MobileGroove

Identity resolution, omnichannel accuracy, CTV and in-app matching, and the hidden cost of "scale" — this is the identity conversation UA, monetization and publisher teams need.A recent identity infrastructure report found that basic hashed email-to-postal matching averages only 51% accuracy. Nearly half is wrong. At DMEXCO, Peggy Anne Salz talks with Dror Ben-Yishai, CTO of Intent IQ, who has spent close to twenty years solving the identity problem — and who compares buying on scale alone to buying gold diluted 50%.They get concrete on how to evaluate vendors, why accuracy beats coverage, and where identity goes as CTV, in-app and AI reshape the web.In this episode you'll learn:- Why basic email-to-postal matching lands at ~51% accuracy — and what that costs- The 5% first-party blind test to run before trusting any vendor- Why cutting bidders can hold yield steady (more isn't better)- Frequency capping and ad suppression across CTV, web and in-app- How chargebacks roll from advertiser to DSP to SSP back to the publisher- Why AI is draining web traffic — and the case for giving identity to AI chat- "Don't trust, measure" — the discipline the category skipsGuest: Dror Ben-Yishai, CTO, Intent IQLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dror-ben-yishai-072291/Company: http://www.intentiq.comSubscribe to MobileGroove for more candid conversations with the people shaping mobile marketing, monetization and growth.⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Twenty years on the identity problem1:01 Why CTV and mobile broke identity2:10 What omnichannel identity actually means4:56 20+ IDs per auction and the privacy squeeze7:17 Inside IntentIQ: Bid Enhancement and 60 IDs9:21 51% accurate: the diluted-gold problem12:02 What inaccurate matching really costs13:10 The 5% test every buyer should run16:32 Why more bidders isn't better18:03 AI, in-app and CTV expansion22:41 When your biggest customer is a bot26:55 Why trust has to be earned*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

Mobile game UA is shifting from self-attributing networks like Meta and TikTok to signal engineering — and Geeklab just scaled a top IP's spend 86x in one network to prove it.At Gamescom in Cologne, Peggy Anne Salz talks with the Geeklab team about the bet they placed twelve months ago on signals, why it felt too simple to be true, and the client results that are now closing the argument.In this episode you'll learn:- How Geeklab reached 86x higher UA spend in a single network for one of the world's biggest TV-series IPs, in two to three months- Why games are harder to scale than apps — paywall-on-day-one vs first purchase on day 14- The day-7 ROAS of 1.6 at scale in the US that TikTok asked them to publish- What 'signal engineering' means and how to decide which signals point to real player value- Why diversification and bravery are the new UA playbookIf you work in UA, growth or monetization, subscribe to MobileGroove for more conversations like this one from the people actually moving the industry.⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 The signal bet and the new era of UA1:14 Budgets up 10x and diversification beyond Meta & TikTok2:16 Why games are harder to scale than apps3:35 "If nothing changes, nothing will change"5:19 What Geeklab really does — and its one business rule6:42 Scaling a top IP 86x in one network8:43 The 1.6 ROAS case study TikTok asked them to publish9:13 Tough times, tough people: the industry cycle10:56 Pink t-shirts and what's next from Helsinki*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

AppsFlyer can now measure earned and paid activity across AI engines like ChatGPT and Claude — the next frontier in mobile and omnichannel measurement.Peggy Anne Salz talks to AppsFlyer's Lex Nakad at DMEXCO about measuring AI search, attribution, and what actually converts.Many marketers know AppsFlyer from fifteen years of mobile measurement. Late last year it announced a move beyond mobile into omnichannel — and at DMEXCO, GM EMEA West Lex Nakad explains the next step: measuring both earned and paid across AI discovery engines, with the same deduplicated, neutral data marketers already rely on. Because an experimental AI budget stays experimental until you can prove it drove a sale.In this episode you'll learn:- What AppsFlyer's AI-measurement announcement covers (earned + paid, across AI engines)- Why AI search can't reach the standard media plan without measurement- The move from clicks to "did it convert to a transaction?"- How AI discovery shows up as another channel and signal on the dashboard- Why early movers win this window — the way they did with TikTok and Reddit- The one metric Lex won't replace: customer lifetime valueGuest:Lex (Alexia) Nakad — General Manager, EMEA West, AppsFlyerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexia-nakad/Connect with AppsFlyer: https://www.appsflyer.com · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/appsflyerIf you work in UA, growth or monetization, subscribe to MobileGroove for more conversations with the people shaping mobile marketing.⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Why measurement is the story at DMEXCO0:20 Lex's path to AppsFlyer, six months in1:21 The announcement: measuring AI discovery, earned and paid2:53 The real question — did it drive a sale?5:40 The first-mover window: early TikTok, early Reddit6:03 Agents, native ads and the next discovery UX6:59 The one metric you can't ignore: LTV*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

