The Groove: Recent Episodes
Peggy Anne Salz
The Groove brought to you by author, analyst and content marketing strategist Peggy Anne Salz, founder and owner of MobileGroove.
Spotlighting the companies and cool people at the intersection of content, community and commerce. Connecting the dots in the Now to frame the future.
MobileGroove: https://mobilegroove.com/
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.
Some careers are planned. Others are built one brave “yes” at a time. Faith Price, Director of UA at DoubleDown Interactive, shares how she spotted the gaps, pitched her own role, and now uses that same mindset to lead teams, test AI tools and explore new growth channels. Recorded at the MobileGroove Podcast Suite @MAU, powered by Bigabid, this episode also dives into Faith’s nonprofit work with Open Arms Giving Network and the deeper meaning behind long-term growth.
What if leading growth wasn’t about doing more—but about doing what actually works?
At Fetch, Abby Patton leads UA as part of a lean, two-person team. But she’s not scaling by stretching thin. She’s scaling by building trust—on her team and with her users.
Abby doesn’t push harder. She listens deeper. She meets people where they are and brings them into the conversation. Whether it’s optimizing performance or tackling tough feedback, her approach is grounded, clear and intentional.
In our Women in Leader(sip) x MobileGroove episode (powered by Xsolla), we talked about value, strategy, and the shift from acquisition-at-all-costs to quality that lasts.
Angela Humphrey started as a junior account manager. Now she leads Growth, Sales and Client Success at YouAppi.
She climbed without code-switching. Pivoted without apology. And brought her Elle Woods energy to every room—owning her value while making space for others to rise.
In our Women in Leader(sip) x MobileGroove series (powered by Xsolla), we talk about what it means to lead without fitting in, give back while you're still growing, and turn being underestimated into your edge.
Angela’s take: “Do it your way—and make space for someone coming up behind you.”
Jess Jackson isn’t just VP of People Ops at CRAFTSMAN+ — she’s the culture architect, coach and “sidekick” who makes sure the team has the space (and support) to do their best work.
She leads with empathy, honesty and accountability—but she’s crystal clear: kindness isn’t avoiding the hard conversations. It’s having them.
In our Women in Leader(sip) x MobileGroove series (powered by Xsolla), Jess shares the leadership lessons that shaped her—and the one truth she stands by:
“You’re not helping someone by holding back. If the world’s going to hit them hard, you owe them honesty.”
That’s Sarah Chafer, who’s lived mobile’s M&A wave from the inside.
Tapjoy. IronSource. Unity. Now Xsolla.
Three acquisitions, four companies, and one powerful truth: you can’t control the chaos, but you can lead through it.
In our latest conversation (part of the Women in Leader(sip) x MobileGroove series powered by Xsolla), we go beyond buzzwords to talk about what it really means to lead through seismic change.
From navigating acquisitions to avoiding stock-option traps, Sarah breaks down what most women don’t get told about leadership, value and showing up when the rules change.
The equity advice every woman needs.
The confidence to walk into the room without apology.
And the strategy to make sure your options are opportunity—not handcuffs.
Fragmented marketing in a privacy-first world demands a full funnel approach. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz reconnects with Avi Das, CRO at Aarki, for an “encore” conversation recorded live at MAU. One year after unveiling Aarki 2.0, the spotlight is where it should be. Marketers are rethinking how UA and retargeting work together, and this episode offers a blueprint for building a new kind of growth engine.
Avi walks through the evolution of Aarki’s Encore platform and how deep neural networks, trained on more than 5 million queries per second, equip marketers to find “invisible needles” in a privacy-constrained haystack and reach high-value users even when identifiers are missing.
From Rovio case studies to SKAN 4 wins, this episode shows why doing it right matters more than doing it fast.
Move beyond buzzwords and get real about how agentic AI and infrastructure-first thinking are changing the rules of modern marketing. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz reconnects with Aman Sareen, CEO of Aarki, to unpack how owning your tech stack (not renting it)reshapes everything from performance to privacy compliance.
Aman shares why building your own data centers pays off, how marketers should rethink retention vs. acquisition, and what it really means to give users meaningful choice. From AI orchestration to “precision blast” campaigns that outperform SMS with 3x ROI, this episode is packed with examples, strategic vision and sharp insight into the tech quietly redefining performance marketing. 👉 If you care about cost efficiency, user privacy, and future-proofing your tech stack, this is a must-hear.
Aman Sareen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asareen/
Aarki: https://www.aarki.com
AI isn’t replacing marketers; it’s becoming their greatest creative ally. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Wangxin Li, VP of Decision Science and Global Operations at Aarki, to explore how she’s not just building AI, but reimagining the way marketers collaborate with it. At the heart of this transformation is Encore, Aarki’s full-funnel platform powered by real-time decisioning, deep neural networks and custom generative AI. Wangxin breaks down how Encore slashes creative testing cycles from weeks to just days, boosts campaign performance across UA and retargeting, and functions like an “Iron Man suit for marketers.” It’s all about empowering teams with smarter, real-time decisions and effortless scalability. Tune in to discover how Wangxin and Encore not only improve performance; together they create full-funnel campaigns that truly resonate.
Wangxin Li LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wangxin-li/
Aarki: https://www.aarki.com
What does Mad Max: Furiosa have to do with mobile ad performance? Everything. Michael Akkerman, Chief Business Officer at Digital Turbine, shares how brands are turning blockbuster energy into in-game engagement—driving 35% lift in brand preference and 4x higher interaction rates with ad formats consumers actually want to experience. In this special on-location episode from POSSIBLE in Miami, Akkerman breaks down how brands like H&M, Coca-Cola, and Panda Express are crafting immersive, playable ad campaigns that don't just entertain—they outperform social, deliver intent and redefine what "premium" really means.Michael Akkerman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeakkerman/Digital Turbine - https://www.digitalturbine.com/
Brand building is making a comeback, but on new terms. After years of hyper-targeted, lower-funnel performance marketing, brands are returning to their roots: storytelling, connecting to culture, and long-term brand equity. Our guest this week, Nina Brit Brando, CEO of Carat Deutschland GmbH, calls this a "renaissance in brand commitment." In a time when brands are all "fishing in the same lake"—competing for attention on saturated platforms where visibility is dictated by algorithms rather than ad spend—narrative-led advertising is what makes the bait worth biting. Nina shares her favourite examples of brands getting it right and her strategy for balancing storytelling and data to hook, catch, and keep valuable audiences in 2025.
Nina Brit Brando - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-brit-brando-59916236/
Carat - https://www.carat.com/de-de
Effective marketing turns ads into experiences. But smart marketers go further—using AI to personalize those experiences and even predict the creative that will resonate most with valuable consumers at the moment of inspiration. In this special MobileGroove episode, powered by Appier, Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Robert Chen, CTO at Appier, to learn how the agent-powered adtech company combines predictive and generative AI to personalize everything from content to customer journeys in real time. Robert explains how this hybrid approach creates a flywheel of performance that learns and adapts with every user interaction. He says that the future of marketing is "agent-powered" and that by leveraging real-time contextual signals, brands can evolve their ads to user experiences that feel intuitive, not intrusive. Tune in now!
Robert Chen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-chen-13270919/
Appier - https://www.appier.com/
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - The benefits of full-funnel AI marketing
04:22 - How to combine Gen AI and Predictive AI
8:00 - Solving the cold start problem
10:58 - Most exciting digital applications of AI
12:44 - AI that speaks SQL so you don't have to
16:15 - From journeys to data in minutes
18:35 - Right ad, right vibe, right now
23:50 - Make ads feel like Netflix
28:25 - The future of marketing is agent-powered
Great speakers don't start their presentations by trying to be funny, persuasive, or polished—they start by being themselves. Whether you're on stage, in a boardroom, or featured on a podcast like MobileGroove, authenticity builds trust and allows you to connect with your audience in a way that feels real, not rehearsed. Speaking coach Reuben Milne compares public speaking to a muscle you build over time. He's built his hosting the UA Society London and working with brands like Google, LinkedIn, and Pfizer. He joins the show this week to share the exercises, strategies, and tactics you should know before your next speaking engagement. Tune in!Reuben Milne - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reubenmilne/https://reubenmilne.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:44 - Breaking the ice08:00 - Practice makes perfect10:00 - Reframing your presentation 13:41 - "Who's in the room?"14:38 - The "books down" moment21:49 - Take them on a journey25:12 - The curse of knowledge27:56 - When have you lost the audience? 30:57 - Adapting to stand out online36:30 - How to get over nerves39:30 - Misconceptions about speaking42:46 - Where to connect with Reuben
In a market saturated with FOMO and shame-driven lesson reminders, Zigzag shows that ethical UX and empathy-led CRM drive better retention and brand loyalty—especially for subscription apps.
