Case Study: Fender cuts acquisition costs by 12% and gains 800,000 trial users with Adjust

How ungating their app allowed Fender to reimagine what their online presence could be

Fender, the iconic guitar maker behind the Telecaster and Stratocaster, launched Fender Play™ as a lesson-driven app and ungated it for 90 days during early lockdowns. That surge in interest (800,000 people tried the app) created a new challenge: convert a large free user base into paying subscribers and make marketing spend more efficient under the app’s new business model.

Fender used Adjust’s Multi-touch Attribution and Audience Builder to map full user journeys, automate segmentation, exclude existing trial/subscribed users, and focus retargeting on high‑value prospects. The result was clearer attribution, smarter campaigns and a 12% reduction in acquisition costs, alongside greater brand awareness and improved ad spend allocation.

Fender

Cliff Kim

Director of Growth