Footnote: Immersive in-game ads is currently in closed beta and is only available for selected publishers
Most publishers are still relying on the same old ad formats and experiences. That feels safe, but it leaves money, premium demand and player trust on the table. In this episode, we dig into why traditional formats are overrated, why immersive in-game ads are underrated, and how a new hybrid monetization model can deliver both revenue and respect for your players.I’m joined by Fatma Gungor Okutan from Google, who works on partnerships with app and game publishers across EMEA. Fresh from the Google App Summit in Dublin, Fatma shares what she’s seeing in the market: publishers hesitant to change formats, brands demanding higher-quality inventory, and players who want ads that blend into the game rather than break the flow.We unpack what immersive in-game ads actually look like – from billboards on virtual race tracks to menu items and pause screens that become native placements – and how AI is shaping everything from creative design to targeting and localization so ads feel relevant, not random.Fatma also calls out the red flags: forced redirects to app stores, confusing or missing exit buttons and low-quality, over-frequent ads that might give you a short-term bump but destroy retention and brand value over time. She explains why even hyper-casual games now need to balance frequency, segmentation, and experience to achieve real, sustainable performance.
When we talk about the future, Fatma doesn’t pick between ads, IAP or subscriptions. She puts her bet on a new hybrid model where IAP still dominates in absolute dollar terms. Still, ads take a bigger share – as long as publishers use segmentation, smarter formats and ad quality as a core design principle, not an afterthought.This conversation is part of PlayerFirst Perspectives, a MobileGroove mini-series powered by AppHarbr. It’s a series about fixing ad quality and developing ad policies so users stay in your app or game, and you can enforce what you believe is right for your players.👉 Join the conversation Be part of the Player First Collective on Slack, where marketers, product teams and platforms swap real examples of bad ads, immersive formats, policy fixes and UX wins. You’ll find the Slack invite link and more resources in the show notes.In this episode, Fatma tells me:- Why relying too much on traditional formats is an overrated trend in mobile game monetization- Why immersive in-game ads are underrated and how making every item or surface in your game a potential placement can unlock premium, brand-safe demand- How AI is already embedded in Google’s infrastructure, from auctions to new formats, and how publishers are using it for creative design, coding and end-to-end experience building- What a high-quality immersive ad experience looks like for players and for brands that care how they show up in games- The ad quality red flags she watches for: too-frequent, low-quality, non-relevant ads that may boost short-term revenue but hurt retention and brand health in the long run- How segmentation by country, behavior and ad tolerance helps you design the right ad mix for different users instead of treating everyone the same- Why she is betting on a new hybrid monetization model where IAP and ads work together, and quality, formats and segmentation decide who wins*** Subscribe for More ***👉🏻YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeggyAnneSalz?sub_confirmation=1👉🏻Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm👉🏻Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/28e1039b-4ead-4c48-aed7-8aceb5195fa6/mobilegroove👉🏻On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824
For years, app and game growth felt like a sugar rush. Cheap installs, aggressive ads, quick wins. That era is over. Now we’re finally seeing hard data on what disruptive ad experiences really do to player retention – including how one bad ad can trigger instant churn and how repeat exposure can burn through half your audience.In this episode, I’m joined by Alexis de Charentenay, Director for EMEA App and Gaming at Google, live from the Google App Summit in Dublin. Alexis explains why he believes we’re in a post–sugar rush phase, what new ad quality data is revealing about user behavior and how AI inside Google’s stack is helping filter out the junk so publishers can protect players and performance.This conversation is part of PlayerFirst Perspectives, a MobileGroove mini-series powered by AppHarbr. It’s all about fixing ad quality and building ad policies that keep users in your app or game so you can enforce what you believe is right for your players.👉 Join the conversationBe part of the Player First Collective on Slack, where marketers, product teams and platforms swap examples of bad ads, policy fixes and UX wins. In this episode, Alexis tells me:- Why he says the industry has been on a “sugar rush” and what changes in the post–sugar rush era- What new Google data shows about immediate churn after a single disruptive ad, and how repeat bad experiences can burn through half your audience- How AI is built into Google’s ad stack to detect and filter low-quality and disruptive formats at scale- Why publishers need visibility into how specific ad experiences affect retention, not just short-term revenue- How to push partners and networks on ad quality and make it part of your brand promise- Why retention should be your North Star metric – and how to aim for both high ad quality and high performance instead of trading one for the otherStay tuned for upcoming PlayerFirst Perspectives episodes on MobileGroove, where we explore how publishers, platforms and partners are turning ad quality, policy and player trust into a real growth advantage.*** Subscribe for More ***👉🏻YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeggyAnneSalz?sub_confirmation=1👉🏻Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm👉🏻Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/28e1039b-4ead-4c48-aed7-8aceb5195fa6/mobilegroove👉🏻On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824*** Let's Connect ***👉🏻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/peggy.salz👉🏻 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz👉🏻 Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com*** What We Do ***MobileGroove: Mobile Marketing Insights, Trends & Growth StrategiesMobileGroove is a top-ranked destination for mobile marketing, app growth, and customer engagement strategies. We deliver expert analysis, custom research, and strategic content marketing to help mobile-first businesses and tech startups thrive in a fast-moving industry.My videos cover: • User acquisition (UA) best practices • App retention and lifecycle marketing strategies • Personalization and loyalty programs that drive ROI • The latest in mobile advertising and data-driven growth • Success stories from top marketers and mobile-first brandsPeggy is a recognized thought leader, named a Top 100 Mobile Influencer by Mobile World Congress, and the author of Apponomics (with InMobi) and The Everything Guide to Mobile Apps.Subscribe for weekly updates on mobile app marketing, growth hacking, retention tactics, and more.
