Podcast appearances and mentions of peggy anne salz

What if you could predict where your players go after they leave your game—and use that to win them back? In this episode, Aman Sareen, CEO of Aarki, an AI company powering full-funnel marketing, and Francois Daoud, former EVP of Ludia (Jam City) and now CMO of Eyeball Games, unpack how you can tap app hopping patterns to power effective reengagement campaigns. Together with our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, they deep-dive into Aarki's latest Retention Radar report for a masterclass on how studios can replace guesswork with growth and build retention strategies around real player behavior – in the game and beyond. It's a show where data meets strategy, and marketers passionate about both (Marina Hallack, Tap Nation; Bruno Balistrieri, Kwalee; and Betul Ozdemir, Product Madness) weigh in on their pick of Aarki report top takeaways and smart segmentation shortcuts. Aman Sareen -https://www.linkedin.com/in/asareenAarki Retention Radar Report - https://marketing.aarki.com/retention-radar-2025?utm_source=pocketgamer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=retention_radar_2025Francois Daoud - https://www.linkedin.com/in/francois-daoud-7792053/Eyeball Games - https://www.eyeball.games/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **

This week, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow welcome a true PocketGamer OG to the show. Joining the industry in 2001, Oscar Clark has worn many hats—one of which makes him instantly recognizable at every event—from developing some of the earliest mobile games to prototyping PlayStation Home to hosting countless PocketGamer Connects sessions. Now, Founder and CEO of Fundamentally Games Ltd, Oscar shapes strategy for studios to build  regular, repeatable, consistent, and cost-effective LiveOps. He joins Peggy and Brian this week for an unscripted conversation about toxic advertising, player safety, and why the industry needs to take greater accountability for both—before regulation forces its hand.CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro  01:35 - Oscar's background in games07:55 - Misogynistic tropes in mobile games13:31 - Who regulates bad ads?25:03 - Who's responsible for the gaming experience?29:29 -  Designing for vulnerable players38:00 - Internal regulation to avoid external rules42:31 - Favourite games Q&A

Investing seriously in community engagement is one of the most cost-effective levers a studio can pull in a time when UA demands more budget space and organic growth remains the gold standard. But where should studios start, especially those with limited marketing spend? Mike Gallagher, Founder and CEO of Untitled Advertising Lab, says reigniting older titles can drive major growth (a 30% revenue increase for one game) and build loyalty far beyond paid marketing efforts. In this episode, he joins Peggy Anne Salz to share proven reactivation strategies, explain why community engagement needs to be a core business function (not an afterthought), and reveal how chasing virality could actually be holding your game's growth back.Mike Gallagher - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbriangallagher/Untitled Ad Lab - https://untitledadlab.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:33 - Adopting an "Air Buddy" puppy03:47 - What is an engagement agency?08:00 - Reigniting an older gamer10:03 - Case studies with double-digit growth16:39 - Social listening on a shoestring budget21:19 - Mistakes to avoid25:00 - Are you on the right track?28:10 - Don't chase virality33:07 - Rapid fire Q&A for small studios37:05 - An engagement audit42:29 - One small change to make today46:48 - Favourite games Q&A* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **

Hey, App Growth Community! Welcome back to High Five, our five-part mini-series spotlighting five of the boldest minds making the biggest waves in mobile marketing.In this final episode, we're ending on a high note with Michal Bubernik, Head of Marketing at Pixel Federation—the Slovakian studio behind beloved hits like TrainStation 2, Seaport, and Diggy's Adventure. A creative force and industry veteran, Michal has helped shape Pixel's reputation for simulation excellence and built a standout strategy that blends data-driven experimentation with human realness.Joining host Peggy Anne Salz and series regular Peter Jung, Head of Paid UA & Creatives at App Guardians, Michal shares how AI is empowering his team to scale creative production without sacrificing quality—or soul. From the early days of static ad testing to fully automated video workflows and AI-generated voiceovers, Michal takes us behind the scenes on how his team went from brainstorming to blockbuster ads.Tune in for honest insights and pragmatic tips, including when to let AI take the wheel, how to spot a winning creative early, and why sometimes the best-performing ads…aren't the prettiest. (Spoiler: scrappy still sells.) Plus, don't miss Michal's backstory about how he became the “Tuna of the Gaming Industry.”It's the perfect finale to a series about fearless experimentation, fast iteration, and never losing sight of the human touch. Listen in now!00:00 - Intro01:49 - The "tuna" of the gaming industry03:56 - AI in creatives strategy11:14 - Scaling AI creatives17:15 - "Worth it" AI tools22:39 - Benchmarking performance 25:30 - Peter's scrappy picks31:20 - Michal's winning creatives35:55 - What doesn't work

When MobilityWare reorganized its teams and reimagined its creative strategy, the result wasn't just a fresh perspective—it delivered a 21% boost in CTR, powered by the tools and insights of key partners InMobi and AppsFlyer. That transformation didn't happen in isolation; it was the product of smart collaboration, bold experimentation, and a laser focus on performance. We turned this episode of the PocketGamer Podcast into a masterclass in all three. Joining our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, are Chris Kim, the UA mastermind behind MobilityWare's transformation, Adam Smart, AppsFlyer's Global Director of Product - Gaming and master of measurement, and Dharak Desai, the VP of Performance for North America & EMEA at InMobi Advertising, where he's written the playbook on a privacy-first growth strategy. Listen and learn from this group of unmatched UA experts as they dive into MobilityWare's success story, noting the tactics and tools that revealed a 13.5% drop in eCPI and a 38% increase in US-based iOS user growth for the studio—while offering smaller studios advice on standing out and mastering discoverability on a shoestring budget.Chris Kim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjkim213/MobilityWare - https://www.mobilityware.com/Adam Smart - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-smart/AppsFlyer - https://www.appsflyer.com/Dharak Desai - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharak-desai-a3034231/InMobi Advertising - https://advertising.inmobi.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro03:53 - MobilityWare challenges post-ATT06:06 - A dramatic restructuring08:00 - InMobi & AppsFlyer partnerships10:00 - Balancing UA and retention11:47 - InMobi's role18:26 - AppsFlyer's SSOT24:45 - Lessons in getting back on track27:20 - MobilityWare's three incrementality tests30:56 - Standing out on a shoestring budget34:43 - Rapid fire cheatsheet38:32 - Favourite games Q&A

