-3 countries?

Yes. In our case, India and the Philippines showed strong conversion rates. Users in those markets are actively seeking affordable nutrition tracking tools.

What KPIs should you target for a Health & Fitness app?

Aim for a CPA of $6–8 for CIS markets and up to $15 for Tier-1 (US, Europe).

Want results like these?

Get in touch: Telegram or ag@pad.team

This case study was prepared by PAD team based on advertising platform data.