Publishers are done being passive participants in their own monetization stacks.Recorded live at the Google App Summit in Dublin, this MobileGroove episode features two candid conversations with experienced publishers who are taking a clear, player-first stance on ad quality, trust and long-term value.I spoke with:Otto Simola, Head of Player Acquisition and Monetization at FingersoftAnastasiia Paliienko, Marketing Lead at 6037Together, we unpack how publishers are rethinking monetization as a product decision, and why ad quality, policy and trust are now central to sustainable growth.With Otto, I talk about:- Why user acquisition and monetization must operate as one system- How poor ad quality quietly erodes long-term retention- Why publishers have more power than they think to push back on bad ads- What clear value exchange gets right in rewarded experiences- Why measuring retention over time matters more than short-term performance- Where AI helps today in detecting low-quality and misleading adsWith Anastasiia, I dig into:- What it means to scale subscription apps without compromising trust- Why hybrid monetization is becoming essential- How ad policy and platform standards support better player experiences- Where AI is already changing creative production and testing- Why value, honesty and relevance matter more than clicks aloneAcross both conversations, a clear theme emerges: publishers are shifting to a player-first perspective, where ad quality, trust and long-term value are treated as core growth levers, not trade-offs.PlayerFirst Perspectives on MobileGrooveThis episode is part of PlayerFirst Perspectives, a MobileGroove mini-series powered by AppHarbr.The series focuses on improving ad quality and developing ad policies so users stay in your app or game and publishers can enforce policies that are right for their players.👉 Join the conversationBe part of the Player First Collective on Slack, where marketers, product teams and platforms share real examples of bad ads, policy fixes and UX wins.*** Subscribe for More ***👉🏻YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeggyAnneSalz?sub_confirmation=1👉🏻Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm👉🏻Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/28e1039b-4ead-4c48-aed7-8aceb5195fa6/mobilegroove👉🏻On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824*** Let's Connect ***👉🏻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/peggy.salz👉🏻 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz👉🏻 Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com*** What We Do ***MobileGroove: Mobile Marketing Insights, Trends & Growth StrategiesMobileGroove is a top-ranked destination for mobile marketing, app growth, and customer engagement strategies. We deliver expert analysis, custom research, and strategic content marketing to help mobile-first businesses and tech startups thrive in a fast-moving industry.My videos cover: • User acquisition (UA) best practices • App retention and lifecycle marketing strategies • Personalization and loyalty programs that drive ROI • The latest in mobile advertising and data-driven growth • Success stories from top marketers and mobile-first brandsPeggy is a recognized thought leader, named a Top 100 Mobile Influencer by Mobile World Congress, and the author of Apponomics (with InMobi) and The Everything Guide to Mobile Apps.Subscribe for weekly updates on mobile app marketing, growth hacking, retention tactics, and more.