Hugo Obi, Founder of the Lagos-based Pan-African studio Maliyo Games, joins hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow on this episode of the Pocketgamer.biz Podcast to share how he is driving the growth of Africa's indie game development sector. While much of the region's gaming revenue still comes from Western-made titles, Hugo is actively changing that by building a thriving ecosystem of African studios creating games rooted in local culture and folklore. He dives into Maliyo's major initiatives, including insights from the 2025 Africa Games Industry Report, the GameUp Africa talent accelerator in partnership with Google, and Maliyo's recent collaboration with Disney on Iwájú: Rising Chef.Hugo Obi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugoobi/?originalSubdomain=ngMaliyo Games - https://www.maliyo.com/GameUp Africa - https://gameupafrica.com/2025 Africa Games Industry - https://africagamesreport.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:20 - An abnormal start 04:48 - Telling African stories10:11 - Popular games in Africa11:20 - 2025 Africa Games Industry Report19:22 - Building an industry ecosystem22:18 - Making Disney Iwaju: Rising Chef27:08 - Safari City31:56 - A popular game is a global game35:10 - Comparing studios to car manufacturers 37:04 - GameUp Africa42:24 - Favourite games Q&A

In an era where discovery is harder than ever, community isn't just important—it's the deciding factor of your game's success. The usual approach? Build the game first, then work to attract the right audience. But Fateless Games followed a different path. They started as HH Gaming—a gaming content creation and community focused on mobile hero collector RPGs, particularly Raid: Shadow Legends—Simon Lockerby, which grew to 11M+ page views and 400K+ members before deciding to create their own game, Godforge.Raising $6M in just 10 weeks, the team partnered with ex-Riot, Microsoft, and EA talent to bring their vision to life—and the beta waitlist is already open.In this episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast, Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Co-Founder Simon Lockerby, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Dan Francis, and Co-Founder & Game Director Hisham Saleh to discuss how they leveraged their community, turned engagement into momentum, and built a studio where players are part of the journey from day one.Simon Lockerby - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-lockerby/Dan Francis - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-francis/Hisham Saleh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hishamsaleh/Fateless Games - https://www.fateless.gg/HH Gaming - https://hellhades.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro 00:40 - How Fateless started10:41 - The year of the true fan15:00 - Gearing up for the launch 17:37 - Supporting content creators22:42 - Cashing in on the k factor26:45 - Cultivating culture and talent33:55 - Creating the next HH Gaming group

Nailing mobile ad strategy isn't just about making eye-catching creatives—it's about understanding what works, iterating quickly, and scaling effectively, even on a tight budget. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Z, Founder and CEO of BLKBOX.ai, to discuss how AI-driven creative optimization is transforming the way gaming studios approach ads. By following BLKBOX's Five Pillars of Creative Success, teams can break free from the copycat cycle, create unique ad variations, and boost performance without overloading their art teams. Z also explains how the latest AI tools can streamline go-to-market timelines, ensure brand-compliant creatives, and help studios make smarter scaling decisions.Z - https://www.linkedin.com/in/athar-zia-97555462/BLKBOX. - https://blkbox.ai/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:58 - 1500% return05:26 - Demystifying the blackbox08:44 - The Five Pillars of Great Creatives10:55 - Pillar One: Analyse13:00 - Unlocking surprising insights16:03 - Pillar Two: Ideate19:55 - Pillar Three: Create22:30 - Pillar Three: Test26:46 - Pillar Three: Scale30:26 - "Don't go live yet."35:54 - Demo of Blkbox's dashboard44:30 - Treat art as science46:05 - Favourite games Q&A

"If you don't do D2C, you're leaving money on the table." David Stelzer, President of Xsolla, is blunt and bullish about direct-to-consumer strategy in his interview with Peggy Anne Salz at Pocketgamer Connects London. He shares his impressions of the gaming industry, insights from Xsolla's latest State of Play report, and why implementing a D2C in your monetisation mix is an absolute must in 2025.David Stelzer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidstelzer/Xsolla - https://xsolla.com/State of Play 2025 - https://xsolla.com/the-xsolla-report

AI isn't here to replace marketers—it's here to empower them. In this week's PocketGamer podcast, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow chat with Bob Hollanders from Appier and Matej Lančarič, a UA expert known for his innovative approach, about how AI is transforming creative strategies in 2025.Matej reveals how he's using AI to generate a high volume of UGC ads on a minimal budget with impressive results while Bob urges marketers to act now. AI is more than a data-crunching tool; it's a force multiplier for creativity. However, its impact depends on how well you direct it. So get ready to polish your prompt engineering skills because that's a big part of what decides if you lead or follow in 2025!Bob Hollanders - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-hollanders-a3b82627/Appier - https://www.appier.com/en/Matej Lančarič - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matejlancaric/Matej's website - https://lancaric.me/CHAPTERS00:00 - Intro 02:04 - Where AI is disruptive07:54 - How to make AI work for you14:59 - The right amount of data20:28 - Where to start25:55 - Achieving higher ROI31:35 - What studios consistently get wrong33:20 - What excites Bobbie & Matej the most?37:00 - Favourite games Q&A* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **

Peggy Anne Salz pulls Dean Day, CEO of Black Smoke Studios, aside at PGC London to learn from his playbook on extending the lifecycle of games and enhancing cross-channel play. They delve into their experiences with Stumble Guys, the strategic shift to direct-to-consumer models, and the games approaching light monetization in free-to-play games the right way.Dean Day - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanday/Black Smoke Studios - https://www.bsstudios.co/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **

Arr matey! Andrew Mattingley, Founder/Director of indie studio NineZyme OÜ, sank his anchor at PGC London last week to learn more about UA and promote his studio's newest title: Tiles Tales: Pirates. In this interview, he chats with Peggy Anne Salz about embracing nostalgia to bring new energy and new users to indie games. Tune in to collect your treasure!Andrew Mattingley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-ninezyme/?originalSubdomain=ieNineZyme OÜ - http://ninezyme.com/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **

Level up your next family game night! Peggy Anne Salz chats with Adam Cain, company owner, at PGC London about Pixel Playground, a brand offering immersive VR experiences for the whole family in Southport, UK. They dive into emerging technologies in the VR space, merging with mobile, and how to leverage cross-channel gameplay to get everyone in the family playing. Listen and learn!Pixel Playground VR - https://pixelplaygroundvr.co.uk/Adam Cain - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cainadam* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **

"Gaming publishers are a long oft-overlooked opportunity for brand advertisers." This week on the PocketGamer.biz Podcast, Todd Rose, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development and Addressability at InMobi Advertising, explains how the right approach to Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) can transform compliance into real revenue—for both gaming and non-gaming advertisers. Backed by InMobi's latest data, Todd reveals that even with minimal CMP customization, publishers can achieve a 70% opt-in rate, driving significant improvements in ad performance and revenue. Our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, sit down with Todd and Paul Le Bas, Chief Revenue Officer at 52 Entertainment, to explore how CMPs help publishers and advertisers strike a balance between personalization, privacy, and monetization. They dive into why consent signals boost ad rates, how to fine-tune opt-in flows, and what brands need to know before hitting ‘start' on their CMP strategy. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:33 - Opt-out stats 11:18 - How to get players to opt-in 16:11 - How CMPs helps publishers 22:08 - What Paul wishes he knew 24:09 - Steps to improve opt-in rates 30:30 - First-party data retargeting successes 31:48 - One tip for implementing CMPs 33:35 - Favourite games Q&A