In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz is joined by Lorna Winter (Co-Founder & Head of Programme) and Ed Williams (Growth Marketing Manager - Lifecycle & CRM) from Zigzag, the mission-led puppy training app doing things differently.
Zigzag blends behavioral science, smart CRM, and a lot of heart—building real relationships through hyper-personalized journeys, AI support that doesn’t feel robotic, and a community that’s genuinely invested (Hi, Tate!). It’s a strategy that’s helped them double growth, boost lesson completions by 14%, and increase retention by 16% last year alone.
Lorna, Ed, and Peggy dive into Zigzag's strategy behind hyper-personalized onboarding and lifecycle flows, how being B-Corp Certified shapes their growth, and what ethical, value-driven business practices look like in action.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:54 - Recognized for marketing
06:13 - Zigzag and Ziggy's origin story
11:27 - Balancing individual and the masses
14:51 - Generous marketing & b-corps
19:00 - Key KPIs & happiness research
25:42 - A winning "win back" strategy
33:10 - Shame-free CRM
40:35 - The vision for Ziggy
44:39 - What inspires Lorna & Ed
50:12 - Outro
It used to be that a marketer's tools defined their differentiation. But as AI democratizes the ability to craft compelling mobile creatives—and to do so at an unprecedented volume—Kenjy Vanitou, Lead Creative Manager at Voodoo, says it's brand, optimization, and a curiosity to learn that will determine what separates the good games marketing and the great. He joins Peggy Anne Salz at Gamesforum Barcelona to share how Voodoo sets the standard for AI and creatives and how marketers should shape their strategy for success in 2025.
Kenjy Vanitou - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjyvanitou/
Voodoo - https://voodoo.io/
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:39 - Testing AI creatives
05:16 - Who will be the creative directors?
07:15 - Kenjy's approach to AI
09:41 - How to differentiate
11:40 - Voodoo's next steps
14:40 - Predictions for 2025
The games industry is in the “midst of a revolution,” and Shalom Michaeli, Managing Director of Alternative App Stores at Digital Turbine, emphasizes that how brands act now will directly impact their revenue and performance in the years ahead. This is a make-or-break moment for studios across genres, as developers increasingly turn to alternative stores as a growth strategy in 2025. In this exclusive Gamesforum Barcelona interview, Shalom joins Peggy Anne Salz to unveil the first-mover advantages developers can seize before the market becomes saturated—plus the actionable steps any studio can take today to position itself for sustained growth.
Shalom Michaeli - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalom-michaeli-19b54742/
Digital Turbine - https://www.digitalturbine.com/
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:20 - The opportunities in alternative stores
06:38 - Alternatives as a strategy not a tactic
When you think of Swaarm, think of James Bond meets Nikola Tesla. A brand shaking up the app industry with bold, sleek, and seamless integrations to bring electrifying and actionable real-time data to marketers across verticals in search of a simpler way to track their campaigns. Swaarm Co-Founder and CEO Yogeeta Chainani speaks in this episode of Mobile Groove about how Swaarm combines automation, affordability, and baked-in privacy-compliant features in one award-winning no-code event tracking dashboard.
But Swaarm isn’t just redefining tracking—it’s reimagining performance marketing as a whole. Much like how Microsoft offers Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as an interconnected suite, Swaarm provides Perform and Monetization, giving marketers the flexibility to analyze, automate, and optimize their campaigns in real-time. In this episode, Yogeeta also shares how Swaarm’s innovations in search syndication bring clarity to one of the industry’s biggest blind spots, unlocking real-time data visibility and driving unprecedented ROAS improvements. Plus, a surprising case study that reveals how one company boosted organic installs by 66%—all thanks to a small but game-changing shift in their approach.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:50 - Swaarm as a person
04:30? - How Swaarm started
08:35 - Swaarm's standout features
15:28 - Swaarm use cases
30:17 - Good vs great marketing
36:47 - Keeping up with complexity
39:10 - Describing Swaarm
41:00 - Yogeeta in 4 words
If you ask anyone in the games industry which studios have undeniably shaped the adventure genre—and the industry as a whole—you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t mention Revolution Software. The British video game developer has been creating iconic point-and-click adventure games since 1990, most notably, Broken Sword.
In this episode of MobileGroove, Charles Cecil—co-founder and CEO of Revolution Software—sits down with Peggy Anne Salz to share his insights on building products that stand the test of time. As one of the industry's most respected veterans, Charles has witnessed gaming’s many metamorpheses, from the shift from PC to console and now mobile, to the rise of new monetization models and cross-platform strategies.
In this show, he shares his experience updating Broken Sword to 4K, revealing what it takes to modernize a beloved classic while staying true to the original. Through this process, he offers lessons in adaptation, expert tips on future-proofing, and a strategic approach to design that extends a hit product’s lifespan, so it can continue to captivate users across generations.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:32 - The early days of gaming
03:50 - Designing to improve gameplay
11:32 - Where it went south
17:30 - Lessons in legacy
20:55 - "Change but not too much"
26:32 - Where AI can help
29:30 - Predictions for 2025
Bootstrapping a brand that markets itself requires a three-pronged strategy. First, a clear vision of your target audience. Second, a foundation built on deep empathy for their needs. And third, a fierce dedication to delivering an outstanding product shaped by real user insights. YouCanBookMe (YCBM) stands out as a brand that hits the mark on all three. Over its 13 years, the online scheduling tool—recently acquired by Capacity—has leaned on customer listening and advocacy to lead its growth strategy and reach $5 million in annual revenue without VC support. Peggy Anne Salz speaks with YCBM Founder Bridget Harris on what it takes to scale a product-led business and the rebrand that brought YCMB back to its roots while rocketing growth.
YouCanBookMe - https://youcanbook.me/
Bridget Harris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgetharris
Capacity - https://capacity.com/
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:55 - Breaking down the rebrand
06:30 - The customer is always right
10:50 - A pivot toward small businesses
17:25 - Growing with empathy
21:16 - A guide to bootstrapping
23:41 - Staying connected as you grow
28:00 - Brand metrics
30:18 - Tools to being a better Bridget
32:56 - Rapid-fire Q&A
Monetization, marketing, and the ad space that can boost your revenue without sacrificing retention. InMobi Advertising's Chief Business Officer, Kunal Nagpal, breaks down the biggest ad trends of 2025 and how publishers can escape the endless churn-and-burn of user acquisition with smart platform partnerships and performance-powered branding. Kunal Nagpal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nagpalkunal/InMobi Advertising - https://advertising.inmobi.com/ Related Videos 👉🏻 You can watch more of our Groove Content here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXTrGPJvMlk&list=PLE8Ke9Ah2_Nk7PDT4ZIkd21abhFlNRTMz Subscribe for More 👉🏻 https://www.youtube.com/c/PeggyAnneSalz?sub_confirmation=1 Let's Connect 👉🏻 Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/peggyanne👉🏻 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 Educating marketers on the latest trends in mobile marketing, helping companies navigate the complex landscape. 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 a Senior Forbes contributor and contributes to 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.Named one of the Top 100 Influencer at Mobile World Congress. Podcast host on The Groove, Mobile Presence, Liftoff Mobile Heroes Uncensored, The Hive, Clevertap Engage, spotlighting the global mobile trends, tools, and tips that allow marketers to drive customer connection, dramatically grow retention, and generate new revenue streams on mobile using individualized campaigns and communications needed to harness & drive lasting loyalty.Author of hundreds of articles, dozens of white papers, and authored nine books about mobile, both as a lead author and in partnership with global companies including Gemalto, InMobi, SAP Mobile Services and the Mobile Marketing Association.Author of Apponomics: The Insider’s Guide To A Billion Dollar App Business with InMobi, which provides actionable insights into how companies can market and monetize their apps. It builds on the success of my first book on mobile apps, The Everything Guide To Mobile Apps: A Practical Guide To Affordable Mobile App Development For Your Business, a practical, crowd-sourced book providing businesses and developers with insights on how to make, monetize and market mobile apps. Also edited and produced the Mobile Operator Guide 2013: The Evolution of Mobile Services: Challenges, Strategies, Opportunities and the Mobile Commerce Guide 2013: Engage Customers & Build Loyalty In Developed And Emerging Marke
To turn a title into a breakout success, studios must think beyond traditional UA—blending marketing, product, and player experience to drive growth. In this episode of MobileGroove, powered by Verve, Peggy Anne Salz speaks with Luis de la Cámara, VP of Marketing at Rovio, about how Rovio masters this formula and the steps indie studios can take today to stand out.