Publishers are facing some tough questions: why are there so many bad ads, who actually owns ad quality, and what can publishers do about it right now?In this candid backstage debrief, I’m joined by Božo Janković (Ad Monetization Consultant at GameBiz Consulting) right after we leave the main stage at the Google App Summit in Dublin to unpack the realities publishers face every day. We talk through a simple way to frame ad quality – from harmful content and deceptive templates to nonstop ad spam and hidden malicious code – and why ad experience is app experience for your users and your bottom line.Božo also shares insights from a Google / AdMob / Deloitte study showing that 1 in 5 players will quit a game after a negative ad experience. We also dig into what happens when the industry doesn’t fix this itself: user backlash, app store pressure and, eventually, regulation.This conversation is part of PlayerFirst Perspectives, a MobileGroove mini-series powered by AppHarbr. It’s a series about fixing ad quality and developing ad policies so users stay in your app or game, and you can enforce what you believe is right for your players.👉 Join the conversation -https://join.slack.com/t/playerfirstcollective/shared_invite/zt-3kcihn2oh-jXuCNSOYnqIFjynxegYUugBe part of the PlayerFirst Collective on Slack, where marketers, product teams and platforms swap real examples of bad ads, policy fixes and UX wins – and compare notes on what’s working. In this backstage episode, we talk about:- Why there may be more bad ads than good ones – from disgusting or misleading creatives to malware, spyware and scams hidden under the surface- A simple ad quality “stack”: ad content, ad templates and UX, ad implementation and frequency, and ad integrity- What the Google / AdMob / Deloitte data reveals about churn, player choice and the real revenue impact of negative vs positive ad experiences- The four key stakeholders in ad quality – advertisers, ad networks and mediation, publishers and app stores – and how responsibility and power are shared- Why publishers have more leverage than they think: defining ad policies, insisting networks enforce templates and shifting teams from quantity to quality- How communities help share solutions and push the industry toward higher standards- Why ignoring ad quality is no longer an option if you care about profitable growth, valuations and building a business with solid, sustainable metricsStay tuned for upcoming PlayerFirst Perspectives episodes on MobileGroove, where we continue to dig into how publishers, platforms and partners are turning ad quality, policy and player trust into a real growth advantage.*** Subscribe for More ***👉🏻YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeggyAnneSalz?sub_confirmation=1👉🏻Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm👉🏻Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/28e1039b-4ead-4c48-aed7-8aceb5195fa6/mobilegroove👉🏻On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824*** Let's Connect ***👉🏻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/peggy.salz👉🏻 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz👉🏻 Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
Bad ads don’t just annoy users – they quietly drain your growth. Intrusive, misleading or unsafe creatives push players to churn, wreck trust and make your monetization look worse than it really is. This episode is about how to stop that leak and turn ad breaks into a player-first experience instead of a reason to uninstall.
Berk Ulusoy works with leading app and game publishers at Google on the AdMob team. He shares what Google’s best-performing partners do differently: how they spot bad ad UX before it becomes a churn problem, how they use segmentation to protect high-value users and why clear ad policies have become a growth lever, not just a brand-safety checkbox.
This conversation is part of PlayerFirst Perspectives, a new MobileGroove mini-series powered by AppHarbr. It’s a series about fixing ad quality and developing ad policies so users stay in your app or game, and you can enforce what you believe is right for your players.
👉 Join the conversation: Be part of the Player First Collective on Slack, where marketers, product teams and platforms swap examples of bad ads, policy fixes and UX wins. You’ll find the Slack invite link and more resources in the show notes.
In this episode, Berk tells me:
Stay tuned for upcoming PlayerFirst Perspectives episodes on MobileGroove, where we dig into how publishers, platforms and partners are turning ad quality, policy and player trust into a real growth advantage.
Growing an app has never been harder. Privacy limits are rising, signals are shrinking, and marketers are expected to deliver more with less. In this episode, Nicoline Strøm-Jensen from Adjust tells me how teams can still grow with confidence when the data gets thin.Nicoline is an Engineering Operations Manager at Adjust and a Top 100 App Leader known for turning complex measurement into clear, actionable strategies. She explains why installs no longer tell the full story, how retention-led growth is reshaping budgets, and why user journeys now depend on transparency, trust, and deeper signals across the funnel.This conversation is part of the 2026 Full Funnel App Growth Series on MobileGroove powered by Aarki, where we unpack how growth really happens in a privacy first world — and why marketers need new playbooks, not just new tactics.In this episode, Nicoline tells me: • What Adjust’s data reveals about global shifts in app growth • Why healthy growth now depends on engagement and retention • How funnels are becoming continuous learning loops • Why the value contract matters for trust and personalization • How marketers can act on delayed or limited signals • How deep linking rebuilds journey continuity • Where AI assists with faster, clearer decision-makingStay tuned for the upcoming Full Funnel App Growth Playbook and future episodes in this series, where we explore how marketers are turning privacy, performance, and creativity into a real growth advantage.🔗 Connect with the GuestsNicoline Strøm-Jensen (Adjust) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinemdemiroz/ Adjust: https://www.adjust.com/
Rovio is showing the industry what’s possible when UA and re-engagement work together.
