Technologies are provided for acquisition of an item or service based on a directed content campaign. Embodiments include a computing system that can detect selection of directed content presented at a user device. The directed content identifies a mobile application and an action that results in the item being granted. After installation of the mobile application, the computing system can receive a device identifier of the user device in response to execution of the mobile application. The computing system can then generate data identifying events within the mobile application. The computing system can determine, using the user activity data, that a particular one of those events corresponds to the action, and can then generate a message that identifies the action and the item or service. The message also includes address data for a user interface to obtain the item or service. The computing system can then cause the user device to present the message.