Surge Takeaways: Game-Changing Retention Tips from the NFL, Microsoft GroupMe, and SignalFire VC

Last week, OneSignal Surge San Francisco brought the heat, featuring some of the sharpest minds in mobile engagement. The lineup included Josh Constine (former TechCrunch editor turned SignalFire VC), Michael Lujan (VP of Technology at the NFL), and Christian Croft (Principal Product Manager at Microsoft GroupMe). From social media marketing hacks to real-time UX personalization, these experts dropped some serious knowledge.

Here’s the rundown of their top takeaways to help uplevel and inspire your engagement.

First up: Josh Constine’s Fireside Chat. The guy knows his way around virality like your favorite influencer knows their best angles. 🤳

LinkedIn: Sure, no one wants to be there, but if you’re looking to forge brand connections with the right people, this is where professionals are networking, job-hunting, and sharing cringe motivational posts. (And yes, your target audience is definitely lurking.)
X (formerly Twitter): Think fast-paced, news-worthy content that sparks conversations. Forget building a loyal following — these days, it’s all about reactions and retweets.
Instagram: The dark horse of social marketing. It’s not just for brunch photos; young people still spend hours scrolling.
YouTube: Video is still king. And with YouTube Shorts dominating, short-form video content is a no-brainer. If this is out of your wheelhouse, partner with someone who is already making videos for your target audience.
New Platforms: Be the cool kid who gets there first. You don’t need to be somebody or have high-fidelity production — early adopters always steal the spotlight. The moment is nigh, as celebrities are ditching X for BlueSky.

PR Secrets That Work (Without Hiring a PR Firm)

Skip the agency fees. Journalists want to talk to CEOs and founders, not your middleman.
Know what your users care about. No one’s interested in your self-promotion; craft stories they’ll actually click. Not sure where to start? Find your ideal audience on social media and start reading what they're into.
Data is your best friend. Publish juicy stats, headlines, or “state of” reports. People love quoting facts and headlines to their friends and colleagues — and your app could be their source. If you don't have access to the data in-house, try curating and compiling content from a variety of reputable sources.

Pro Tip: Humor goes viral. Whenever possible, add moments of unexpected delight to your app experience — like when the Sims drown in the pool because you deleted the ladder. Dark? Yes. Memorable and shareable? Also, yes.

Influencers and Creators: Your Secret Weapon

When it comes to influencers, Josh Constine kept it real: they’re worth the investment — but only if you play it smart.

Find the right fit: Look at your competitors’ content to see which creators are driving engagement in your niche.
Performance-based partnerships: Offer to pay based on results — like $X for 50K views and $Y for 100K. Just make sure the ROI works for you.
Trust the experts: Once you’ve found the right creator, let them work their magic. They know their audience and platform better than anyone, so avoid micromanaging their process.

Pro Tip: Influencers can amplify your reach and make your brand relatable, but success hinges on authenticity. Partner with creators who genuinely align with your audience and let their creativity shine.

2. Real-Time Engagement: Timing Is Everything

When you’re dealing with live sports or real-time connections, the stakes are high. Michael Lujan (NFL) and Christian Croft (GroupMe) showed us how to make the most of key moments.

The NFL App's Winning Playbook

Be first to the phone: When the game is tied with 40 seconds left, fans need to know now. Sending a push after the game ends? That’s a flag on the play. Your engagement solution needs to be up to the task of forging real-time connections with millions of users.
Lifecycle milestones matter: Get users to a key milestone (like engaging with content and game updates in the app for one week), and they’re way more likely to stick around long-term — leading to greater LTV and loyalty. Make sure your automated lifecycle campaigns are set up to make those early connections happen.
Match the message to the channel: Push & Live Activities: Real-time updates. Email: Deep dives or recaps. In-app: Promo teasers or “don’t miss this” moments.

Lessons on Creating an App Fans Can’t Resist

Lujan didn’t sugarcoat it: NFL fans have options — a lot of options. Whether it’s streaming platforms, cable TV, news outlets, social media clips, or even illegal streams, the competition for eyeballs is fierce.