In this new episode of the 2026 Full Funnel App Growth Series powered by Aarki, Peggy speaks with two of Rovio’s seasoned performance marketers, Martin Boccardi and Sinem Demiroz, to unpack how Angry Birds 2 is achieving exceptional results by rethinking segmentation, creative strategy, and predictive retargeting windows.
🎯 Results They Achieved:
Beat Day 90 ROI goals by 1.7x on average
Hit their Day 365 LTV target in just 3 months
Increased retention and sessions even as installs dipped
Scaled retargeting operations through dynamic (daily) list uploads
Uncovered high-potential “movable middle” audiences previously missed
In this conversation, Martin and Sinem share how Rovio:
Shifted from static rules to predictive re-engagement thinking
Identified audiences with high future value — not just past purchases
Shortened inactivity windows despite higher organic overlap
Built a creative flywheel where UA insights feed retargeting (and back again)
Embraced nostalgia-driven creatives that perform across the funnel
Adopted a testing culture where “don’t be afraid” is the growth mindset
This episode is packed with learnings about segmentation, timing, creative strategy, and collaboration — and why retargeting is no longer an afterthought but a core growth lever in a privacy-first world.
🔗 Connect with the Guests
Sinem Demiroz (Rovio)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinemdemiroz/Rovio: https://www.rovio.com/
Martin Boccardi (Rovio)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-boccardi/ Rovio: https://www.rovio.com/
What happens when you treat retargeting like a real growth channel—not just an experiment?
For Aleyna Cerrah, UA Manager at APPS, the result was a jump from 30% to 100% ROAS in just 28 days—powered by a creative-first strategy and close collaboration with Aarki.
In this MobileGroove episode (recorded at MAU), Aleyna breaks down how her team achieved those numbers by combining smart segmentation, AI-generated creative hooks, and weekly iteration. Plus: why playables aren’t great for re-engagement, what KPIs matter most, and how retargeting became a bridge between UA and product.
🎯 This is the full-funnel blueprint for turning retargeting into your next major growth engine.
Aleyna Cerrah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleyna-cerrah/
APPS: https://apps.com.tr/
#ROAS #Retargeting #AppMarketing #MobileGrowth #Aarki #MobileGroove #CreativeTesting #FullFunnelMarketing #UserAcquisition #PerformanceMarketing
Can a video game treat depression? Teach democracy? Help us remember history?
In this special MobileGroove episode, we meet the creators who believe games can do all this — and more. Recorded at the POSSIBLE conference, Play with Purpose brings together three powerful conversations with game changers working at the intersection of entertainment and impact.
🎮 Jukka from Soihtu shares how his team is designing a game to treat major depression — a title that’s already seen 1,000+ patients play for 46+ hours and is moving toward FDA approval.
🇩🇪 Felix from the German Federal Agency for Civic Education explains how their agency is supporting indie games that explore democracy, media literacy, and social justice.
🕹️ Luc from Of Light and Darkness tells the story behind his Holocaust education game, played by over 2 million people globally — and why it’s sparking conversations that outlast gameplay.
If you’re a developer, brand, educator, or someone who believes games can spark change, this episode will challenge and inspire you.
Jukka Laakso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juklaakso/
Soihtu DTX: https://soihtudtx.com/
Felix Zimmermann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felix-zimmermann-07694a1a5/ and https://felix-zimmermann.net/
Germany Federal Agency for Civic Education: https://www.bpb.de/die-bpb/ueber-uns/federal-agency-for-civic-education/
Luc Bernard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardluc/
Voices of the Forgotten: https://www.voicesoftheforgotten.com/
Other Mentions:
Media Circus: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3868010/Media_Circus/
Take Us North: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/takeusnorth/take-us-north/rewards
Compensation Not Guaranteed: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2795590/Compensation_Not_Guaranteed/
The Darkest Files: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2058730/The_Darkest_Files/
Glasshouse: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2244700/Glasshouse/
Tears of Libya: https://www.voicesoftheforgotten.com/tearsoflibya
What happens when your audience becomes your investors—and your co-creators?
