KPI — Performance-Based Media Buying

Manifesto

Why KPI is the only format we work in

In 5+ years in the gambling market we have seen dozens of agencies selling "volume" and "activity". In 90% of cases it ended with a burnt budget and zero accountability. RS Traffic is built on the opposite principle: we take a campaign only when we are ready to put specific numbers in writing.

KPI is not pressure on the team — it's the assembly point: creatives, offers, anti-fraud, retention mechanics and weekly reviews are all built around it. Everything that doesn't move the KPI is cut. Everything that does is scaled.

100%

projects with KPI contract

170%

average ROI 2025–2026

94%

campaigns closed on target

compensated to clients

What we lock in

6 core KPIs for every campaign

Formulas, calculation windows and data sources — Annex 1 to the MSA

≥ plan

FTD / Deposits

Minimum number of first deposits within the campaign window. Verified via S2S postbacks and the client's tracker.

$150–$450

Average Deposit

Range of average first deposit by GEO. Bonus-hunters are filtered at the pre-lander stage.

cap fixed

CPA / CAC

Fixed acquisition cost ceiling. If exceeded — covered at our expense until the funnel is corrected.

≥ 150%

Campaign ROI

Calculation window — 30/60/90 days. Measured by client profit, not ad spend.

≥ 22% / 11%

Retention D7 / D30

Player return rate. The KPI that separates real traffic from a one-time spike.

< 1.5%

Fraud / Chargeback

Fraudulent transaction threshold. If exceeded — traffic is replaced or the budget is refunded.

Principles

How our KPI discipline works

No launch without KPI

We physically do not accept a campaign until 4 core metrics are signed in the contract annex: FTD, average deposit, CPA cap and ROI window. This protects both sides from 'working just to burn the budget'.

KPI measured on the client's side

The source of truth is the client's CRM and BI, not our dashboards. We connect read-only so numbers cannot be adjusted. Full transparency on both sides.

Fix is paid for the launch, not the result

The $10,000 starting Fix covers infrastructure: creatives, cloaking, PWA builds, warmed-up accounts, anti-fraud. Results are billed separately under RS / CPA / Hybrid.

One KPI — one playbook

Each KPI maps to a specific set of actions: if ROI drops — we cut funnels; if Retention drops — we change the offer and pre-lander; if FTD drops — we increase volume and rotate creatives.

Workflow

Campaign journey — from KPI alignment to completion act

1–3 days

Discovery

Audit of product, GEO, licences, payment stack
Agreeing the model: RS / CPA / Hybrid
Competitor benchmark review

2–4 days

KPI Alignment

Lock FTD, CPA cap, avg deposit, ROI window
Sign Annex 1 to the contract
Configure postbacks, cohort report, BI access

7–10 days

Soft Launch

10–15% of budget — funnel and offer testing
Daily stand-up metric reports
Cutting underperforming creatives by CTR/CR

3–8 weeks

Scale

Scale only funnels with ROI ≥ target
Weekly cohort review with the client's product team
GEO and vertical expansion on over-delivery

per window

KPI Review

Final reconciliation of cohort reports
KPI completion act + calculation review
Roadmap for the next wave or expansion

Risk Management

If the KPI is missed — the honest scenario

We don't promise "100% guarantees" — in paid media that's a lie. We promise something else: a transparent mechanism for what happens if the plan is not met. Every risk scenario is written into the contract before the campaign starts.

FTD Under-delivery

Reason

Funnels burned out faster than projected, platform anti-fraud tightened, seasonal slowdown.

RS Action

Free top-up within 14 days or pro-rata Fix recalculation.

CPA Exceeded Cap

Reason

Auction overheated, moderation algorithm changed, competitor bought key placements.

RS Action

The gap between actual and cap CPA is covered from our pool — the client pays the cap only.

Low Retention D7

Reason

Product-side issue: onboarding, bonuses, payment stack, localisation.

RS Action

We pause scale, deliver a problem report, and resume only after a product fix. Fix does not expire.

Fraud > 1.5%

Reason

Proxy traffic, motivated installs, bonus-hunters from grey sources.

RS Action

Automatic refund per anti-fraud logs + source segment replacement. Permanent blacklist.

Guarantees

How we see every campaign through

KPI in the contract, not just words

All metrics are in Annex 1 to the MSA. A legally binding clause, not a marketing pitch.

Compensation-clause

Compensation mechanics are written in: top-up, pro-rata Fix refund or rollover to the next wave at no extra cost.

Live-BI dashboard

The client sees FTD/CPA/ROI in real time. We cannot adjust the report — numbers come directly from the tracker.

SLA 24/7

Team lead available in Telegram, response ≤ 30 minutes. Critical situations resolved within 2 hours.

Payment Models

KPI for each working model

Model	Key KPIs	Rate	Best fit
RevShare	ROI, LTV, Retention	30–45%	Long cycle, licensed product, strong retention stack.
CPA	FTD, average deposit	$150–$450 / FTD	Fast launches, clear GEOs, transparent economics.
Hybrid	CPA cap + RS	$80 + 20%	Risk balance: we share both cash-flow and upside.