Direct-to-consumer in games, done right: player ownership, first-party data and durable revenue. Xsolla President Chris Hewish on the five pillars of a modern game business — recorded at Gamescom in Cologne.Peggy Anne Salz talks with Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla, the commerce and monetization platform for game studios and publishers. Hewish has just published "Durable Advantage: Five Pillars of the Modern Game Business," drawn from the companies that sustain for a decade or more. The through-line: studios can now govern the player relationship, the commerce and the data themselves — and the ones that do can migrate players and revenue through every platform change instead of surviving it.In this episode you'll learn:- The first question every studio should ask before going D2C- Why D2C revenue is net positive — not just a margin swap- The five pillars: relationships, intelligence, longevity, trust, time- Why D2C starts with a conversation, not a payments stack- How an AI agent spins up a web shop in one session- What Facebook's shift and Apple's ATT taught the industry- Where growth is now: the Middle East and AI-built games (~83% of Chinese devs)Connect with Chris Hewish: https://linkedin.com/in/chrishewishConnect with Xsolla: https://xsolla.com · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/XsollaTVSubscribe to MobileGroove for more conversations with the people shaping mobile and games growth.⏱ CHAPTERS0:03 The book and what Xsolla is now1:43 Mobile, PC, console — unify your players2:49 Why D2C is net positive4:34 The five pillars of a durable game business8:41 Games as economic drivers governments watch10:46 Will GTA be a tipping point?13:07 New releases, PC publishing and an AI web shop14:28 Where a small studio should start with D2C17:00 What people get wrong about D2C18:43 What good D2C looks like — and Facebook's lesson20:50 Growth pockets: Middle East, AI, China24:31 The one action item for the industry*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

Rewarded user acquisition can inflate your early ROAS before the long-term curve goes flat. Here's how Scopely's performance team runs rewarded UA on Monopoly Go without getting fooled.Recorded at the first-ever Almedia Summit, Peggy Anne Salz talks with Lidia Pérez Plaza, Performance Marketing Manager at Scopely, about turning rewarded acquisition into a core growth lever — and the discipline it takes to keep low-intent users from wrecking your numbers.In this episode you'll learn:- Why rewarded partners can inflate early ROAS, and how Scopely sets milestones to catch the drop- How to read low-intent vs high-intent signals and tune the reward structure for quality- The dashboard transparency Lidia demands: event completion, in-game ranking, bid impact on user quality- Why creative is still a minor lever in rewarded — and how AI could shift quality vs quantity- Where Almedia's native in-game "Link" format could fit for a game like Monopoly GoConnect with Lidia Pérez Plaza: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lidiaperezplaza/Scopely: http://www.scopely.comSubscribe to MobileGroove for more candid conversations with the people shaping mobile UA, monetization and growth.⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Scopely and Monopoly Go's rewarded UA journey1:21 The hardest advice on getting rewarded right1:43 How rewarded partners inflate early ROAS2:12 Reading low-intent vs high-intent signals3:14 The dashboard transparency partners still lack3:53 Ranking visibility and creative's small role5:03 Almedia's native in-game Link format5:25 AI, creative testing, and quality vs quantity*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