In this episode of MobileGroove, recorded live at Gamescom, host Peggy Anne Salz talks with Dan Francis and Shem Selah of Fateless Games, the studio behind the upcoming game Godforge.
It’s a deep dive into a community-powered game development model that’s raised $14M, attracted 50,000+ alpha testers, and brought together Emmy-winning talent and game veterans—all without traditional VC funding.
They unpack:
🎮 How their content creator roots shaped a community-first approach
🧱 Why they designed the entire alpha as a tower-based competition
🔥 What it takes to build not just a game—but a living, breathing IP and brand
🎯 Why modern devs must master activations, narrative, and long-tail loyalty
If you’re building a game, brand, or fanbase from the ground up, this is a masterclass in turning early engagement into lasting momentum.
Gaming is no longer a niche — it’s where culture, identity, and consumer attention all converge. In this MobileGroove x Gamescom special, Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Bastian Bergmann (COO of Solsten and author of Press Play) and Erika Wykes-Sneyd (Adidas, PlayStation) to explore how brands can truly show up in games — not just as logos, but as immersive, strategic partners in play.From building a 24/7 virtual store in Roblox to selling NFT-based avatars, Erika shares how she led Adidas’ gaming evolution and aligned internal stakeholders along the way. Bastian explains how Solsten helps brands move from stereotype to strategy — and why it’s time to treat gaming like the channel it is, not just an experiment.Whether you’re in marketing, brand strategy, product, or innovation — this is your playbook for getting gaming right.
Rewarded ads are evolving—and return on ad spend is just the beginning.
In this episode of MobileGroove, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with David Ruggiero from TyrAds to explore a more holistic approach to rewarded user acquisition—one that blends personalization, timing, and real user motivation.
With firsthand experience on the publisher side, David shares how TyrAds is:
Building a new SDK for level-based rewards and better segmentation
Applying rewarded strategies across verticals—from mobile games to FinTech apps
Using data and loyalty loops to increase engagement and retention
Helping developers understand what makes rewarded ads work (or fail)
Whether you’re launching a new app, optimizing monetization, or looking beyond ROAS, this episode is packed with strategies to help you grow smarter.
David Ruggiero: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-ruggiero-810766100/
TyrAds: https://tyrads.com/
Offerwalls are back—and this time, they’re not just for whales. 🎯In this episode, recorded live at Gamescom, Travis Anderson, VP of Global Publisher Partnerships at Xsolla, breaks down why offerwalls are experiencing a resurgence—and how they’re evolving into something much bigger: a unified monetization layer that spans webshops, wallets, quests, and even cloud gaming.Travis shares how today’s offerwalls deliver real value across the full player base—not just spenders—by creating personalized, gamified incentives that feel native, not intrusive. He also explains how publishers can tie multiple monetization tools together into a cohesive reward system, reducing reliance on third parties and reclaiming control over the player relationship.💡 Whether you’re an indie team looking for scalable monetization, or a large studio exploring first-party platforms, this episode offers tactical insights and a clear look at how Xsolla is shaping the next era of game commerce.
Travis Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisandersonpro/
Xsolla: https://xsolla.com/
From toothpaste to purple hair dye, brands are showing up inside games—and players are loving it.In this live episode from Gamescom, Sarah Chafer, SVP of Global Ad Sales at Xsolla, joins Peggy Anne Salz to explain why brand-formance is the future, how offerwalls are leveling up, and what makes a great reward-driven experience for players and brands alike.🎮 What gaming gets right about user sentiment🏆 How to build win-win offers for brands, devs, and players💡 Why “everyone is a gamer” is more than a slogan📈 How Xsolla is helping brands track ROI—not just awareness🚀 Where G-Commerce is headed next (and how to stay ahead)If you’re building games, selling virtual goods, or helping brands connect with players, this one’s a must-listen.Sarah Chafer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahprescottchafer/Xsolla: https://xsolla.com/
Attribution is broken. Trust in the data is shaky. And most publishers are still leaning too hard on a single channel. But Geeklab is changing the game.
In this episode recorded live at Gamescom, we sit down with Jani Torppa and Jesse Lempiäinen, the minds behind Geeklab, to unpack what’s really going on in the world of mobile growth—and what studios can do to fix it.
They share how Geeklab helps developers rebuild confidence in their creative, rework campaigns that have stopped performing, and bring back value from platforms like Meta and TikTok (yes, even after ATT). They also discuss why most attribution models are still misleading, how to test smarter without overspending, and why diversifying UA spend is no longer optional.