In 2025, gaming is no longer just about creating great games—it's about creating thriving ecosystems. The rise of live-service models and player-driven economies means that success hinges on more than just initial downloads or launch-day hype. Studios now face a critical question: how do you keep players playing? Justin Sacks, CEO and Co-Founder of Nexus, offers a compelling answer: creator programs. These initiatives empower content creators to transform games into dynamic communities, driving retention, reactivation, and long-term growth in an industry where player loyalty is priority #1. Justin joins Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow in this episode for a candid conversation on what it takes to build and maintain a world-class creator program. The group discusses why working with content creators proves to be a fantastic tool for sustainable growth, the mistakes and challenges studios face when getting started, why traditional influencer marketing falls short and how a revenue-sharing model sets both creators and studios up for success. Listen and learn! CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:54 - Lessons from competitive gaming 03:05 - Why creator programs matter 09:10 - Managing creator programs 13:25 - What Nexus does 14:46 - Influencer marketing vs a creator program 19:35 - Streamer to studio designer pipeline 22:08 - Steps to setting up 28:35 - Small creators still perform 31:58 - Common challenges and mistakes 38:16 - Upcoming trends 39:25 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Great gaming investors bring more than just cash to the table—they offer strategy, trust, and a shared vision for success. Jetapult hits the mark on all three and, like its name, gives studios the fuel they need to rocket toward sustainable growth, focusing on empowerment rather than just rapid expansion. Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Jetapult Co-Founder and CEO Sharan Tulsiani to explore how Jetapult's partnership-driven approach sets it apart from traditional VCs. Drawing from his experience as the former Head of Google Play Games in India, Australia, and New Zealand—and as the creator of Google's Indie Games Accelerator—Sharan shares how Jetapult helps studios leverage data, cultural insights, and operational expertise to scale smarter. He also offers rare insights into what investors really want to hear from studios during pitches and how by prioritizing long-term stability and creative freedom, Jetapult ensures developers remain firmly in the driver's seat. Sharan also dives into specific examples, like helping one studio cut production time by 70% with AI-driven tools and achieving #1 on app store charts by focusing on culturally resonant gameplay. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 03:28 - Jetapult's unique approach 08:51 - Rejecting the Founder "hero story" 11:10 - Is your studio a fit for Jetapult? 18:28 - Why Jetapult invests more than cash 26:54 - How much growth does Jetapult deliver? 33:33 - Peggy and Brian on AI 38:22 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Hey, App Growth Community! Welcome back to High Five, a five-part mini-series where we spotlight five of the biggest minds driving the biggest bottom-line results in mobile today. In this episode, we welcome Luis de la Cámara, Vice President of Marketing at Rovio Entertainment, the mobile gaming powerhouse behind the Angry Birds franchise. For nearly 20 years, Luis has shaped some of the most iconic games in the industry. He's helped garner 600+ million installs for titles across genres, but his expertise goes beyond meeting metrics; Luis brings a unique creative edge, honed through years of leadership and a surprising past as a competitive breakdancer! Joining our host, Peggy Anne Salz, and returning guest Peter Jung, Head of Paid UA & Creatives at App Guardians, Luis discusses how the fusion of art and science fuels creative strategy in gaming. From capitalizing on the fantasy of escapism to the power of emotionally engaging visuals, he shares honest insights and actionable tips for crafting ad campaigns that resonate with users and drive results.  It's an episode teeming with lessons from a truly top-of-the-line marketer, including how to craft creatives on the fly, when to challenge your winning creatives, and how to leverage scrappy tactics without compromising results. Tune in now! CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro  04:19 - Creatives creation platforms  11:35 - Crafting creatives on the fly 19:49 - How to find a winning creative 24:03 - It's a volume game  29:10 - Hero creatives 37:04 - Scrappiness vs speed 42:31 - One tip from Luis 44:08 - Good vs bad ads

Mobile gamers are drowning in choices, but they'll still spend—if your ad monetization strategy speaks to their player type and why they downloaded your game in the first place. But it's not enough to satisfy players; studios ring in the revenues when they combine services and a sense of urgency.  This is where Mistplay's latest Mobile Gaming Growth Report equips game devs and ad mon teams with a roadmap to profitable growth in 2025. Kyle West, Sr. Director of Marketing at Mistplay, joins hosts Brian Baglow and Peggy Anne Salz to unpack findings and show how developers can sharpen their marketing, maximise monetisation, and level up loyalty programs by crafting experiences according to player personas and gameplay preferences.  He's joined by Oxana Fomina, well-known ad mon authority and Founder of Gradient Universe, a game analytics consulting firm. She delves into her latest client successes to reveal standout strategies studios of any size can use to turn players into payers. Listen in to Part 1 of a special two-part series where we dig into how studios can sync UA with LiveOps for better results, take small but effective steps to scale web shops, and use FOMO as motivation while still adding value to limited-time events. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 04:24 - The Mistplay Mobile Gaming Growth Report 07:23 - Brand as a part of UA 10:17 - Utilizing first-party data effectively 12:05 - Aligning UA and LiveOps 15:00 - Actions for small studios 17:50 - Effective monetisation strategies 21:37 - Why web shops? 24:34 - Balance urgency with value 26:53 - Quantity vs Quality 28:57 - Advice for starting studios * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