An industry veteran, Luis shares his advice on diving into powerful IP and in-game collaborations, product-led growth, and engaging players across demographics. He also explains how app store algorithms amplify top-grossing games, trends to watch in 2025, and the UA channels that give studios the best chance of breaking into the market and disrupting the status quo.
Luis de la Cámara - https://www.linkedin.com/in/luiscamaraking/
Rovio -https://www.rovio.com/
Verve - https://verve.com/
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:30 - Product-led marketing
08:40 - The "Snowball Effect" in mobile gaming
11:48 - Hybridcasual trends
13:42 - Promising alternative targeting techniques
17:02 - Most effective UA channels
20:09 - How demographics shape gaming genres
25:07 - Building publisher-side audiences
26:20 - Bringing brands into games
30:02 - Monetization trends in 2025
Smart. Scalable. Viral. Three words to sum up what3words’ smart marketing strategy that excels on three fronts: an in-house programmatic team that moves fast and optimizes faster, a word-of-mouth flywheel that gets customers to spread the message for them, and big-league brand partnerships that rocket revenue and reach. In this episode of MobileGroove, our host, Peggy Anne Salz, chats with Jane Stephenson, Marketing Director at what3words, and Michelle Dunn, Head of Consumer Marketing, about how they’ve turned a simple but powerful idea—dividing the world into 3x3 meter squares with unique three-word addresses—into an international success. With millions of users across 193 countries, partnerships with brands like Lamborghini, Land Rover, and DHL, and real-world impact through collaborations with emergency services like the LA Fire Department, what3words is more than just another app—it’s a case study in strategic marketing, organic growth, and brand storytelling done right. From TV shows casually featuring them in plotlines to real-life rescue stories that fuel social media buzz, they’ve mastered the art of making their audience do the talking. If you’re into creative, high-impact marketing that gets results (without breaking the bank), you won’t want to miss this one!
00:00 - Intro
02:16 - What is what3words?
04:35 - Making functional feel personal
06:23 - Successful brand partnerships
09:58 - The wild use cases
11:40 - Measuring what works
15:10 - In-house performance marketing
18:58 - Building beyond the app
23:48 - Media equity and alternative ads
29:50 - How what3words makes money
32:32 - A pivotal moment
Marked by a crazy dynamic of fewer downloads and stronger player spending, mobile gaming is gearing up for its climactic finale against the industry's biggest boss in what Gonçalo Martins, VP of Marketing at BoomBit, calls the "mobile gaming trilogy." In this episode of MobileGroove, powered by Verve, Gonçalo releases his director's cut, complete with strategies BoomBit is using to adapt and thrive in 2025. From cross-promotion to get more value out of interested players to new ad mon approaches that make more out of first-party data, he candidly shares the strategies BoomBit will follow to make sure 2025 is a blockbuster success for your studio—so tune in for tips and trend data you can harness to make this a banner year for your game.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:38 - Mobile gaming as a movie genre
03:39 - Spending trends (hypercasual trends)
05:43 - What different demographics want
08:00 - Leveraging cross-promo
13:00 - Alternative targeting strategies
16:16 - First-party data strategies
21:52 - Brand advertising in games
23;52 - Monetization trends
26:08 - BI as a service
27:57 - SSP and DSP partnerships
31:05 - Predictions for 2025
35:00 - 2025 as a movie
Monetization in mobile gaming is a lot like composing a hit song—it’s all about finding the perfect balance between melody (user experience) and rhythm (ad revenue). In this episode of Mobile Groove, powered by Verve, we jam with Andrew Seow, Director of Monetization at Tripledot Studios and music aficionado, to uncover how his studio fine-tunes its monetization strategy to hit all the right notes—without compromising the user experience. Andrew dives into the first-party data dilemma, the balancing act between ad frequency and CPMs, and the shift from waterfalls to bidding—and what it all means for publishers. Whether you’re a monetization maestro or just tuning into ad strategies, this episode will help you keep your 2025 game plan in perfect harmony, from ID-less solutions and new ad formats to evolving monetization models.
00:00 - Intro
02:10 - Why ad monetization feels like a broken record
06:00 - The music genres of mobile gaming: Groundhog Day vs. Firebird Suite
10:45 - Google’s bidding changes + a new rhythm for publishers
15:30 - How has Tripledot adapted its tune after IDFA
20:55 - Is first-party data a chart-topping hit or a one-hit wonder?
26:20 - Striking the right chord between ad quality and revenue
30:10 - Remixing ad formats
34:50 - Andrew’s wishlist for networks and the industry in 2025
39:20 - Ad monetization in music
Winning in performance marketing in 2025 will require a big step back from the “numbers for numbers’ sake” mindset and force companies to finally embrace smarter, more meaningful strategies that drive sustainable growth. This is the view of Megan Price, Programmatic Supervisor, and Michael Hew, Associate Director of Data & Reporting Ops at M&C Saatchi Performance, who joined Peggy Anne Salz on this episode of In The Groove.
Megan reveals opportunities to diversify your media spend and adopt an audience-first approach that breaks through the silos that keep valuable customer and contextual data from becoming actionable. At the same time, Michael shares M&C Saatchi's measurement trifecta—an essential toolkit that combines attribution, incremental testing, and marketing mix modeling for marketers looking to balance real-time insights with a long-term vision. Join us as Megan, Michael, and Peggy Anne Salz bust popular programmatic myths and prep your data for success in 2025.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:57 - Most pressing challenges of 2025
05:04 - Practical steps to use data effectively
13:06 - Something surprising
15:50 - The exciting part of old tools
17:51 - Diversification
21:19 - Performance can serve brand marketing too
26:17 - The right metrics to follow
29:50 - 2025 cheatsheet for brands
35:58 - The top industry trends
38:34 - Privacy-focused challenges in 2025
40:48 - Rapid-fire insights
Great app growth is like a perfect bike ride: it takes a ride that works (your app), a sustainable pace (steady growth), and quick thinking to pivot when obstacles arise. In this episode of In The Groove with Peggy Anne Salz, Lorenzo Rossi, Co-founder and Head of Growth at REPLUG, takes us on a journey through the parallels between cycling and scaling mobile apps. Just like a high-performance rider needs the right gear and a solid plan to secure a place on the podium, your app requires precision, perseverance, and smart strategy to push past plateaus and win the race for users' attention. Lorenzo shares REPLUG's five-stage framework for transforming small budgets into big wins and offers practical advice on the growth hacks that drive success in and out of the saddle.
