The keys to success that have made Supercell one of the most profitable companies

Supercell Studio is one of the most successful companies in app stores, all thanks to its games and a formula that has made them one of the most profitable companies in the app development market.

Launched in 2012 and founded by Mikko Kodisoja and Ilkka Paananen in Finland, it bases its business model on a monetization system freemium where paying is not mandatory to play and reach the top. It is not a pay to win, although Supercell does not need to put up financial obstacles, since it already knows how to make its customers spend their credit to acquire juicy improvements.

But the model freemium It's not the only thing that sets Supercell apart, and the Finns have been able to string together a series of actions with which to captivate their players. So What have you done with this? one of the most profitable companies?

The two jewels in the crown are Clash of Clans and Clash RoyaleThe first one was released in August 2012 on iOS and October 2013 on Android and quickly became an example of how apps should be made. mobile strategy games.

Clash Royale It was launched globally in March 2016 taking advantage of the popularity of other card games such as the classic ones Magic either Hearthstone but with a more dynamic touch, with real-time animation and using the same characters that already made it popular in Clash of Clans, confirming that Behind Supercell is a company that knows how to sell a video game.

Analyzing their two most famous games we find a series of common factors. In addition to the already mentioned system free to play:

Short and very fast games

Starting a game that will only take a few minutes is a simple decision, without any commitment. It is logical that a mobile app player, who does not have much time to play or who would turn on his console or PC if he wanted something serious, prefers a game that lasts less than five minutes to one that compromises him and leaves him in the middle of the action. And that is precisely one of the characteristics of Supercell games.

In Clash of Clans you manage your resources, order new constructions or attacks and close it. Clash RoyaleA game lasts three minutes and one minute of overtime in case of a tie. A gameplay characterized by its speed, as it does not require a significant investment of time, ideal for short moments.

Does this feature of Supercell games make them exclusive to short moments? On the contrary, it is a plus that allows reaching all types of smartphone users, but as long as the player has battery and internet connection, he can spend as much time as he wants managing his Hog Riders, PEKKA and wizards.

Perfect adaptation to touch control and size of smartphones

Other qualities of Supercell video games are their Perfect adaptation to touch devices.

Until then, most games were packed with virtual buttons on the screen: a D-pad, a trigger, a shooter... Some took advantage of the gyroscope or other functionality found in smartphone hardware, but few had controls adapted to the new times.

Clash of Clans and especially Clash Royale, have known how to adapt the way of playing to take advantage of the touch screen, making use of Drag and click actions on elements on the screenSupercell has managed to move away from touch controls inspired by analog buttons, adjusting the handling to an experience that the user is already familiar with.

Using push notifications left and right

Supercell reminds us over and over again that we need to return to the game. Either because we have acquired a certain resource that we can now use, because we have been attacked by an enemy clan, because we can now unlock our chest, or because there is an incredible promotion that will surely be of interest to us.

In general, Supercell knows how to boost recurrence, which among other aspects is necessary for positioning in search engines (ASO), but above all, to hook the player by trying to make him want to reach the top and, if all goes well, spend some coins.

Lots and lots of money in advertising

Is Supercell one of the companies that reinvests the most revenue in promotion? The answer is a resounding yes, and it is worth it, because today It is one of the most profitable companies in the sector. While most of its players do not spend a single cent in-game, there are others who already pay for the rest, and a lot. The acquisition of new users is so profitable that They can afford to spend millions on advertising and still make ends meet.

Supercell games dominate the interstitial, those ads between screen and screen that make you wait fifteen seconds to continue playing.

Not only do they spend on advertising within mobile applications, but also on media such as YouTube. Did you know that in 2016 and 2017 appeared in the Top 10 most viewed advertising videos on this platform?

• Fifth most viewed YouTube ad in 2016 (45 million views)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk_q3Zv_5w8

• Second most viewed ad of 2017 (114 million views)

Supercell's advertising investment is such that, even in 2015, they were able to pay for a one-minute spot during the Super Bowl, the sporting and advertising event that brings the most people in front of screens in the US, the same event whose cost per second of broadcast is the highest in the world.

• Clash of Clans spot at SuperBowl 2015

The real reason why Supercell is a successful company

But what is the reason for Supercell's success? The answer is simple and it is all the result of the coordination of the previous elements that allows it to have a perfect strategy aimed at a single objective: achieving sales and millions of mini-transactions.

Although the Clash They are free-to-play games, Supercell knows how to steer the user towards purchasing upgrades.

Same as Spotify allows access to the application for free with limitations and advertising and tempts us with its Premium mode. In the same way that Epic Games offers us Fortnite on PC at no cost, but tries to captivate us with its new skins… Supercell encourages us to play again and again, generating constant incentives, giving away chests, cards and coins so that we are willing to pay to acquire more and more improvements.

And they motivate us to want to get more items by inviting us to come back, generating a desire for daily participation with the game. Rewards for winning a game and some special chest that trigger the user's excitement but that are nothing compared to the great prizes that can be acquired by paying a few hundred green gems.

These are the main factors that have made Supercell one of the most profitable companies in the mobile market, with more than 2.1 billion euros in revenue each year and large coordinated teams (what they call Cells) to make their games a revenue machine that is difficult to imitate.