In 2024, our hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow interviewed 45 experts across the gaming industry, from straightforward studio heads and energised executives to data-driven developers and monetisation mavens. In this special edition episode, Peggy and Brian look back on the Top 7 shows of this year, recapping the pure-gold lessons and learnings from the marketers you enjoyed hearing from the most in 2024.  As this is the year's final show, all of us at Steel Media and the Pocketgamer.biz Podcast want to wish you a happy holiday season and a joyful new year. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in January for the first episode of 2025! CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro  04:35 - #7 The Innogames team 07:46 - #6 Akin Babaygit, Tripledot Studios 10:46 - #5 Patrick McSteen, Logan Square Consulting 15:02 - #4 Ryan Filsinger, Iron Fox Games 18:43 - #3 Maria Sayans, ustwo games 22:00 - #2 Teis Anker Mikkelsen, Multiscription 26:02 - #1 Daniel Tchernahovsky, AppLovin 30:41 - Year #2 of the Pocketgamer.biz Podcast * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Welcome back, App Growth Community, to High Five, a five-part mini-series where we spotlight five of the biggest minds driving the biggest bottom-line results in mobile today. In this episode, we showcase Peter Jung, Director of Paid UA & Creatives at App Guardians, a mobile-first marketing agency focused on strategic growth. Throughout his career, Peter has managed $33+ million in ad spend and scaled hundreds of apps, including Lucky Day, a Top 10 App on iOS and Android. He joins our host, Peggy Anne Salz, in this week's show to reveal his strategy for crafting captivating and attention-grabbing creative ads that actually convert and reduce wasted ad spend.   It's a strategy quite similar to fishing, he says. To effectively catch and keep users, every ad needs to bait, hook, and reel in users with engaging visuals, a clear call-to-action, and a creator or character that matches its target demographics' user persona. Throughout the episode, Peter shares several resources that marketers can review before, during, and after creating their ads to ensure each one meets this criteria before spotlighting real ads from real apps and explaining why each one either flopped or had users flying to the app stores to download.  This is a show filled with practical tips and advice, from the three core elements of a strong creative and the tools Peter uses to edit his ads to why a soft sell rather than a direct ask might be the better option and the metrics to keep an eye on to evaluate campaign performance. Listen in now! CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - Core of strong creatives 03:25 - Why CTA is so important 05:17 - Direct vs Indirect CTAs 07:34 - Gaming vs non-gaming apps 08:52 - App elements to consider in creatives 16:07 - The creative fishing formula 23:25: A checklist for great ads 27:29 - Effective or ineffective ad #1 30:24 - Effective or ineffective ad #2 32:00 - Effective or ineffective ad #3 35:00 - Effective or ineffective ad #4 36:42 - Effective or ineffective ad #5  29:32 - Effective or ineffective ad #6 41:34 - Metrics to pay attention to 43:44 - Where does AI ad value? 46:10 - The secret to staying innovative 49:00 - Where to connect with Peter

What made gaming acquisitions attractive in 2024, and what do investors have on their wishlist for 2025? Michael Metzger, Managing Partner at global tech investment bank Drake Star, takes the mic in this episode of the Pocketgamer.biz Podcast to shine a light on the new era of M&A and share advice with studios shaping their growth strategies for the upcoming year. Alongside our host, Peggy Anne Salz, and special co-host Craig Chapple, Michael reveals insights from Drake Star's Global Gaming Report Q3 2024, explaining why 2024 saw a surge in M&A activity—with a 70% year-over-year increase in gaming sales—and how factors like private equity interest, strategic acquisitions, and profitability-focused deals are shaking up the industry status quo. Tune in to determine what's driving the shift, what it means for developers, and why diversification into non-gaming sectors should be on your growth radar for 2025. Drake Star's Global Gaming Report Q3 2024 - https://www.drakestar.com/news/global-gaming-report-q3-2024 Michael Metzger - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmmetzger/ Drake Star - https://www.drakestar.com/ CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:41 - Getting to close 05:42 - Length of acquisition 08:56 - What's driving gaming M&A? 13:00 - Is it sustainable? 17:11 - What are acquiers looking for? 19:49 - Rollups in 2025 23:37 - The financing climate 30:15 - Bullish on blockchain 33:43 - Diversification 35:44 - Investments in 2025 42:09 - Advice for studios * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Accurate segmentation makes the difference between a good game and a great one, but with the declining availability of third-party data, developers face mounting challenges in finding strategies that drive installs and reduce churn. The opportunity? Psychological segmentation, which taps into player motivations and traits rather than relying on surface-level demographics or behaviors. This week, Joe Schaeppi, CEO and Co-Founder of Solsten, joins our hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow to reveal how this approach gives developers a winning edge. From understanding the "why" behind player behavior to uncovering untapped personas and creating experiences that truly resonate, Joe breaks down how psychology-driven segmentation empowers developers to connect with players on a deeper level. The result? Games that are not only sticky but also lovable and loyalty-worthy. Tune in to learn about the science of resonance, why it beats relevance, and how to design games that foster enduring player relationships and scalable success. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:45 - Risk & fun 04:30 - What kind of player are you? 07:39 - Resonance vs relevance  11:46 - How to use resonance to stand out 19:24 - Solsten is an insurance policy 25:34 - How does Solsten work? 32:37 - It starts during development 36:30 - Values show up during play 40:01 - Integrating brands 46:33 - If 50% of VCs like your idea 50:16 - Favourite games Q&A   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Welcome back, App Growth Community, to High Five, a five-part mini-series where we spotlight five of the biggest minds driving the biggest bottom-line results in mobile today. In this episode, we zoom in on Cameron Thom, Chief Revenue Officer of the Americas at Adikteev, a global leader in mobile app re-engagement and retention. Under Cameron's leadership, Adikteev has shifted its focus to adaptive strategies, including a bold expansion into APAC with a new office in South Korea.  He joins our host, Peggy Anne Salz, to share how prioritizing retention over traditional UA drives sustainable, long-term growth for mobile apps.  Drawing insights from Adikteev's survey of 120 marketers, Cameron reveals the tools and tactics industry heavyweights are leveraging to predict churn, improve monetization, and minimize in-app friction.  He dives into key findings from the report, like how over 58% of respondents have implemented personalized privacy prompts that not only improve opt-in rates but also present a unique opportunity to engage users in a brand's voice. Plus, hear how retention strategies—like Duolingo's predictive segmentation—can boost weekly active users by up to 70%. It's a data-dominated episode. Listen in as Peggy and Cameron unpack the common mistakes marketers make when measuring long-term retention and actionable solutions to fix them. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro  01:03 - Eastern vs Western growth 04:00 - Before sustainable growth was trendy 05:41 - Rule-based approaches 07:30 - 2024 Retention Survey 12:51 - A cross-team approach 15:49 - Privacy and retention 21:40 - A shared love for data 23:17 - Cameron's personal inspiration 24:30 - What's next?