Lorenzo Rossi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenzorossi1987/
REPLUG - http://www.rplg.io
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:37 - Why cycling is like app growth
08:19 - The 5 Stage Framework
11:41 - Strategic spend
15:01 - When to shift gears
17:45 - The supporting elements
21:19 - The must-track KPIs
24:39 - A big pivot for big results
26:40 - The way to stay responsive
30:07 - Three growth hacks
35:41 - How to enjoy the ride
39:04 - The motivational marketing billboard
40:15 - Best way to connect with Lorenzo
With rising costs and a 30% revenue cut taken by major app stores on every in-app purchase, studios can’t afford to keep placing bets on traditional models or small pockets of growth. Instead, diversification is the new mantra. Done right, it doesn’t just generate revenues; it powers value-driven experiences and optimizes every touchpoint for maximum retention. Glance, (formerly Nostra), an unconsolidated subsidiary of InMobi Group and the largest mobile gaming platform in India and Southeast Asia, and Sunday—a gaming publisher laser-focused on LiveOps and smart monetization—are two companies turning this model into gold. Deepak Venkatramani, GM of Gaming at Glance and Nicholas Bloom, Business Development Manager at Sunday, join Peggy Anne Salz in this episode to share what it takes to get your games in front of new and eager audiences. Nick takes us through Sunday’s sophisticated hybrid-casual model, supported by “game lifecycle ninjas” who understand how to keep players hooked, while Deepak details how Glance utilizes lock screens to eliminate friction, enable game discovery, and grow engagement 2x.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:10 - Where is the growth?
05:14 - What's unique about games?
07:54 - Accessibility for the user
09:54 - Break down your game
14:42 - Criteria for choosing opportunities
20:44 - Engagement metric uplifts
24:23 - The game beyond the game
26:15 - Segmentation and personalization
29:17 - What's next for alternatives?
$2 trillion is on the table, and only one thing will determine if your brand can carve out a portion of the pie: personalization. No longer just a buzzword, personalization has become the dividing line between average brands and top performers. As Mark Abraham explains in his latest release, the game has changed—soon, brands won’t be judged by product quality alone but by the custom-tailored experiences they deliver. Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group, Co-Author of Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AIand strategist for over 100 iconic brands, Mark jumps In The Groove with Peggy Anne Salz to discuss how brands can unlock an estimated $2 trillion in new growth this decade. The key to unlocking this growth is what he and his co-author, David Edelman, call "the Personalization Advantage." It’s the competitive edge he describes in his book, drawing on real-world insights from leading brands like Starbucks and Google, along with practical steps to avoid common pitfalls. With tools like the Personalization Index, the Five Promises, and a focus on AI-driven strategy, Personalized is the playbook for “strategists, not just marketers” and paves a path for success in 2025 and beyond.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
03:08 - The boldest ask from a brand
05:23 - The engagement ladder
07:11 - Dos and Don'ts of AI personalization
09:59 - p=ms
12:21 - You can start small
16:27 - Personalization high-performer
20:35 - The Five Promises
21:52 - Pandora use case
24:28 - Delight me
27:25 - Spotify + Four Seasons use cases
29:30 - What consumers need to do
30:45 - Building trust
31:54 - Rapid-fire Q&A
34:00 - Connecting with Mark
With mobile game D1 churn rates sitting at an impressive 72%, studios can’t afford to disrupt gameplay with annoying or irrelevant ads. Sahil Modi, Partnership Manager at Audiomob, offers audio ads as an alternative. He explains how Audiomob’s contextually targeted in-game ads rocket ad revenue while reducing gameplay friction. Tune in to this episode as Sahil reveals Audiomob’s newest integration—fully equipped with user-friendly plugins and “SDKs that put the player first.”
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - What publishers think of audio ads
02:18 - Creating a cool audio experience
04:55 - CPI campaign with an audio ad
You can’t have a great game without great creatives or craft great creatives without a strong testing strategy. But, testing high volumes of creatives doesn't always translate into valuable creatives and campaign wins. So, what happens when you pause testing altogether? And which networks will let new creatives break through the noise? Spoiler alert 🚨 the answers will rock your world! Ayşen Kıratlı, Lead Growth Manager at Kwalee, dives deep into the process, pitfalls, and surprises of the publisher’s experiment, explaining which creatives are popular by platform, what to factor in when looking at winning ones, and why pressing pause on your testing might be the best strategy for your game. It’s a tactic that rocketed Kwalee’s ROAS, scaling certain campaigns by 150%, and will transform the way your studio takes on testing.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:07 - Why experiment with creatives testing?
05:29 - Difficulties breaking into new creatives
12:20 - The world won't end if you stop testing
17:51 - Creatives popular by platform
20:20 - When to test vs let go?
22:37 - Adapting strategy
25:02 - What to consider for winning creatives
27:25 - How testing shifted strategy at Kwalee
31:50 - The switch to gaming
34:51 - Failure is one of the best teachers
37:37 - Advice on taking the first step
Big audiences can mean big money, and in India, that’s a model on steroids. A whopping one in three are gaming fans, avid players who also splash the cash to the tune of over 131 billion transactions, a large share of which were attributed to games. The major driver is the country’s real-time payment system, United Payments Interface (UPI), which allows users to pay for products instantly via mobile. It’s a market strapped with immense purchasing power—and a willingness to spend. Piyush Kumar, Founder and CEO of India’s largest game streaming and eSports platform, Rooter, returns to the show to share pages from his playbook on carving out new paths and convincing big brands like Mountain Dew, Hero MotoCorp, and Amazon to engage with this massive audience. He delves into the monetization mix that keeps Rooter’s coffers full, how he ensures brands receive a customized ad experience safe from appearing alongside bad actors, and the models that make major content creators choose Rooter over any other platform.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:30 - From advertising to esports
04:00 - How do games companies fit in?
06:45 - India is a good monetization market
10:46 - Subscription works if you provide value
13:39 - Why influencers choose Rooter
15:10 - Closing the deal with brands
21:34 - Most relevant models and mixes
26:26 - Safe from bad ads
28:20 - A unique user experience
30:55 - Making growth easier for creators
33:15 - Why YouTube isn't a competitor
35:31 - Where teaching comes in
37:50 - Work-life rules for Rooter
In a world where the melody of experience often gets lost in the clamor to cut costs, greyhairworks reminds us that the biggest hits happen when collaboration spans generations and involves seasoned professionals who know how to hit all the right notes. Company co-founder Alex Meisl tells Peggy Anne Salz how he assembled a band of veteran industry rock stars to fuse no BS consultancy services with best-in-class SaaS solutions and why big-name brands are lining up for an encore. He also candidly discusses ageism and why companies that cut experienced talent to keep a lid on costs are going to pay dearly in the end.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:30 - What is greyhairworks
09:40 - Keeping the band together
13:38 - Old dogs know more tricks
18:03 - Modern day consultancy
21:00 - No BS: Let the grown-ups do it
24:30 - Grownups in the portfolio
27:50 - Push back against network loss
31:30 - Making hits in corporate and in the kitchen
32:45 - Connect with Alex
Your brand needs a distinct voice, and now your chatbot needs a dynamic personality to engage and retain customers. Conversica CEO Jim Kaskade joins host Peggy Anne Salz to discuss how harnessing customer-facing AI and chatbots that align with your brand’s tone, style, and values can help drive massive uplift across the customer journey. He reveals how companies that leverage Conversica’s conversational automation solutions reached a 35x increase in email conversions and engagement and a whopping 1400% increase in CTR. He also walks us through the steps any company can take to start integrating AI and chatbots into their sales strategies and lifts the lid on the number one fact about AI that he considers the most shocking of all.
