Rotten Tomatoes App — Product Launch & Growth

Overview

Drove content strategy and cross-functional collaboration for the launch of the first-ever Rotten Tomatoes mobile app, modernizing a 25+ year legacy brand into a mobile-native, user-driven platform.

Partnered closely with product, engineering, UX, analytics, and marketing teams to ensure content architecture, programming logic, and trust signals translated seamlessly from web to mobile, while building a scalable launch framework for studios and consumers.

Role

  • Served as content lead in collaboration with Product & Tech

  • Partnered with UX and Design on layout, content modules, and navigation hierarchy

  • Defined programming strategy across homepage, discovery & recommendation modules, and IP placements

  • Led content QA, testing, and quality control pre-launch

  • Built go-to-market content and launch rollout plans

  • Conducted studio roadshows to introduce the app and its capabilities

Challenge

Rotten Tomatoes had long been web-centric and desktop-first.

The mobile app required:

  • Reimagining content hierarchy for smaller screens

  • Preserving trust signals (scoring, ratings, reviews)

  • Integrating user accounts and and social features

  • Balancing editorial voice with product functionality

  • Educating studio partners on new placement and promotional opportunities

Strategy

1. Product & UX Collaboration

  • Worked directly with product managers and designers on layout and module prioritization

  • Defined content placements, social features, and scroll hierarchy

  • Ensured badges and score designations remained visually authoritative

  • Iterated on wireframes and prototypes through review cycles

2. Content & Programming Architecture

  • Built programming frameworks for launch and ongoing daily operations

  • Determined priority content types (Editorial, Video, Awards, Trending)

  • Created launch-week featured content calendar tied to major theatrical and television releases

  • Designed evergreen vs. trending balance for retention

3. Quality Control & Testing

  • Led content QA across staging environments

  • Identified and resolved content rendering inconsistencies

  • Tested logic, score displays, and integration accuracy

  • Partnered with tech to troubleshoot edge cases pre-release

4. Launch & Industry Alignment

  • Developed phased launch content rollout

  • Coordinated cross-channel amplification (social, newsletter, homepage)

  • Conducted studio roadshows and partner briefings

  • Positioned the app as a new promotional and discovery surface

Results

  • Successfully launched the Rotten Tomatoes app with cross-functional alignment

  • Established editorial–product collaboration model for future feature releases

  • Expanded audience touch points beyond desktop

  • Strengthened studio integration and partner awareness of new placements

Impact

The app launch marked a structural evolution of the Rotten Tomatoes brand — from a web-first critic aggregation site to a multi-platform, user-engaged ecosystem (currently +700K downloads, 4.4 star rating)

The initiative demonstrated the ability to bridge content integrity with product velocity, ensuring mobile users experienced the full value of the brand in a modern, scalable format.