AI ad creative optimization for mobile UA: how game studios cut wasted ad spend, meet ad-network creative volume, and iterate faster on what's already winning.Segwise.ai co-founder Brijesh Bharadwaj on the creative-volume crisis — and why up to 40% of ad spend goes to creatives the data already flagged as losers.Recorded at Gamescom, Peggy Anne Salz talks with Brijesh Bharadwaj, Co-founder of Segwise.ai, about the volume problem squeezing UA teams: ad networks now want thousands of creatives per quarter, and only the biggest spenders could ever afford to tag, analyze and iterate manually. Segwise uses AI to watch, tag and remake ads — bringing that playbook to mid-sized and small studios while leaving the truly creative ideas to humans.In this episode you'll learn:- Why up to 40% of ad spend is wasted on creatives your own data would reject- The creative volume ad networks now demand — and why it keeps rising- How a game creative is broken into data points: win/fail state, narrative, emotional arc- Why you should guard your ~20 net-new creatives and automate the other 80- How AI agents get an ad 90% to production, and the 2026 model shift behind it- Using competitor creative data instead of watching ads day and night- How clean creative ops helps small studios get acquired with respectConnect with Brijesh Bharadwaj: https://linkedin.com/in/brijeshbharadwajConnect with Segwise.ai: https://segwise.ai · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@segwise_aiSubscribe to MobileGroove for more conversations with the people shaping mobile growth, UA and monetization.⏱ CHAPTERS0:03 AI won't replace your 20 best creative ideas0:53 The creative volume crisis: thousands per quarter2:22 40% of ad spend wasted on ads that never work2:49 The playbook only the biggest spenders could afford3:30 How AI watches, tags and remakes your ads5:56 Can a small studio stay creative with AI?6:16 From InMobi and Appenomics to founding Segwise8:57 Automating competitor creative research9:12 Working with Lion and People Fun10:36 Clean creative ops and getting acquired11:06 Three years of Gamescom, and the triangle*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

Word-of-mouth growth, retention-led growth, and how to measure advocacy in a subscription marketplace — with Jamie Mercer, Chief Product Officer at Trusted House Sitters. When 70%+ of your members come from a friend, growth is a product problem, not just a media-buying one.Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Jamie Mercer to unpack how a marketplace built on trust — where no money changes hands between pet owners and sitters — turns great experiences into acquisition. Jamie explains the "word-of-mouth growth model" her team uses to fund product over pure UA, why advocacy is something you qualify people for rather than hope for, and how she keeps AI grounded as an enabler instead of a feature factory.In this episode you'll learn:- Why 70%+ of members join by word of mouth — and how to engineer it- The growth model that maps five-star sits to acquisition (4.4 to 4.6 rating = more installs)- How to measure "nebulous" advocacy with leading indicators- Retention cohorts that grow year over year- "Vitamin vs painkiller": different pricing and messaging for sitters vs owners- How to end the CMO-vs-CPO turf war- Why "what's your AI strategy" is the wrong question — plus 4 funnels prototyped in daysGuest: Jamie Mercer, Chief Product Officer, Trusted House SittersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemercer/Connect with Trusted House Sitters: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/trustedhousesittersHost: Peggy Anne Salz, MobileGrooveIf you'd rather build growth you can keep than buy growth you can't, subscribe for more MobileGroove conversations.⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Trust as the real product4:21 70% come from a friend: earned vs engineered virality6:51 Making the invisible visible9:26 Retention-led growth and the word-of-mouth model12:49 Measuring the "nebulous": the advocacy strategy14:56 Jamie's path to CPO17:35 Ending the CMO vs CPO turf war19:27 Messaging, chatvertising and the app22:48 Subscriptions: vitamin vs painkiller25:27 Why they won't add transactions27:55 "I don't like the question: what's your AI strategy?"32:38 One sit every minute: what's next*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

Fewer signals, more noise, and rewarded ads spilling out of gaming into retail and finance — measurement is getting harder, not easier. In this on-site MobileGroove conversation from the first-ever Almedia Summit in Berlin, AppsFlyer's Menso de Buhr breaks down what UA and growth teams still misread about omnichannel, signals, and AI.Peggy Anne Salz talks with Menso de Buhr, Regional Manager DACH & PDM at AppsFlyer, about why omnichannel so often collapses into silos and broken views, how privacy is pushing the industry from more signals to smarter signals, and why the brave move is often to let a campaign run longer instead of switching it off too soon.In this episode you'll learn:- Why rewarded advertising is 'here to stay' — and moving into e-com, retail and finance- What marketers still misunderstand about omnichannel and single source of truth- Why privacy means fewer signals — and why smarter signals matter more- The trade-off AI creates: more speed, sometimes less depth and quality- Why patience (more data, fewer premature shut-offs) is the underrated UA skillConnect with Menso de Buhr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menso-de-buhr-6918b496Connect with AppsFlyer: https://www.appsflyer.com · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/appsflyerIf you get value from candid, no-fluff conversations with the people shaping mobile growth, subscribe to MobileGroove for more.⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Almedia Summit: the big Q4 takeaway0:17 Why rewarded advertising is here to stay1:19 The omnichannel trap: silos vs single source of truth2:01 From no data to too much noise2:58 Privacy, fewer signals, and AI's speed-vs-depth trade-off4:13 What we misread in the funnel — and the case for patience5:38 Rewarded goes real-world: gaming, e-com, retail, finance*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

