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 epis…

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 aler…

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 a…

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 …

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…

In this episode of eCommerce Masters, host Ethan Giffin interviews Ravi Kurani, founder of Sutro, a company that creates robotic water diagnostics devices for swimming pools. Kurani shares his journey from pool boy to entrepreneur, developing a high-tech solution for pool maintenance. Kurani emphasizes the challenges of hardware development, descri…

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…

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 …

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…

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, …

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 …

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 fie…

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 audien…

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…

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…

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 …

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 implementin…

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 …

Meeting Tom McManus of KegWorks.com In this engaging podcast episode, Tom McManus, CEO of KegWorks, shares the journey of his business from a specialized eCommerce store to a prominent leader in architectural metalwork for the hospitality industry. Celebrating over 26 years in business, McManus discusses the strategic shift from offering a wide ran…

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 identi…

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 …

Meeting Rob Snell of GunDogSupply.com In this episode of the eCommerce Masters Podcast, host Ethan Giffin sits down with a pioneering figure in the world of eCommerce, Rob Snell, co-owner of Gun Dog Supply. With nearly three decades of experience, Rob, alongside his brother Steve, has transformed a passion for outdoor sporting into a thriving onlin…

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 …

Meeting Gentry Jensen of Cordova Outdoors In this episode of the eCommerce Masters Podcast, host Ethan Giffin engages with Gentry Jensen, founder of Cordova Outdoors, delving into Jensen's remarkable journey from a Navy SEAL to an innovative entrepreneur. The discussion unveils the strategic evolution of Cordova Outdoors, highlighting its commitmen…

Meeting Dave Santiago of Cutter & Buck In this episode of the eCommerce Masters Podcast, host Ethan Giffin engages with Dave Santiago, VP of Omni Channel and Corporate Sales at Cutter & Buck. Santiago, with a rich background in consumer goods and digital sectors, dives into Cutter & Buck's transition from a golf-centric brand to a premium lifestyle…

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 rewa…

Ethan Giffin talks with Ali von Paris of Route 1 Apparel about transforming a viral college project into a thriving Maryland pride brand. Launching with a single t-shirt tribute to a closed bar, Route 1 Apparel has grown into a diverse product line embodying state pride, from university gear to Maryland flag designs and innovative items like the Ol…

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 use…

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 Se…

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…

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 behavio…

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 Chann…

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 episo…

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 …

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’…

“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…

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 sit…

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…

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 hel…

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…

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…

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 …

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…

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 Jarret…

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…

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 …

How did ZEE5 build the platform, the content and the marketing muscle to become the top-ranking app for South Asian entertainment across 190+ countries, as well as the number one spot in the U.S and the U.K and the number two spot in Europe? Part of the credit goes to the content (a slate of 200,000 hours of on-demand content that includes original…

How do you make a great product, tailor it to your target audience and make sure shoppers keep coming back? It’s a tall order, but Meesho, the ecommerce app also crowned the breakout app of 2022, shares how focusing on personalization (and price) converts window shoppers into loyal buyers. In this episode, part two of a two-parter, our host Peggy A…

Understanding your customers starts with listening to their needs. In practice, this means conducting ongoing conversations with your customers, using their preferred channels and delivering the messaging they appreciate. Meesho, a leading online shopping and reselling platform, is taking it a giant step further by turning customer listening into a…