2024 Marketing Executive AI Sentiment Survey - https://www.conversica.com/marketing-resources/report/2024-marketing-exec-ai-sentiment-survey/
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:45 - A chance meeting with Google
05:25 - Bots are developing personality
08:12 - Brand-safe AI
13:44 - Can AI establish emotional connection
18:25 - How Conversica ensures unique brand voice
23:15 - Managing privacy
24:53 - Use cases
30:00 - Crafting a two-way conversation
35:08 - Strategies to future-proof strategy
39:22 - Something shocking about AI
Named one of IMPACT’s 50 Most Influential Women in Media & Marketing annually since 2018, Vasuta Agarwal is a resourceful, results-oriented manager who leads from the front. With over 16 years of experience across the digital industry, she began her career as a consultant before switching gears to join InMobi, where she straddled multiple roles and geos—building and scaling businesses within India’s first unicorn. Now Chief Business Officer at InMobi, Vasuta joins Peggy Anne Salz in this episode to share how she built on her experiences across departments to cement her credibility and career. The two discuss the strategy behind Vasuta’s growth, InMobi’s mentorship programs for women in tech, and why “stepping up” and leading with empathy are two tactics every aspiring entrepreneur should learn.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:32 - Vasuta's journey to CBO
02:29 - Growing within one company
05:13 - Mentorship for women in tech
08:50 - Empathy in leadership
10:52 - Looking forward a year from now
AI is THE buzzword feeding a frenzy of hype, but few brands actually dish out sweet solutions that go beyond to provide real value. This week, we shine a spotlight on AI-powered Appier and lift the lid on how the company's gen-AI capabilities and AI-driven insights generate 130% ROAS and “exceptionally short recoup periods” for its clients. Bobbie Hollanders, Head of Sales & Account Management for EMEA and the US at Appier, details how Appier’s tools equip marketers with advanced behavioral analytics, dynamic customer segmentation, and real-time personalization. It's a combination of key capabilities that equips apps across all verticals to clinch the conversion every time. He also delves into how non-gaming apps can identify their “white whales,” the trends you should tap into, and how his hodgepodge of hobbies enhances creativity and innovation in his work.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00- Intro
01:45 - AI solutions that stand out
06:41 - 130% ROAS case study
09:50 - Maximising your data and personalization
14:35 - Whale watching for non-gaming apps
17:52 - Latest trends and advice
22:20 - Asking AI smart questions
24:40 - Meeting demands of the future marketer
26:33 - An unexpected lesson
28:20 - A hodgepodge of hobbies
Creativity powers connection and conversion, offering brands an edge, especially in a post-privacy world where performance marketing can miss the mark. But what is the creative process, how can it be made accessible, and what steps does your brand need to take to capture the hearts—and wallets—of consumers today? Walter T Geer III and Imsety Taylor answer all these questions and more in this week's episode. The two marketers—CCO of Innovation at VML and Founder of Set Angle, respectively—discuss the power of combining tech and great design to create friction-free experiences, drive real-time revenue, and allow for authentic, personalized interactions in a privacy-first world. Alongside Peggy Anne Salz, they dive into how they’re approaching both the creative process and the results, touching upon the role of AI, knowing your audience on an individual level, and how designing with diversity in mind enhances both brand love and campaign success.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:57 - Imsety's intro video
05:10 - Blending tech and great design
07:16 - Authenticity in advertising
12:55 - Know your audience
23:27 - Giving up creative control
25:15 - AI's seat at the table
28:03 - How a diverse team influences the creative process
34:38 - Balancing art and science
37:20 - What's next in the world of design?
43:55- Getting in touch with Walt and Imsety
Profitable growth in a privacy-first landscape means embracing the shifts and shakes in the adtech industry. But staying up to date is no small feat—especially as major players continue to move goalposts and muddy the water with unclear expectations on enforcement. Luckily, David Philippson, Co-Founder and CEO of Dataseat, a contextual mobile DSP, is on top of it all. David unpacks everything from what Apple’s Privacy Manifest and Google’s Privacy Sandbox mean for developers to the five major advantages of adopting a SKAN-only attribution system and why zeroing in on publishers rather than individual users is the key to tapping into your target audience with contextual advertising.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:14 - Adtech privacy evolved
04:10 - Apple's Privacy Manifest
07:45 - Preparing for Apple's enforcement
10:02 - Become the SME
12:15 - 5 big advantages of SKAN
16:00 - Privacy Sandbox from an app perspective
21:05 - Behavioral vs contextual advertising
24:42 - Know your internal audience
26:18 - ATOM SDK
29:45 - Advice for finding the positives
32:30 - How to get in touch with David
It’s time to ditch traditional tools and adopt a fiercely customer-centric focus—or risk losing your customers altogether. This is unchartered territory for most marketers, and we get much-needed inspiration and direction from Paul Meinshausen, Co-founder and CEO of Aampe, a company that reimagines personalization through messaging and revitalizes brands' communication stacks with its reinforcement learning APIs. From tough love for your tech stack to what is possible when marketers expand their mindset towards messaging, Paul offers concrete advice on executing effective communication campaigns and driving customer engagement.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:37 - Tough love for your tech stack
09:20 - Why data makes Paul "cringe"
11:10 - Is it a tool or mindset problem?
13:45 - Evolving your messaging
22:00 - Evolving with Aampe
25:00 - ML messaging use cases
Driven by their frustration with a New York Times piece showcasing the movers and shakers of AI without mentioning a single woman, Jenny Kay Pollock and Reut Lazo took action and founded Women and AI, a powerhouse nonprofit committed to smashing gender biases and celebrating the remarkable strides women are making in the artificial intelligence field. Jenny and Reut team up with Peggy Anne Salz in this captivating episode to unveil their groundbreaking initiatives and exciting prospects for mentoring and networking.
For most brands, the spray-and-pray approach to ad creative has taken a backseat, favored instead by precise targeting that increases the chances of connecting with consumers and clinching the conversion. Crystal Bai, Senior Director of Marketing, joins the show this week to discuss how SocialPeta ensures its clients' creatives hit the right audience with the right message every time.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
03:00 - Social Peta's USP
06:38 - How Social Peta tells what's hot in every industry
13:30 - Smart strategies for creatives in 2024
Over 2 billion voters in 50 countries are heading to the polls this year—and they need reliable information to make informed decisions. To combat the detrimental deepfakes and salatious misinformation, one brand developed a "digital trust network for social good." Jeff Roberto, CMO of Nodle, discusses Nodle's new app, Click, and how it cuts through misinformation and ensures accuracy with three easy steps.
When dealing with younger customers, some banks employ predatory practices and capitalize on their lack of financial knowledge. Copper Banking does the opposite. Copper Banking's CEO and Co-Founder, Eddie Behringer, takes the mic this week to explain how his app flips the industry standard on its head by building financial literacy for young people from the first step. He details how Copper Banking takes notes from gaming apps, combining traditional banking tools with gamification to keep users engaged and empowered about their finances. It's an impressive model and one that pays off. At only three years into market, Copper Banking has reached 3 million users and maintains a 60% organic acquisition rate. Tune in to learn more about how Copper Banking leverages its millions of data points to approach acquisition, personalization, and engagement differently.
Chapters 00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Building financial success for the next generation
02:40 - Getting users engaged
07:50 - Gamification in fintech
18:15 - Approaching acquisition and personalization
20:35 - Leveraging their millions of data points
22:00 - What empowers Eddie?
As marketers grapple with the challenges of measurement in a privacy-first landscape, CTV stands out as a crowd-pleaser. Its ability to get granular with available data and point to specific actions that clinched the conversion makes including it in your marketing mix a no-brainer. Jonathan Yantz, Managing Partner at M&C Saatchi Performance, dives deep into the details of this channel, from signal matching and incrementality testing to brand examples and frustrations with attribution.
Chapters 00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Why is CTV so timely?
05:33 - QR codes and tracking the user journey
08:09 - Main frustrations around CTV
09:53 - What the data tells you
12:25 - Standing for something as a brand
When AI is at the top of most marketers' minds, it can be difficult to discern which brands are truly tapped in and which are chasing trends. Bob Hollanders, Head of Sales Account & Management, EMEA & US, proves to Peggy Anne Salz that AI is more than a buzzword at Appier and delves into his insights on where marketers are succeeding in implementing AI into their stack as well as what non-gaming and gaming apps can learn from each other. Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:50 AI more than a buzzword
04:45 - Marketers that succeed using AI
08:33 - Lessons from gaming and non-gaming apps
13:00 - A pre-indicator of non-gaming whales
Performance marketing used to be app marketers' golden goose—at least when attribution signals were plentiful, and UA managers were free to splash the cash netting new users. Today's performance marketing is a far cry from its pre-IDFA counterpart. Megan Price, Account Supervisor at M&C Saatchi Performance, explains the shift and how app marketers can nail the new performance marketing in 2024 and beyond.