Apple Ads growth on iOS — without paying for clicks and installs that never convert. Viraj Sinh of Newton breaks down the cost-per-converted-user model and Nico, the AI agent behind it.Recorded on location at MAU in Vegas, Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Viraj Sinh, Chief of Strategic Initiatives at Newton, to unpack how the platform charges only when a conversion actually happens — and how its agentic AI, Nico, delivers on that promise in real time across the Apple Ads ecosystem. Built across 200+ customers in 45+ countries, Newton is now bringing the model to North America.In this episode you'll learn:- Why an iOS user is worth 3.5-4x an Android user in LTV (and 2-2.5x in AOV)- How the cost-per-converted-user (CPCU) model removes risk for advertisers- How Nico cut cost of acquisition 10-12% over 8-9 months- The terms of Newton's 90-day Nico challenge- Why custom product pages, Optics AI and ASO feed Apple Ads performance- Where search discovery goes in the age of LLMsGuest:Viraj Sinh, Chief of Strategic Initiatives, NewtonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virajsinhConnect with Newton: https://newtonco.ai/Watch: https://youtu.be/WGi6asgEkvsSubscribe to MobileGroove for more inside conversations with the people shaping mobile marketing, UA and monetization.⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Newton at MAU: high-intent users in the App Store1:19 CPCU: pay only when a user converts3:18 Why iOS, why now — the emerging-markets shift5:53 Apple Ads' growth and Newton's global footprint7:38 Bringing Newton to North America9:49 Meet Nico, the AI agent, and the 90-day challenge13:37 Intelligence that compounds across campaigns14:47 Where the platform goes next: beyond the App Store15:56 Search after LLMs16:25 One year out: betting big on the US*** Subscribe for More ***⚡On Point Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7020756661006925824⚡Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yFF2InbeIgkIRcxvDy3jm⚡Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-groove/id1585861460*** Let's Connect ***⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡ Website - https://www.mobilegroove.com

Marketers have spent years optimizing for installs, clicks, leads and ROAS. Affle wants to push performance further: what did you actually convert?That is the focus of CPCU, cost per converted user, and my conversation with Sameer Sondhi, CEO, North America & Chief Strategic Investments Officer at Affle.Sameer argues that conversion can’t stop at acquisition or re-engagement. The job is to close the loop around the marketer’s business objective and measure whether the user actually did what mattered.At the same time, Affle is aiming for 10X growth, with North America a major focus. After building globally across Southeast Asia, Latin America, emerging markets and North America, the company is investing more aggressively in developed markets, expanding Newton, pursuing acquisitions and building toward its own SDK and exchange marketplace across mobile, CTV and potentially web.Sameer and I get into:• Why CPCU gives marketers a clearer definition of performance• Why acquisition is only one step in the conversion journey• How Affle connects UA, re-engagement, CTV and full-funnel measurement• Why North America is central to the company’s next phase of growth• How Newton fits into Affle’s broader performance strategy• Why acquisitions, an owned SDK and an exchange marketplace are part of the 10X plan• How deeper ownership of the stack can improve measurement, fraud detection and ad quality• Why partner selection matters more as performance marketing becomes more complexI have also covered CPCU with Newton leaders, who break down how the model works in practice: marketers pay for the conversion goal achieved, whether that is an order, subscription or first-time deposit, while Newton takes on the performance risk.Affle’s bet is clear: performance should be judged by converted users and business outcomes, not simply by how efficiently you bought the traffic.If you are rethinking UA, measurement or what full-funnel performance should look like now, listen in.