84% of players uninstall games due to disruptive or poorly placed ads, proving that bad ads don't just hurt a game's reputation but its bottom line, too. Our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, dive into AppHarbr's recent report, “Player Sentiments On In-Game Ads” — a one-of-a-kind survey of over 600 players — before Peggy hits the floor at Gamesforum London to ask games professionals how they combat problematic creatives. Ad monetisation and growth experts from Kwalee, Product Madness, Moloco, GameBiz Consulting and Playtika share the steps to taking back control of your game's ad quality and where they see the most growth for games in 2025. Božo Janković - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bozoj/ John Wright - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwright1987/ Bruno Balistrieri - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruno-balistrieri-5b10a8194/ Piyush Mishra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/piyush-mishra-4333a340/ Or Zilberman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/or-zilberman-469834131/ Michael Fortune - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mifortune/ CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:35 - AppHarbr Survey 03:41 - Relevance, timing, and quality 07:09 - Božo Janković - GameBiz Consulting 13:57 - John Wright - Kwalee 22:19 - Bruno Balistrieri - Kwalee 24:56 - Piyush Mishra - Product Madness 31:38 - Or Zilberman - Playtika 34:38 - Michael Fortune - Moloco * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Offerwall campaigns are rapidly climbing the ranks of top-performing game-mon strategies, delivering 86.1% higher D7 retention rates compared to rewarded video and interstitials, according to Unity's Mobile Growth and Monetisation Report 2024. The good news: high-value players (and whales) are snapping at the bait. The not-so-good news: a growing appetite for rewards can increase the risk of fraud. This week, Alexander Hrankin, CEO and Co-Founder of Scrambly, joins our host, Peggy Anne Salz, to share how the company's rewarded-discovery platform connects users with games and apps that match their interests and hunts and blocks bad actors and bots. It will always be an uphill battle, but Alex, once a professional boxer, shares how the right training and a can-do attitude can fight off fraudsters. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:09 - Boxing as games training 03:45 - FinTech verification  05:45 - Aspects of user quality 08:05 - Fraud vs a high-value user 11:27 - How to counteract bad actors 13:02 - Which metrics matter? 16:30 - Low-quality vs bad actors 19:50 - Stopping fraud as it happens 21:51 - Shifts in rewarded 25:47 - Advice for studios starting out 31:25 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Discover how Aghanim enables mobile game publishers to boost net revenue by up to 200% through secure & compliant web-based monetization strategies. By integrating Aghanim's suite of tools—covering game-content, liveops automation, community engagement, and payments—publishers can streamline operations and optimize their low-performing web shop approach. Our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, spoke to Conor McLaughlin, VP of Revenue & Partnerships at Aghanim, about how their unique, comprehensive platform is revolutionizing the space and maximizing profits for mobile publishers. This episode is sponsored by Aghanim. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:40 - Pineapple on pizza 03:51 - What is Aghanim?  07:19 - The four friction points 14:28 - Giving publishers power again 17:35 - Connecting with the brand outside the game 20:05 - One-size-fits-all 21:53 - Customized by player 26:56 - Autopopulated content 27:58 - UA or ad mon? 29:29 - Aghanim beyond games 32:51 - Be agile 34:15 - Favourite games Q&A  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Resilience, grit, and a gut feeling about good talent separate average studios from great ones and determine which can stand the test of time. Few people hit the mark on all three, like Iron Fox Games Founder and CEO Ryan Filsinger. With a legacy of iconic IPs, including The Simpsons, Star Wars, and Marvel, Ryan's insights stem from 17 years of industry experience and a mindset geared toward endurance. Ryan tells our hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow how studios can push through the unexpected, from the loss of key clients to evolving revenue models, and he unpacks strategies Iron Fox uses to diversify risk, sustain client relationships, and balance in-house projects with work-for-hire. He also dives into how Iron Fox is tapping into web platforms to preserve and modernize classic games for today's players, providing a home for retro titles that may otherwise stay stuck in the past with changing hardware and software standards. From identifying the right monetization model to embracing new platforms, this conversation equips founders and developers with actionable advice to build studios that can go the distance when shift happens. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:07 - An island journey into games 04:24 - Iron Fox Games 09:43 - Preserving classic games with web 14:40 - The power of the browser 16:40 - Everything old is new 17:50 - What to do when shift happens 24:16 - How to keep clients on your roster 29:58 - Talent non-negotiables 33:05 - Hitting 10M  36:02 - What's next at Iron Fox 39:27 - Where indie studios should focus energy 41:11 - Building something to last  42:40 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

As our host Brian Baglow always says, “If there's one constant in the games' industry, it's change.” In this episode, we switch gears from talking about how to make winning titles to discussing a winning strategy that will allow you to ride the waves of change—not be crushed by them. Faith Price, Director of Growth Marketing at DoubleDown Interactive, and Gwen Kestrel, digital marketer, educator, and co-founder of Bold Cat Studios, join Peggy Anne Salz and Brian to dive into how to reinvent yourself during a downturn—something both of them have done more than once. Whether you're facing a layoff, pivoting careers, or future-proofing your skills, learn how to turn setbacks into opportunities—from leveraging your network to building a ‘feel-good book' and even designing a custom role for yourself. Tune in to discover how to stay resilient, relevant, and ready to thrive, no matter what the market looks like.  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 03:45 - Gwen's journey 05:21 - Mentally preparing for change 10:20 - Tools to be comfortable with uncertainty 13:44 - Creating a role for yourself 18:12 - Apply for the job you aren't qualified for 21:50 - Identify what brings you joy 27:13 - Feeling lost  29:30 - Leaning on your network 32:51 - Brian's advice  34:29 - How AI can help 41:50 - Advice on starting over 44:45 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Data is the lifeblood of any business, but the value is when you can just owning the data doesn't mean you're making a difference. Instead, studios need to see it in context. Safia Dawood, Senior Data Scientist at Moloco, shows them how on this week's show alongside our hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow. Having worked at both startups and top tech companies like Ubisoft and Meta, Safia dives deep into the data to discover what truly drives mobile game growth. She reveals Moloco's recent research on market trends, what top games are doing differently, and how to turn poor engagement around to help marketers determine what truly drives their mobile growth and what they need to be doing now to change the game—literally and figuratively. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:25 - Data doesn't always tell the truth 05:04 - Market trends 2022-2024 07:13 - Adjusting for a slowdown 10:07 - How marketers should be leveraging data  12:56 - What top-performing games are doing differently    18:10 - How to turn poor engagement around 21:00 - 22% higher transaction value 23:00 - Driving repeat purchases 25:35 - Why is remarketing a critical part of growth 27:22 - Engage to retain 33:30 - How top games invest differently  35:15 - Emerging trends and opportunities gaming companies should be paying attention to 36:42 - What's next for Safia 39:19 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

In today's app market, success is no accident—it's a strategy. Whether your app becomes a unicorn (a rare, standout success), a camel (steady and sustainable), or a hog (a resource-draining misstep) depends on the decisions you make now. In this episode, Patrick McSteen, App & Game Monetisation Expert with Logan Square Consulting, joins hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow to explain how a great ad monetisation strategy can transform the ad experience from a necessary nuisance to an aspect of the game that excites, engages, and entices users to spend. Patrick takes the mic to share the strategies that he's employed to help more than 50 games and 30 apps reach their full potential and how to rocket ad revenue without cannibalising your IAP.  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - Why Logan Square Consulting? 02:18 - Rapid learning is everything  04:01 - Is ad mon the ugly ducking? 08:45 - Unicorns, camels, and hogs 13:04 - Where does ad mon come in? 15:10 - How to get hesitant studios and apps on board 19:50 - Is rewarded the right path? 24:26 - Where do apps make the most mistakes? 28:35 - Who's job is this? 31:20 -  Optimising the spinner wheel 37:22 - Darwin will sort you out 41:50 - A game that does it right 44:06 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   ** Let's Connect **