🧠 The key insight? It’s not about throwing money at the problem—it’s about bravery, transparency, and making smarter creative decisions backed by real signals.
🎯 Whether you’re scaling up, stuck in a plateau, or questioning your media mix, this is the growth therapy session you didn’t know you needed.
Everyone’s talking about growth. Thomas Hopkins is diagnosing it.
In this episode, the Head of Growth at GrowthOps unpacks why attribution is broken, why your creative probably isn’t working, and how to rewire your funnel around perception—not just awareness.
🎯 The three types of awareness (and why it changes your messaging)
🧠 The real reason B2B and B2C campaigns underperform
🎤 The influencer-led playbook that works before people know your product
📊 Why GrowthOps surveys differently—and gets better insights
🚀 The “What Buzz Does” model for modern performance marketing
Whether you’re an operator, a founder, or just tired of marketing that doesn’t convert, this episode delivers the playbook.
What if your car could tell brands how to help you without giving up your privacy?Fred Dimesa, Head of Product for Marketing Solutions at Arity, joins host Peggy Anne Salz live at POSSIBLE in the Podcast Corner to show how mobility data has evolved from crude geofences and last-click coupons to predictive insights that anticipate needs, tailor messaging and guide retail foot traffic.Arity’s platform ingests over 2 trillion miles of driving data and adds 1.5 billion miles each day. By reading signals every one to 15 seconds, they can see the complete picture from work commutes to the Tuesday coffee run and use AI modeling to predict the “why” and “when” behind consumer movement. “We’re not selling data,” Fred says. “We’re delivering insights that marketers can activate without touching personal information.”From prompting Uber rides in Life360 to helping retailers target high-value customers in the right context, Arity is proving mobility data can be assistance, not intrusion. The future, Fred says, is about sharper prediction, richer context and keeping consumer trust through transparency.This is how smarter, privacy-forward data is reshaping marketing and why the next competitive advantage may be knowing not just where your customers are, but where they are going next.
Why are more brands and agencies giving gaming a bigger seat at the table, and why might the next wave of premium advertising just be inside your favorite game?
These are the questions Itamar Benedy, CEO and co-founder of Anzu, and host Peggy Anne Salz explore in a conversation recorded live at POSSIBLE in the Podcast Corner that zero in on how in-game advertising has reached a true tipping point.Anzu’s approach, known as intrinsic in-game advertising, blends branded content seamlessly into gameplay. Think billboards in Call of Duty, team jerseys in sports titles or posters on in-game walls. The result is a more realistic environment for players and a new revenue stream for publishers who have never accepted ads before. “We’re giving brands incremental reach into audiences who don’t watch cable or scroll social,” Itamar explains, “and we’re doing it in a way that feels native to the game.”
With campaigns now running across multiple cross-platform premium titles, Anzu is showing how to make ads part of the culture, not an interruption. And when the gaming community embraces an activation, it sparks conversations on Reddit, TikTok and Twitch that far outlast the in-game moment.
Can you create binge-worthy IP in 90 seconds or less?
Michael Vito Valentino, Editor-In-Chief at NowThis, says yes. And the proof is in the numbers. In just three months, Are You OK? attracted 500,000 net new followers and now averages up to 1.5 million views per episode. The secret? A formula powered by comedy, consistency and a mission that’s as clear as it is catchy: “Make it into the group chat.”
Recorded live at POSSIBLE in the Podcast Corner with host Peggy Anne Salz, this episode explores how NowThis is rewriting the rules of reach and resonance. Michael breaks down how “snackable” doesn’t mean shallow. Each episode delivers a full story arc in 90 seconds, building loyal fandom through emotional beats, authenticity and repeatable IP.
“We’re not just integrating brands,” he explains. “We’re elevating the viewing experience.” That approach has made NowThis a magnet for Gen Z and for major advertisers who see the value in content that’s real, relatable and relentlessly shareable.
If you're looking to understand what works now in short-form storytelling and why Gen Z doesn’t just accept ads but cheers them on, this conversation is your playbook.
Creative fatigue, rising UA costs, AI hype—it’s a lot for today’s app marketing team. But Misha Syrotiuk, Head of Growth at Playvalve, cuts through it with a clear playbook.
Recorded at the MobileGroove Podcast Suite @MAU, powered by Bigabid, this episode dives into why ad-driven studios need tighter creative strategies, how Playvalve balances monetization with player experience, and how AI is helping scale smarter.
No buzzwords. No silver bullets. Just the direction you need to succeed in 2H 2025.