Until now, we've known Aarki as the powerhouse mobile advertising platform that specializes in delivering personalized ads to mobile app users. Now, we'll start seeing them in a new light. Avi Das, Chief Revenue Officer and Chaitanya Upadhyay, Chief Product Officer, walk Peggy Anne Salz through the Aarki rebrand—from its refreshed values and identity to its revamped products and prices.
Chapter Timestamps
00:00 - Intro to Aarki 2.0
01:52 - What's new with Aarki 2.0
06:07 - Aarki's range
10:06 - A unified creative strategy
14:09 - The difference between ML and AI1
8:53 - How to apply Aarki's insights
Non-gaming apps are climbing the ranks in the app stores but still have notes to take from their gaming counterparts on acquisition and performance. Alex Li, Senior Director of Global Non-Gaming App Discovery at AppLovin, joins Peggy Anne Salz to share pages from his playbook on what non-gaming apps need to know to power profitable growth in 2024.
AI opens access to new data on every channel, and everybody—from advertisers to manufacturers—is stepping up their game to get in front of and extract value from premium players. Faheem Saiyad, Director of AppSamurai—the "one-stop-shop" mobile UA platform—shares the marketing mix and alternative monetization options that attract high-value players and how to effectively analyze your data to power a successful growth strategy.
* Related Videos 👉🏻 You can watch more of our Groove Content here: • Winning Ways To Connect With Your Cus... Subscribe for More 👉🏻 https://www.youtube.com/c/PeggyAnneSa... Let's Connect *👉🏻 Twitter - / peggyanne 👉🏻 LinkedIn - / peggyannesalz 👉🏻 Facebook - / peggy.salz 👉🏻 Instagram - / peggyannesalz 👉🏻 Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
* Chapters *
00:00 - Intro01:58 - The fight for attention03:44 - Trends in marketing mixes06:24 - What's next for AppSamurai* What We Do *Educating marketers on the latest trends in mobile marketing, helping companies navigate the complex landscape. 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 a Senior Forbes contributor and contributes to 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.Named one of the Top 100 Influencer at Mobile World Congress. Podcast host on The Groove, Mobile Presence, Liftoff Mobile Heroes Uncensored, The Hive, Clevertap Engage, spotlighting the global mobile trends, tools, and tips that allow marketers to drive customer connection, dramatically grow retention, and generate new revenue streams on mobile using individualized campaigns and communications needed to harness & drive lasting loyalty.Author of hundreds of articles, dozens of white papers, and authored nine books about mobile, both as a lead author and in partnership with global companies including Gemalto, InMobi, SAP Mobile Services and the Mobile Marketing Association.Author of Apponomics: The Insider’s Guide To A Billion Dollar App Business with InMobi, which provides actionable insights into how companies can market and monetize their apps. It builds on the success of my first book on mobile apps, The Everything Guide To Mobile Apps: A Practical Guide To Affordable Mobile App Development For Your Business, a practical, crowd-sourced book providing businesses and developers with insights on how to make, monetize and market mobile apps. Also edited and produced the Mobile Operator Guide 2013: The Evolution of Mobile Services: Challenges, Strategies, Opportunities and the Mobile Commerce Guide 2013: Engage Customers & Build Loyalty In Developed And Emerging Markets
What do you do when your organization is set on vanity metrics like clicks, and you are focused on the KPIs that really matter, like engagement and retention? How do you push for goals without sounding pushy? And when do you let users go because data shows winning them back will likely burn more cash than it generates in the longer term? These are the questions that CRM experts like Vernesa Ćutuk, Growth & CRM Consultant and ex-CRM Marketing Manager at Sleep Cycle, have to grapple with daily to show—and deliver—real value from CRM campaigns. Vernesa joins our host, Peggy Anne Salz, and special co-host, Jim Laurain, on this episode of The Groove. She explains engagement depth and teaches CRM professionals how to ditch the traditional D1/ D7/D30 measurement methods in favor of metrics tailored to their product and user triggers. Moreover, she divulges how to pinpoint and motivate elusive inactive users. Finally, she shares how she used CRM to raise app previews by 70% and the steps any CRM manager can take to prove their value in an organization.Vernesa Ćutuk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vernesacutuk/Jim Laurain - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslaurain/Aampe - https://www.aampe.com/
Chapter Timestamps
00:00: Intro
02:27: Ditch D1, D7, D30 metrics
06:40: CRM before ads
08:34: Fighting for CRM's value
14:40: Proving CRM's worth without lifting a finger
17:12: Following Blue's Clues psychology
20:15: Motivating inactive users
23:09: Jim's "dirty tricks" to increase engagement
27:43: Not all engagement is equal
34:19: Rapid-fire CRM Q&A
Your company is sitting on a stockpile of valuable customer insights—but accessing and extracting the right data to power effective marketing and engagement strategies can be a stretch. Sure, the answer is in the data—provided you know the right questions to ask and the events to prioritize. Stacy Earl, Head of CRM and User Retention at online rewards platform KashKick, returns to The Groove to spill the secrets about the data “gold mine” sitting in your CRM and how marketers can utilize it to decipher what users are doing from day one. She explains that CRM looks at more than demographics; it dissects customer behavior, too. And it belongs not in your marketing mix but with your data teams. We’re busting myths and breaking down data barriers in this episode. Join co-hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Jim Laurain, Head of Growth at Aampe, as we learn why CRM is more than a marketing tool and how to unlock this superpower to solve customer service issues, improve product, and rocket revenue.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - CRM belongs with your data teams
07:05 - CRM is more than demographics
09:05 - Become a customer to be a better marketer
11:39 - Digging into data activation
15:28 - Stop annoying your customers
17:16 - A/B testing done right
20:49 - How to get messaging right every time
25:35 - ChatGPT inspiration
29:49 - Is "unoptimized" messaging actually optimized?
36:12 - CRM data across all departments
38:38 - Rapid fire Q&A
In today’s attention arena, personalization equals profit. This is where AI-powered solutions shine, equipping companies to customize the app experience and explore new areas where greater personalization can yield massive returns. While many companies focus on smart ways to fill the marketing funnel with content and campaigns tailored to treat users like individuals, a few fast-movers are cashing in by offering personalized pricing that makes users offers they can’t refuse. This approach is championed by Cosmic Latte, a maker of LGBTQ+ dating apps that count 15 million users worldwide. Milan Kovacic, Cosmic Latte CEO, joins Peggy Anne Salz to talk about how he works with Assetario, a predictive analytics platform for mobile apps, to make the match between audience segments and the subscription price tag they are willing and happy to pay. Milan also walks through the strategy that allowed one dating app to reach a “double-digit” uplift in revenue. He is joined by Jakub Chudik, CTO and co-founder of Assetario, who reflects on the evolution of AI and reveals the low-hanging fruit, such as personalized recommendations, companies should have high on their radar.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:28 - Milan and Jakub's background
06:04 - The perks of individualized pricing
08:59 - How Assetario works
13:31 - Why pricing as a personalization point?
16:59 - When doesn't AI apply?