Making business decisions blindly will bankrupt you and your game. But with the right data, you're never in the dark. This week, we hand the flashlight to CEE Mobile Gaming and Apps Lead at Google, Mariusz Gąsiewski. Nicknamed “The Insights Guy,” he turns numbers into narratives that guide game devs through the emerging trends they can't afford to ignore. In this episode, he shines a light on the latest shifts in geos, genres, and growth opportunities to give Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow a clear path to the gaming industry's next big opportunities and advice on boosting user retention and cutting marketing costs. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:18 - Get used to never having enough time 03:13 - Trends in the best-performing genres 08:58 - It's never one-size-fits-all 11:57 - Geos with the most growth 13:57 - Opening up to new audiences 18:57 - Affordable and profitable geos 24:59 - Double-digit revenue decline 28:43 - Growth: PC/Console vs. Mobile 37:46 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Pixel United, known for its portfolio of popular F2P titles and millions of active players, has nailed the art of squeezing revenue from ads without squeezing the fun out of a game. On this week's episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast, Kelly Kang, Senior Director of Ad Monetisation & Partnerships at Pixel United, joins host Peggy Anne Salz to share pages from her playbook and to shed light on what the role of an ad monetisation manager means in today's games market. Kelly delves into her unexpected experiences in the role, the importance of collaborating with game developers, and which ad formats truly deliver value. She also explores why brands are slow to embrace in-game ads, the effectiveness of in-app header bidding, and what it takes to build a top-tier ad monetisation team. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:10 - The unexpected part of the job 07:12 - Convincing the game devs 10:45 - Which ad formats are worth the hype 13:43 - What's different about the offer wall?  15:56 - Why are brands lagging behind? 18:52 - How to get in front of brands 23:20 - What the agencies want 27:06 - Experiences with CMPs 30:28 -What does ad-mon really do?  34:50 - Is in-app bidding really better? 37:41 - What does it take to build a good ad-mon team? 41:10 - Favourite games Q&A  43:00 - The mark ad-mon can leave on a studio * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Kooapps is no stranger to building big brands and successful games. Its portfolio, which includes Snake.io, Piano Tiles, Pictoword and Stacky Bird, has garnered more than 450 million downloads to date. On this week's episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast, Kooapps CEO CK Wang joins host Peggy Anne Salz to discuss his journey from Microsoft to co-founding his own company, evolving out of the hypercasual space and building strong brands. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:43 - Microsoft Research lessons 05:38 - Snake.io anniversary 07:34 - Hypercasual to unified casual 14:05 - Snake.io monetisation strategies 17:49 - Rewarded video ads 19:49 - Building a brand 25:40 - Listening to players 28:29 - Tools for the job 32:11 - Survival tactics 36:51 - ROAS modeling 39:24 - Kooapps' future 43:25 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **

A seasoned games professional with over 15 years of experience at top-grossing studios, including Rovio, Voodoo, and PlayStation, Sophie Vo knows the drill and how to drive success. But she also learned first-hand that companies can only go from good to great when they have exceptional and empathetic people at the helm. That's why she founded Rise and Play, a company helping studio leadership up their game. Offering services from high-performance team and 1-1 coaching to streamlined hiring, training, and onboarding processes, Rise and Play equips games professionals with the resources and network they need to level up and create lasting change within their company. Sophie joins our hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow this week to discuss common leadership challenges, why she "sees suffering in most leaders," and lift the lid on the 3 questions you can ask yourself to elevate your emotional management skills. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:44 - Sophie's journey 04:55 - Why pivot now? 08:35 - Common leadership challenges 11:37 - Managers vs leaders 14:40 - What good leaders look like 17:22 - Training leaders 25:28 - Creating the right system 28:50 - How to reinvent yourself 32:46 - Expanding outside the game market  36:05 - Three questions to ask ourselves  38:28 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

For smaller studios, building long-term relationships with ad networks is crucial. This means asking the right questions, leveraging the right data, and utilising all available resources effectively. Sergey Sukhov, Chief Business Development Officer at AdQuantum—a performance marketing agency that offers unique support to smaller game studios on top of traditional UA services—offers his advice for nailing all three in this episode. Alongside our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow, Sergey shares exactly what studios should bring to the negotiating table and how to obtain the right data from ad partners to know for certain whether to keep or kill your game. What's more, he breaks down Ad Quantum's bespoke solutions tailored to studios of all sizes and the creative format that outperforms all others. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:17 - What does AdQuantum do? 04:35 - Tactics and questions for smaller studios 10:20 - Studios biggest challenges 12:15 - Navigating negotiations 15:20 - Building relationships with ad networks 20:35 - Get creative about creatives 24:15 - Formats that perform well 26:08 - AI for measurement 28:28 - Metrics that matter 30:00 - Emerging trends 32:20 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   ** Let's Connect **

It used to be that big wins demanded deep pockets. Now, achieving success on a shoestring budget isn't the exception but the rule. It all comes down to one question: how much are you spending on your backend? This week's guest estimates that studios spend an average of $21 million and three years developing their own backend. With Metaplay, you can do it in two weeks. Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Teemu Haila, Co-Founder and CPO of Metaplay, to share how the brand scales smaller studios and saves them $1 million per year with one SDK. Teemu dives into the tech, explaining how Metaplay's solution offers the infrastructure to successfully scale live service Unity C# games, facilitates smooth real-time interactions, and ensures a safe and fair player experience by making your game 100% secure from cheaters and bots. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:20 - Teemu's journey into games 05:46 - Scales as a service  08:30 - 4 pillars of scaling   11:57 - Strategies for a larger player base 15:20 - How studios succeed during layoffs 19:46 - Building around live-ops  28:40 - A flexible studio culture 31:20 - A live-or-die market 33:18 - Metaplay's growth blueprint 36:29 - Making cheating impossible 39:32 - Working with Metaplay 43:15 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

