In a market where trust makes or breaks conversion, RatePunk embedded Octopus Community inside their app to leverage social proof at scale — letting real users share wins, travel deals, and experiences that build credibility and drive action.
Why RatePunk bet on community to build trust
About RatePunk
RatePunk helps travelers save money without lifting a finger, by instantly comparing flight deals across platforms and airlines, using AI to advise when to book, and sending real-time alerts when prices drop.
Their challenge
RatePunk had a clear vision: make the app feel more trustworthy, right from the homepage. The bet? That trust would boost both retention and purchase behavior.
Rather than relying solely on product copy or brand messaging, they wanted users to build confidence by sharing deal and stories, travel-related tips, and feedback with each other.
But what if users used this space to complain, confuse it with support, or even harm the brand?
Fast rollout, smart placement, and measurable impact
It took just a few hours for RatePunk to go live with the Octopus Community SDK, with the following setup:
- access to the main community feed via the navigation bar, to maximize visibility
- custom A/B test tracking and analytics
To validate its impact, RatePunk ran an A/B test: half of users had access to the community, while the other half served as a control group.
The rollout started on iOS, and once the early data confirmed strong results, Android followed shortly after.
From anonymous travelers to trusted peers
First impressions under control, for brand safety
Thanks to “smart shadowbanning”, potentially harmful posts from frustrated users are temporarily hidden, giving the brand time to reply and de-escalate before anything goes public. Result: a positive, trustworthy feed where users feel free to speak, without hurting the brand.
Organic product education, powered by real user questions
When users asked about features they couldn’t find, moderators could jump in, often pointing them to existing premium tools. Every question became an opportunity to drive activation and feature discovery, for all the readers.
Real team presence = real community love
When Vilius, a RatePunk engineer, posted asking for feedback, his message was pinned on top of the feed and instantly became a conversation hub. Users loved being heard, the team got high-value insights, reinforcing trust in both the product and the people behind it.
Targeted weekly notifications to boost reactions
Every week, RatePunk highlighted one post via in-app community notification, leading to +28% more views and 2× more comments on featured posts. It’s a powerful tool to re-engage users and communicate important messages without being intrusive.
Community results
- +29% retention uplift after one month for community users
- +18% app sessions uplift for community users
Trust sells: how community turned into a growth channel
For RatePunk, Octopus Community turned everyday user conversations into brand advocacy and built-in reassurance. Their most valuable users gather in the community — they stay longer, return more often, and buy more. At the same time, newcomers find inspiration, information, and trust through real peer experiences.
The community isn’t a “nice to have”: it’s a retention engine, a conversion booster, and a product amplifier — all in one.
In-app community can boost your app too
See how you can unlock the retention, engagement and monetization gains that in-app communities already deliver for leading apps.