20:51 - In-house vs outsourcing
26:09 - What to look for in an AI company
31:12 - Driving data-driven decisions
32:57 - What to expect from Assetario and Cosmic Latte in 2024
This summer was a “Barbie” blowout! The blockbuster movie distributed by Warner Bros. brought in over $1.4 billion at the box office this summer, making it 2023’s highest-grossing film—and the topic of social media’s hottest trends. One of these viral hits, powered by an AI photo-editing app, stood out from the rest. With the help of PhotoRoom’s Selfie Generator, 13 million people created, posted and shared custom “Barbie” posters across Instagram and X. Months later, PhotoRoom has been downloaded 100M+ times, and Lauren Sudworth, PhotoRoom’s Head of Brand and Content, joins The Groove to share insider intel into the viral campaign. Alongside host Peggy Anne Salz, she explains how PhotoRoom marries AI and brand identity to deliver UGC at an unprecedented scale and quality for brands on any budget. Lauren says more than powering visual commerce, generative AI is “breaking down barriers to creativity,” even going so far as to produce personalized algorithms and brand IP. The show is one for the books as Lauren shares how any company can start building its brand and how to take advantage of AI tools while maintaining a human touch.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Bringing everyone into Barbie World
05:35 - Influencer power
07:57 - Democratizing content creation
10:51 - A strong brand powers strong content
15:47 - Discovering PhotoRoom's brand
20:25 - Monetization and total AI integration
27:29 - Built-in AI brand assets
31:31 - PhotoRoom's competitive moat
Ad dollars follow the eyeballs. But in a marketplace full of channels and congested with paid, social and organic options, marketers must place their bets where attention is high and returns are impressive. One channel that delivers is audio. While other channels are challenged by the cookie-less chaos and squeezed by low audience attention metrics, audio remains the crowd-pleaser. Audio alone accounts for one-third of the media time spent by consumers and delivers significantly higher ad recall. Gayle Troberman, President and CMO of iHeartMedia, the #1 U.S. audio company that reaches 9 out of 10 Americans daily, joins host Peggy Anne Salz on this episode of The Groove. She tells us why audio, specifically broadcast audio, is “insanely consistent and resilient” and shares best practices any company on any budget can follow to make a standout audio ad. Finally, she dives into how companies can engage with iHeartMedia and harness its Smart Audio tool to reach audiences and rocket ROI.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:43 - Audio is a powerful channel
04:31 - Incremental growth through audio
06:43 - A big wake-up call for marketers
11:19 - An example of the best audio advertising
16:21 - The #1 podcast network
18:34 - iHeartMedia's advertising tools
21:27 - Looking to the future
Good marketing answers customer needs. Great marketing anticipates them. With Aampe, businesses can create a hyper-individualized customer experience, increase acquisition ROI, and significantly reduce churn with only one tool. Aampe — a platform built by data scientists to help marketers execute effective mobile campaigns based on customer behavior — uses propensity triggering to flip the script on user retention and engagement. By looking to the future, not the past, marketers can offer personalized discounts, messages, and rewards based on a specific user’s likelihood to purchase or churn. Aampe’s Head of Growth, Jim Laurain, joins host Peggy Anne Salz in this episode of The Groove to explain how Aampe, powered by machine learning and AI, takes predictive analytics and retention to the next level, acting as both a “recommender system applied to every element of a user experience” and a tool to transform your business’ lifecycle marketing and bottom line.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:35 - Jim's responsibilities at AMP
02:26 - Inactive triggers create inactive users
06:32 - Tapping into your event stream data
09:55 - When does your A/B test retire?
10:43 - You're triggering at the wrong time
13:01 - Not all discounts are made equal
14:12 - What is propensity triggering?
16:43 - A recommender system for the entire user experience
18:34 - New customer markets based on timing optimization
20:39 - What's next at AMP?
To effectively make brand voices heard, marketers need a channel that drives traffic while combatting ad fatigue. CTV hits both marks and spells massive opportunity — provided you understand the platform and how to nail the creative. Arthur Querou, Founder and CEO of Vibe, a self-serve CTV ad platform, and Gijsbert Pols, Director of CTV & New Channels at Adjust, take center stage in this episode of The Groove in partnership with The 5 O’Clock Club. Alongside host Peggy Anne Salz, the pair set the record straight, dispelling popular misconceptions about the channel and describing why CTV is the place to be for advertisers who want to effectively increase social and search traffic, strengthen brand image, and optimize retargeting tactics.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Getting into The Groove with Arthur and Gijsbert
06:29 - CTV is more than just a branding channel
10:12 - Is targeting worth it on CTV?
15:30 - Marketers need a full-funnel mindset when approaching CTV
19:04 - The challenge with attribution
22:05 - To QR code or not to QR code?
24:40 - Tips for creating a compelling CTV creative
Predicting which users are likely to churn is a superpower that app marketers can wield — if they have what it takes to identify users highly likely to churn early in the game and keep them active longer. Fortunately, marketers have both in a new engine that predicts churn with incredible accuracy and automates the process end-to-end. In this episode of The Groove, in collaboration with The 5 O’Clock Club, Kate Lovejoy, Chief Performance Officer at Adikteev, an advanced app retargeting, churn prediction and cross-promotion platform, has the mic. She chats with our host Peggy Anne Salz about the tech that allows Adikteev’s model to classify and score users based on their likelihood to churn. With these insights, Kate says, marketers can focus efforts and resources on “targeting those users in the highest-liklihood-to-churn bucket to make sure they don’t go away from your app altogether.” Kate also shares some tough love and advice for marketers to make retargeting great (and effective) again and cultivate the curiosity and courage to test, iterate and try new things.
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - What gets Kate into The Groove?
02:52 - Making retargeting great again
08:06 - Accurately predicting and ranking likelihood to churn
11:15 - A free pre-campaign analysis
14:34 - When doesn't retargeting make sense?
16:27 - Tough love for marketers
Audience segmentation and creatives localization have never been easier with Appier, an AI-powered, full-funnel tech company. Appier’s AVP of US Sales & Market Strategy, Fiona Lin Ferrier, joins Peggy Anne Salz on this episode in collaboration with The 5 O’Clock Club. She is an expert in AI, spotlighting gen AI use cases that optimize ad placement and maximize ROAS. And she’s an expert in human connection. A self-proclaimed “personal development junkie” and first-gen immigrant, she brings her whole self to work and supports fellow immigrants and marketers in doing the same. In the episode, Fiona empowers listeners to embrace AI and themselves, stating, “Unconditional acceptance of yourself is number one” and “I’m really excited to build [marketers] confidence.”
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - What gets Fiona in the Groove?
03:59 - What is Appier?
06:10 - How does gen AI empower marketers?
12:14 - Using gen AI to perfect localization
14:08 - Addressing misconceptions about AI
17:34 - Advice to marketers about embracing AI and themselves
Relationship building is the core of powerful marketing, and it starts with good communication and trust. Heather Gainer, Sr. Marketing Manager at Kongregate and Jordon Weissman, Sales Director at Smadex, demonstrate in real-time what an interactive brand-consumer relationship looks like on this episode of The Groove, in collaboration with The 5 O’Clock Club. Our host Peggy Anne Salz facilitates this back and forth, asking the hard questions and putting Heather and Jordon on the spot by urging them to review their relationship and reveal what they haven’t been saying in their emails. Throughout the episode, the trio discusses how to keep customer relationships fresh, perks that peak consumer interest, and Jordan’s forecast on the future of SKAN4. Moreover, Peggy adds musing magic to the episode as she uses astrology to predict what will perfect Kongregate and Smadex’s marketing strategies for 2023.
“If Michael Phelps [were] a DSP, we'd beat him right now,” says Dharak Desai in a recent LinkedIn post. Comparing your company to the all-time most decorated Olympian is no small statement. Still, Dharak believes that, like Michael Phelps, InMobi has the talent to take it and its customers to the top. In this episode of The Groove, in collaboration with the 5 O’Clock Club, Dharak, Director of Sales & Strategy at InMobi, outlines how the multinational mobile marketing platform’s drive to innovate and constantly push boundaries made it AdWeek’s Readers’ Choice Best Mobile Ad Network 2022 and is now helping thousands of advertisers jump into new waters and "learn how to swim in this sea of SKAN.” This episode is packed with information as Dharek breaks down InMobi’s SKAN 4.0 Readiness Checklist, its post-SKAN bidder with pre-SKAN capabilities, and how marketers can understand predictive modeling, monetization, and measurement through a contextual advertising lens.
AI... friend or foe? To Boian Videnoff, CEO and Co-Founder of Enote, AI can be an assistant, teacher, or supporter if you embrace it. Our host Peggy Anne Salz orchestrates a captivating conversation with Boian in this episode about our machine counterparts and the creations they compose in Enote. A subscription app with over 70,000 users, Enote sits at the crossroads of music and tech. According to Boian, the app pushes the boundaries of AI development and machine learning, digitizing millions of compositions and organizing their sheet music in one central location. Enote's interactive capabilities strike the right chord with thousand of professional musicians, many of whom have recommended the app to their students. Throughout the episode, Boian explains how Enote's community-first approach defied investors' expectations and shares a mistake that made a massive impact on conversion. "This is the largest digitization project in the history of music," Boian says. "I'm excited about shaping the future rather than waiting for it not to change."
Software testing is a must, but it’s time-consuming, tedious, and inefficient when done manually. With Sofy.AI, tasks are completed in seconds. Sofy.AI is the one tool for all your QA needs, able to run automated tests on hundreds of devices with the push of a button. In this episode, we chat with Syed Hamid, Founder and CEO of Sofy.AI, the no-code testing program that frees up 60-70% of a software engineer’s day and enables anyone to test their mobile apps with ease. Leaning on Sofy.Ai’s data from over 30,000 applications, Syed reveals the key components to a successful app and his thoughts on the future as no-code automation becomes the dominant QA tool.
Non-gaming apps are hot in the app stores - and the numbers are impressive. They recently surpassed Gaming to top the US app revenue charts for the first time. This week, Peggy Anne Salz chats with Andrey Kazakov, VP of Revenue at AppLovin, a company that offers a full-stack solution, including user acquisition, monetization, and measurement to help marketers grow their apps. Andrey dives into how non-gaming apps are succeeding in acquiring high-value users with effective channel acquisition strategies and approaches that emphasize data analysis to optimize a multi-channel portfolio. We also review the company’s latest ad creatives report and learn how one app company increased its subscription rate by 2x.
In the post-privacy world, app marketers are under pressure to identify new user signals to reach their audiences and measure success. In this episode of The Groove, Peggy Anne Salz talks shop and marketing shortcuts with Adam Landis, Head of Growth at Branch Metrics, the mobile linking and measurement company. Adam draws from his long track record as founder and CEO of AdLibertas, the data platform that helps developers gather and analyze their first-party data in one place that Branch acquired last August, to highlight ways you can do loads more with less data. He also shares smart advice to survive SKAN 4: lean into the data, test often, and measure your outcomes.
When reimagining your company assets, take a note from the bestselling album of all time and remember that marketing isn’t just about “Thriller” KPIs; it’s understanding “Human Nature.” Will McKinney-Raphelt, Sr. Product Manager at Sony Germany, and Bernard Koomson, founder of deadHYPE and consultant with 9+ years of influencer marketing experience, join our host Peggy Anne Salz to talk about prioritizing human connection. The pair said clear objectives and a flexible creative process were key to creating an immersive customer experience celebrating the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s album, Thriller.
According to parents, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. According to Leslie Wood, Chief Research Officer at NCSolutions, a renowned advertising research agency, an ad a week keeps your sales at their peak. In this episode, Leslie chats with Peggy Anne Salz about the sweet spot for ad frequency, as well as changes to targeting practices and the importance of good creative above all else.
There are influencers for every brand – but not every influencer is a good match. In this episode, 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
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 this episode, 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.
The gaming industry has always been ahead of the pack in terms of building communities through social media. Gaming companies have the knack of bringing together technology, social media strategy, viral video, and influencer marketing to generate buzz and attract fans. In this episode, our host Peggy Anne Salz asks Shawn Silverman, Social Marketing Leader at Brand Authors and former social media and community manager for brands like Square Enix, Blizzard, and Twitch, about creating viral content that takes off. Shawn will also share ideas for building conversations with social content for brands of every size.
If you want revenue, be ruthless. That’s the philosophy of Mike Rhodes, CEO and Founder of ConsultMyApp (CMA). In this episode, our host Peggy Anne Salz talks with Mike, who reminds us that mobile marketing companies are under pressure to deliver value faster. This, he says, means expanding beyond acquisition to ensure new users stay loyal to your app. Mike, whose company counts General Motors and Trainline among its clients, also walks us through maturity tools and key questions to ask about your adtech and CRM. Finally, he shares his favorite mantra (big businesses are missing tech, and small businesses are missing process) and offers smart advice you can follow to up your game.
The gender gap can't be solved at the corporate level alone. Research suggests that when young girls are able to see themselves in women who rise to the top of their fields, or understand that no career path or topic of study is off-limits, it can have a ripple effect that shapes the rest of their lives. Maya Sharma, a high school student from Washington State, is already paying it forward to the next generation of female leaders. She's the author of "Paving," a new book featuring 25 interviews with a remarkable list of inspiring women, from New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern to Pulitzer Prize-winning White House reporter Ashley Parker. In this interview, Maya shares some of her reasons for undertaking this effort, her biggest takeaways from the wide range of interviews, and the importance of activism among younger generations.
The demise of identifiers such as third-party cookies presents both challenges and opportunities for publishers. Neither diversifying revenue nor maintaining a healthy ad business will prove to be easy tasks in the years ahead. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz talks to Sheri Bachstein, global head ofhttps://www.ibm.com/watson-advertising ( )IBM Watson Advertising and GM of The Weather Company. Bachstein has overseen a wildly successful pivot to paid as part of a larger move to diversify revenue at the IBM-owned property, approaching one million paid subscribers and seeing double-digit growth every quarter. Bachstein shares her step-by-step journey to subscription success, including insights on tailoring the product to the consumer, targeting potential subscribers and building a winning customer service team. She also reveals her take on the future of advertising and a call to action for the media industry at large.
The record number of newsroom closures in 2020 offered unsettling evidence of how difficult it is to maintain a local news outlet in the digital age. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz talks to Millie Tran, chief product officer at The Texas Tribune, which has built a sustainable online local news business that employs more than 60 journalists through a range of revenue sources, including thousands of paying members. From her experience at the Tribune, as well as The New York Times and Buzzfeed, Tran shares how the news outlet aligns editorial with the back-end processes to adapt content and coverage to what most readers find most useful. She also reveals how her team harnesses audience data and innovative news modules and visualizations to drive a 2x increase in homepage views and keep readers coming back.
The shift to on-demand services has undeniably become one of the major stories of media consumption over the last several years. But far too many outlets are missing out on a major opportunity by failing to cater to underserved audiences, such as Spanish speakers who make up an ever-growing share of the U.S. population. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz talks to Rich Hull, chief strategy officer at Vix, an ad-supported streaming service, recently acquired by Univision, which features more than 20,000 hours of free, on-demand programming. With a long history in media production and a wealth of experience engaging audiences with movies, TV and on-demand content, Hull explains why all media companies must acknowledge the demographic revolution, shares his views on the future of streaming, and tells the story behind Vix's massive growth.
Engagement, monetization and moderation are three key challenges for any media platform or social network. Kumu, a livestreaming app that's blowing up with Millennial and Gen-Z Filipinos all around the globe, seems to have figured out all three. In this episode, Peggy Anne Salz talks with Roland Ros, co-founder of the innovative app, which combines elements of YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp and even Amazon into one super app, featuring 2 million monthly active users and tens of thousands of live broadcasts every day. Ros shares insights on how he's striking a chord with young users, the ways he's lined up an impressive array of investors, and how media companies can more effectively take advantage of live streaming video and audio platforms.
The news media has been in a long-term state of transformation since the rise of the internet. Today, change is the only constant. How can leaders at journalistic outlets navigate the present while building sustainable business models for the future? Continuing our series, Peggy Anne Salz talks to Anita Zielina, director of innovation and leadership at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. Anita draws from her own change-making career at several news organizations as well as her current role molding the media leaders of the future to share valuable wisdom on the skills organizational leaders need to ensure the news media's survival.
Audience relationships are everything in media, and never was that more true than during the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. To kick off our new series, Peggy Anne Salz talks to Maureen Hoch, editor of HBR.org and managing director of digital content at Harvard Business Publishing, about how the publication quickly adapted to continue serving business leaders with vital journalism, analysis and commentary in a time of crisis—in all of the right formats. Additionally, Maureen shares insights on growing the brand's portfolio of audio content, engaging audiences across various channels and mediums, and much more.