A leaner team paves the way for a smarter UA strategy—a must-have for studios with a broad portfolio like Gazeus Games. Estela Dos Santos Rocha, Marketing Coordinator at Gazeus, tips her hand to share the savvier steps any marketer can take to make the most out of their tight-knit team, from attracting the awareness of attention whales to playing to the preferences of old and new users alike. After that, our host, Peggy Anne Salz, dives deep into growing and re-engaging mobile app consumers with Aman Sareen, CEO of Aarki. Aman breaks down the Aarki rebrand, reveals the metrics that really matter, and surprises us with his take on how many partners marketers should work with to move the needle on campaigns—and remain sane. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Estela Intro 01:58 - Managing UA across a broad portfolio 05:30 - Attention whales 08:15 - What entices players? 09:18 - Estela in her own ads 10:30 - Making the most of a small team 12:48 - Appeasing new and old players 14:33 - What to pay attention to in A/B tests 16:55 - Small step, big career impact 19:25 - Maintaining motivation 21:10 - Aman Intro 22:20 - 3 pillars of the new Aarki 24:00 - More or less partners? 25:35 - What metrics matter? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Hybrid monetisation is in, and relying solely on either in-app purchases or ad-driven revenue to power profitability is out. There's no question that modern monetisation is merging and morphing, so we called in a professional to help us navigate the trends we need to be watching through the rest of the year. Daniel Tchnernahovsky, VP of Global Business Development at AppLovin, sees the games world from a different perspective and shares it all with Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow. One trend on the top of his radar is maximising your LTV by customising your game to player spending habits. “The truth is that patterns of behaviour are a result of design,” Daniel says. The solution: design your game for high retention by sending users to a version of your game that resonates with their preferences. It can be heavy lifting, but Daniel has a few workarounds. To get the lowdown on all of his top trends and no-BS advice, listen in to this episode. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:56 - The growing approach of hybrid monetisation 09:50 - Response from developers on hybrid monetisation 12:05 - How to implement hybrid effectively 16:41 - Non-negotiables on a high-value player 19:15 - Spread your investment 23:26 -  Enabling studios to move to hybrid 25:14 - A different game for every segment  29:30 - Where else should marketers put their money? 33:20 - AI's place in innovation 36:05 - What is coming that will have a major impact on games? 38:51 - The mindset for hunting whales 41:30 - Favourite games Q&A ** Let's Connect **

2024 is turning out to be the year of alternatives. We have the rise of alternative app stores, alternative ads, and a sharp focus on alternative monetization models to maximise revenue potential for gaming studios. Some are mashing up advertising and in-app purchases, while others are tapping strong IP to monetise players' eyeballs. This week, we're talking about an alternative model that raises the bar for some studios and arguments amongst others—subscription. Teis Anker Mikkelsen, CEO and Co-Founder of Multisctiption—a company offering a cross-publisher subscription service for F2P games—joins hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow again in this episode for a sweeping discussion of subscriptions and how the model inherently increases retention, player re-entry, and in-app spend. He shares tips for creating a friction-free payment experience, addressing subscription fatigue, scaling, and a checklist to determine if a subscription model is the right fit for your game.  00:00 - Intro 03:11 - Understanding subscriptions in apps 10:42 - Subscription increases retention 13:09 - Creating a friction-free payment experience 15:56 - Addressing subscription fatigue 19:56 - How to smooth the transition to subscription 23:36 - Who is a subscription model best for? 36:07 - How big can you scale subscriptions? 41:34 - How to adapt the model to different players 43:27 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Great games start with a great understanding of gaps in the industry and the factors that play a pivotal role in predicting profitability. This week, we welcome a guest with a keen eye for both and a sixth sense for high-potential startups. Akin Babayigit, Co-Founder and President of Tripledot Studios joins our hosts, Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow. The business side of games is baked into Akin's DNA—a talent that helped him build Tripledot from the ground up and go on to effectively scout out and scale lucrative studios like Dream Games and Luna Labs Limited. In this episode, he shares pages from his playbook on recognizing the signs of commercial success in a specific title and tells Peggy and Brian the specific data points that are most crucial to the decision-making process at Tripledot. Tune into the show for his insights into the unique opportunities for app marketers in Turkey and advice to embrace the new science of performance marketing. **Chapters** 00:00 - Intro  01:55 - Akin's background 07:52 - How Tripledot stands out 14:39 - Signs that a game will be a success 28:01 - Market conditions in Turkey 35:18 - Embrace the new science of performance marketing 42:15 - Favourite games Q&A

MENA is a fast-growing gaming territory with high-paying and highly engaged players, but what will it take for the region to gain recognition on the global stage? Our host, Peggy Anne Salz, sits down with a Saudi studio for an insider look into the local opportunities and challenges. Miikka Lindgren, VP of Publishing at Sandsoft—a studio making waves in MENA and displaying impressive growth in a growing industry—shines a light on Sandsoft's strategic focus on global publishing and its innovative approach to data-driven decision-making that underscores their commitment to sustainable growth. He emphasizes the importance of product as marketing, balancing short-term metrics with long-term growth targets, and staying focused amidst numerous ideas and opportunities in the industry. Plus, he gives us a sneak peek into Sandsoft's arcade simulation game, Business Dudes.  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:14 - Opportunities in MENA 08:23 - Sandsoft grows despite downturns 11:13 - Balancing short-term metrics with long-term growth 13:17 - Don't be afraid to dream big 15:31 - What to learn from Chinese studios 21:44 - Alternative distribution platforms 23:21 - What's next in MENA and for Sandsoft? 30:39 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

MENA is a region ripe with opportunities for game industry professionals. Our host, Peggy Anne Salz, sits down with an expert on the area and headline speaker at the GameExpo Summit powered by PG Connects, Kadri Harma. Co-Founder of the investment fund and mentoring program, GameFounders, and Venture Partner at Sisu Game Ventures, Kadri brings her on-the-ground expertise to the show this week, lifting the lid on unlocking the MENA market. She shares the investment opportunities and player behaviour that make the region stand out, the government initiatives that empower the local industry, and the actions indie studios can take to attract the attention of the investor community. Listen in and register now for the GameExpo Summit on May 1-2.  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 02:57 - Understanding the MENA market 07:57 - MENA's appeal 12:48 - Opportunities for investment 20:36 - Favourite games Q&A * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

Acquiring valuable users is only half the battle. To truly power profitable growth, studios must focus on the smart strategies that retain their users for years rather than days. Faith Price, pioneers this approach in gaming as the Director of Growth Marketing at DoubleDown Interactive, a leading social casino and mobile games studio. She joins host Peggy Anne Salz in this episode to share how she uses lifecycle marketing to extend the lifespan of DoubleDown's 13-year-old app—and the tips you can implement to do the same for your game. She opens up about her testing tactics and routine and reveals the three steps anyone can take to reinvent themselves during this industry downturn.  CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:50 - Determining the features that acquire vs retain 05:36 - Timing and testing communications and community 11:26 - What does the testing routine look like? 12:31- How to reinvent yourself in games * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