So how does the NFL app stand out when there’s so much content to consume? By going all-in on what makes it special. For Michael, it’s about delivering an experience fans can’t find anywhere else — one that’s tailored to their unique tastes and fandom.

His mantra? Delight the fan. That means creating moments that feel personal, whether it’s a push notification about their favorite team’s game-winning drive or exclusive content that speaks directly to their fandom (hello, team loyalty). The goal is to make the app indispensable — something fans want to open because it feels like it was made just for them.

When you make the user experience the heart of your strategy, you can easily cut through the noise and keep fans coming back for more.

GroupMe’s Play on Delivering Hyper-Personalized Experiences

Use FOMO like a pro to give your messages extra magnetism: “One-third of your school is here!”
Segment smartly: GroupMe funnels users into their campus communities early in the user journey by using key behavioral signals and preferences (via custom Data Tags). Defining segments early allows them to personalize each student’s app experience to their campus (Think: school colors, names, news, etc.).
Build for the long haul: Combine push and in-app for action-based nudges, while email handles the heavier stuff (like longer recaps or feature updates).
Automate for scalability: Not every message is breaking news. Automate your lifecycle campaigns and transactional messages to scale with your app and provide a seamless and personalized experience with limited upkeep.

Key Insight: Find Your Hook

For the NFL, it’s all about the love of the game — or maybe just the Taylor Swift sightings 👀 (we see you, Swifties). Fans show up for their team, their favorite players, or the thrill of some unexpected gametime drama you don't want to miss.

For GroupMe, it’s about creating a space for students to connect with their campus community — think school colors, inside jokes, and the FOMO of missing out on what everyone else is talking about.

Key Takeaway: Whatever your app’s secret sauce is, double down on it. Whether it’s fandom, community, or a little bit of drama, lean into what makes your audience feel seen — and keep them coming back for more.

3. Seasonality and AI: Planning for the Next Big Thing

Both panelists tackled how seasonality impacts their engagement and shared thoughts on how AI is already starting to shake things up.

Leverage Seasonality to Your Advantage

The NFL treats the off-season like a secret weapon. It’s all about laying the groundwork for tools and strategies so that the off-season doesn't become a churn season.

"We’re hyper-focused on answering the question: what are the tools we need to be even more successful next season? If it's more personalized fan experiences, then we ask, how can we build for those goals early? Our technical strategy is always three phases ahead because the toolset we need to succeed must be put in place before we need it," says Lujan.

Like the NFL, GroupMe focuses on new feature development and UI improvements during slower months (like summer break) while simultaneously building automated re-engagement campaigns to lay the groundwork for a seamless back-to-school.

"We plan new features in spring through fall [the off-season from school], and we focus on building re-engagement and lifecycle journeys (i.e. recurring messages) around live events throughout the year, as well as promoting new features as they're released," says Croft.

Key Takeaway: If you’re not planning for next season now, you’re already behind.

AI: Friend or Frenemy?

Apple’s AI features (like notification summarization) are making it harder to stand out and compete for phone real estate.
AI search tools like Google Gemini are eating into website traffic — users get answers straight from search, no clicks required.

How to Win: Build irresistible in-app experiences that keep users coming back for more — no AI shortcuts needed.

4. Data is the MVP

When in doubt, let your user (data) guide you to success.

Start smart: If you’re building from scratch, focus on a single source of truth and be proactive in defining cohorts and segments. As Christian Croft so astutely puts it, doing so will help you spot churn risks before they become a problem, and set up automatic re-engagement strategies to keep those users hooked.
Iterate endlessly: Legacy features can be a mystery. You tweak something tiny, and suddenly users are loving it — but you’re left scratching your head because there’s no data to explain why. Truly understanding your users and how they’re interacting with your app starts with clear, reliable data and a direct feedback loop of communication with your audience.
Know your audience (really well): Yesterday’s superfan might not be tomorrow’s. Keep evolving with them.

Key Takeaway: “Who your users are today may not be who they’ll be tomorrow,” Michael Lujan reminded us. Adapt. Always.

Don't miss a beat!

Whether it’s crushing the social game, mastering real-time messaging, or planning ahead for seasonality and AI, these tips are your playbook for staying ahead of the competition.

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