In today's noisy, data-constrained market, studios can't afford to splash the cash on multiple soft launches. Instead, they must identify innovative ways to test and validate concepts while keeping their costs low. It's a path stacked with strategic decisions that can seem daunting for smaller studios or leaner teams. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz links up again with Piyush Mishra, Director of Growth at Product Madness, to learn about his playbook for producing stellar games on a shoestring budget, from concept testing to global launch. He reveals the metrics that matter most when evaluating creative and the questions to ask to effectively greenlight games across genres. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 03:22 - The creative metrics that matter 08:12 - Using UA to test and validate concepts 11:38 - Keeping costs down during testing 15:36 - Using UA to test gameplay creative 17:29 - Benchmarks for greenlighting a game  23:15 - Marketing must be there from the start 27:28 - What genres does this work for? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  ** Let's Connect **

For smaller studios on shoestring budgets, diving deep into data can feel daunting. But having a leaner team doesn't equate to less impressive results—if you have the right tools at your fingertips. When tasked with managing her studio's UA and monetisation, Clary Xiaodan Zhang, Head of UAM at Elia Games, created a fully customisable, no-code automation system that transforms marketers' time management and democratises data using two readily available, low-cost tools—Google Sheets and Notion. Clary joins us on this week's show alongside hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow. She explains how her system delivers on three fronts: It serves as a data analytics platform, matches specific actions with campaign performance, and sends smart alerts that tell marketers in minutes the campaigns that need their attention most. Clary reveals how she saves 50 hours/week integrating this automation and shares the blueprint that studios of all sizes can follow to build their own system in-house. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 04:28 - Balancing UA and monetisation at the same time 05:58 - Clary's no-code solution 08:48 - How Clary's solution helps studios of all sizes 11:10 - AI strengths and weaknesses in UA & monetisation 16:01 - How AI is changing job descriptions 20:52 - Saving 50 hours/week with a no-code solution 24:12 - Disrupting the non-gaming industry 26:47 - Cultivating creativity with Clary's no-code AI 29:40 - How to build a system like Clary 34:48 - Favourite games Q&A

Happy New Year! We're excited to be back after our break for the holidays.At the Mobile UA Show, we had a great 2022 with some amazing guests that shared their ideas and insights with us. We're excited to kick off 2023 with our iconic prediction series: the Mobile Growth crystal ball. This year, we have forecasts from pioneers in the industry like Peggy Anne Salz, Reggie Singh of Adjust, Bessie Byeon of Liftoff, Alex Bauer of Branch, Nataliia Drozd of Fabulous, Daniel Tchernahovsky of Applovin and Marianne Clerc of Adikteev.Our guests have spoken about a range of topics like UA, media mix modeling, UGCs, measurement models, SKAN 4.0 and much more. Check out this episode to learn what our experts are looking out for in 2023.The show notes are here: https://mobileuseracquisitionshow.com/episode/2023-predictions-user-acquisition-mobile-growth-mmm-ugc/**Get more mobile user acquisition goodies here:http://RocketShipHQ.comhttp://RocketShipHQ.com/blog

We are steering down the barrel of recession, but consumers' appetite for subscriptions will likely continue to develop, and an increasing number of subscription businesses will share the pleasure. Subscriptions account for 82% of revenue regenerated on average by non-gaming apps. In the U.S., the annual spending on top subscription apps in the Apple App Store increased by ⅓ over a year, reaching 6 billion in 2021. Revenues on Google Play also rose a massive 78% to reach 2.5 billion the same year. What's driving the rise of Subscription models?For consumers, it promises lower barriers to entry, convenience to purchase, and access to novel and curated content.For app businesses, it promises monetization and security.Despite the proven benefits, there are still many challenges that apps struggle with such as the notorious “subscription fatigue.”Listen to the full episode to learn about the state of the subscription economy, and success strategy recommendations by Peggy Anne Salz, a leading mobile marketer, and the chief analyst and founder of MobileGroove.For noteworthy quotes and key takeaways from the episode, read the article - The Subscription Model - the state, benefits, and success tips by Peggy Anne Salz (MobileGroove)Episode Topics at a GlanceThe state of the Subscription EconomyDealing with Subscription fatigueBenefits of Subscriptions How Subscription Apps can rise above challengesExample of SpotifyMore about Peggy Anne Salz As the chief analyst and founder of MobileGroove — a top 50 ranked destination providing analysis, custom research, and strategic content marketing to the global mobile industry, and mentoring and consulting to tech startups — Peggy Anne Salz is recognized as one of the leading experts shaping the mobile world. Peggy is also a nine-time author, a frequent Forbes contributor and guest contributor for a variety of leading media outlets — including Harvard Business Review — where she shares her insights on mobile marketing, mobile apps, customer engagement, and business innovation.Peggy produces podcasts, videos, webinars, and blogs to equip mobile marketers with best practices and growth strategies to power campaigns, brand storytelling, and user engagement. She is also the Chief Content Officer of MMA Germany.Peggy Anne Salz's LinksPeggy's Linkedin ProfilePeggy's Twitter Peggy's YouTube ChannelMobile Presence PodcastPeggy's Author page on ForbesOther social media and contentMMA GermanyTimestamp00:22 Peggy Ann introduction01:11 Potential upcoming subscription trends02:12 Key points about the subscription economy05:20 Good examples of subscription apps07:51 How to connect with your customers10:42 Dealing with subscription fatigue13:24 What are psychographics?17:40 What's the power behind value graphics?20:10 Why are subscriptions so successful?22:00 Benefits to subscription apps26:24 Must-haves for subscriptions28:52 Your brand and retaining subscribers32:55 Peggy's book recommendations34:23 Peggy's upcoming book

If you want your FinTech app to thrive, perfect your lifestyle marketing system. That's what Times Internet's VP of Growth Marketing, Vivek Girotra, recommends. In episode #484, our host Peggy Anne Salz questions Girotra on best practices for FinTech apps to increase user retention and meet engagement goals. Girotra implores marketers to leverage market cycles, personalize communications, and get creative with metrics while he announces Abound – a neobank for Indian expats who live outside the subcontinent.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mobile-presence8298/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

There are influencers for every brand – but not every influencer is a good match. In episode #483, our host Peggy Anne Salz asks Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, the world's largest influencer marketing company, how to choose influencers that deliver high ROI and compelling content. Ryan shares his vision of the Creator Economy and weighs in on the importance of authenticity in influencer marketing. He also offers actionable advice for getting the most value out of influencer relationships, including nano-influencers and micro-influencers.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mobile-presence8298/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Personal brand-building can be a 24/7 job – but there are a few shortcuts that let you burnish your brand in less time and with more impact. In episode #482, our host Peggy Anne Salz asks Jarrett Thomas, a social media consultant, influencer and host of the personal branding podcast More Than a Title. It's a candid and humorous exchange when Jarrett draws from personal experience and more than a decade in digital sales to share how companies can grow leads (and revenues) by empowering employees to build personal brand. He also speaks openly about overcoming imposter syndrome and steps you can take to ensure your voice is authentic and rises about the noise.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mobile-presence8298/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy