MobileGroove brought to you by author, analyst and content marketing strategist Peggy Anne Salz, founder and owner of MobileGroove Media. 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/
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June 16, 202614 min
The Truth About Premium Inventory and Market Choice
In this interview, recorded live at POSSIBLE 2026, I talk to Jason Wiese, EVP, Strategic Insights & Measurement at VAB about the evolving landscape of video advertising, focusing on the five pillars of "premium video" and how they drive results. The discussion covers the critical role of data-driven insights in an era of AI-driven discovery, the importance of brand-safe environments for brand reputation, and how premium video functions as a full-funnel marketing tool. Learn about the latest trends in cross-platform measurement, outcomes-based advertising, and the VAB's expansion into global markets.Chapters:01:13 - Introducing the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB)02:34 - AI and Search: The New Era of Discovery04:14 - Defining the 5 Pillars of Premium Video07:14 - Measurement and Outcomes-Based Advertising12:32 - Global Insights and the Future of Video*** 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.mobilegrove.com
June 11, 202620 min
5x Higher LTV: How Commerce Media Is Changing Mobile Gaming
In this interview, recorded live at POSSIBLE 2026, I caught up with Matt Conlin, Chief Customer Officer & Founder from Fluent discusses the rapid evolution of commerce media and its significant impact on the mobile gaming industry. With traditional advertising platforms reaching points of diminishing returns, brands and retailers are increasingly turning into ad businesses themselves, leveraging rich first-party data and high-intent audiences. Discover why gaming is becoming a "strategic vertical" for major retailers and how post-transaction commerce moments are delivering 5x higher long-term value (LTV) compared to traditional user acquisition channels.Chapters00:00 - The Yacht Fire Incident02:04 - The Rise of Commerce Media04:30 - Solving the Fragmentation Problem06:45 - Diversifying Beyond Google and Meta08:39 - The New Gamer Demographic11:41 - 5x Better Performance MetricsA deep dive into how commerce channels are driving significantly higher retention and progression compared to traditional UA channels.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/id1585861460Let's Connect⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
June 9, 202614 min
The $90 Billion Opportunity: Why Brands Must Bridge the App Gap
While mobile app user acquisition is a massive $90 billion market—three times the size of the entire CTV industry—many brands still lack a dedicated app strategy. In this video, we sit down with Itai Cohen, Chief Strategy Officer of Digital Turbine at the POSSIBLE conference to discuss the evolving mobile ecosystem. Discover how Large Language Models (LLMs) are driving users toward app properties, why apps offer a more premium environment for advertisers than the open web, and how brands can tap into this massive, underutilized supply path to reach highly engaged audiences.Chapters00:00 – The Connector of the Mobile Ecosystem02:33 – Evolution of Gaming and AI in Mobile Media04:02 – How LLMs are Shifting Traffic from Web to Apps05:18 – The Strategic Layer: Nuances of App Advertising10:01 – Bridging the Language Gap Between Brands and DevelopersSubscribe 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/id1585861460Let's Connect⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
June 8, 202616 min
The Next Martech Advantage? Building an Insights Stack
Marketers have spent years building media stacks, CRM stacks and measurement stacks. Gladys Kong believes the next competitive edge is an insights stack.In this episode of MobileGroove, recorded at POSSIBLE in Miami, I speak with Gladys Kong of Azira about why location intelligence is a powerful tool that can give you a competitive edge and how AI transforms raw movement data into smarter business decisions that you can act on.Gladys is not talking about data for data’s sake. She is talking about making insight decisive, helping you understand behaviors like where people shop, eat, travel, and spend time-insights that go well beyond demographics and guesswork, empowering you to make more informed choices.In this conversation, we get into:Why “where I am” can tell you more about behavior than most marketers realizeHow location intelligence helps brands move from broad targeting to more strategic, high-confidence decisionsWhy AI is changing the game by spotting patterns, anomalies and opportunities humans would missHow Azira is making sophisticated data models more accessible to teams without analysts or data scientists on handWhy quick-serve restaurants, travel brands and retailers are using movement data to decide where to invest, where to open and who to targetGladys also makes a strong case that this goes beyond campaign optimization. For mid-sized businesses in particular, better access to insight can level the playing field and make advanced decision-making far more practical and affordable.The industry doesn’t lack data. It lacks a better way to turn data into action, and that is exactly where Gladys is pushing the conversation next.Chapters00:00 The Expert Play: Why Gladys Matters01:21 RIP Community Management: The New Era04:05 Stop Shouting: The Authentic Hype Method07:12 Weaponizing Creator Partnerships10:45 The Retention Hack: Closing the Loop14:18 Global Domination: Scaling Without Friction17:55 Gaming 2030: Future-Proofing Your Base20:58 The Blueprint: Growth Masterclass in 2 MinsSubscribe to MobileGroove for conversations with the people shaping what comes next in marketing, growth and technology.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/id1585861460Let's Connect⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
June 4, 20266 min
93% of Marketers Are Using Rewarded UA — Here’s What Almedia Sees Next
The question is no longer whether rewarded UA works. The question is what it takes to make it scale.In this episode of MobileGroove, I speak with Joel Brodie, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Almedia, about the company’s new Rewarded UA Handbook and the bigger shift to rewarded as it moves into the core marketing mix. The impact is massive. Based on a survey of more than 900 mobile game professionals across major geos, Almedia found:$3,000 per day is the minimum budget to achieve meaningful campaign results93% of marketers familiar with rewarded UA are already spending on it61% plan to increase their rewarded UA budget in 2026. Almost 1 in 10 studios using rewarded now allocate more than half of their UA budget to the channel.Joel and I get into:What marketers get wrong when they judge performance too early Why D30 matters more than D7 if you want rewarded to scale How to think about short-, medium- and long-term engagement events What happens to rewarded now that web shops are hotAs Joel puts it, making rewarded scale is both an art and a science. The science is data, automation and predictive LTV. The art is knowing which events matter, when to extend the reward window and how to build campaigns that compound instead of spike.If you are still treating rewarded like a lightweight test, this conversation will tell you why that thinking leaves you behind the market.Subscribe to MobileGroove for conversations with the people shaping what comes next in growth, marketing and mobile.*** 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.mobilegrove.com
May 27, 202626 min
Why “Good Enough” Web Measurement Is Burning Your Budget
It’s a dangerous time for disconnects.Marketers are under pressure to prove where the money is working, where it’s wasted and where so-called “organic” revenue isn’t organic at all. But when app and web live in separate systems, teams can end up misreading the customer journey and miscrediting the money.In this episode of MobileGroove, I speak with Eran Dunsky, Head of Product in North America at AppsFlyer, about AppsFlyer’s Web Performance Measurement announcement at MAU and why it matters for marketers who need more than another partial view of performance.Eran gets straight to the problem: a user can discover through mobile, convert on web days later and show up as “organic” from the web team’s point of view. That means mobile may be driving more value than marketers can see, and web may be capturing revenue without revealing where it really came from.That is not a reporting gap. It is a budget risk.AppsFlyer’s data shows that once brands connect web measurement with cross-platform LTV, attributed revenue can jump by up to 50%. For growth teams trying to defend spend, improve ROAS and explain performance to finance, that is the difference between guessing where the money went and knowing what actually moved the needle.That’s why Eran says “good enough” is an expensive philosophy when you’re measuring where your money is going. In this conversation, he explains why AppsFlyer sees web as the final connective tissue in the omnichannel measurement story, and why bringing mobile-grade attribution, cross-platform LTV and optimization signals to web can help marketers see the customer journey with more confidence.The stakes get even higher in the age of AI, where clean signals are becoming the new competitive edge.After all, even AI can’t optimize a customer journey it can’t see.We also dive into:Why “organic” revenue often hides paid-driven performanceHow mobile campaigns can drive web revenue marketers don’t currently seeWhy “good enough” measurement can become an expensive philosophyHow better measurement helps marketers defend budget with financeWhy knowing the true value of every marketing dollar is a major unlockWhat changes when teams measure users, not devices, across the full journeyListen to the podcast interview: https://bit.ly/42vcEgiSubscribe to MobileGroove for conversations with the people shaping what comes next in marketing, growth, mobile and measurement.@AppsFlyer#WebPerformanceMeasurementChapters00:00 – New Web Measurement Announcement01:23 – Solving Marketing Data Fragmentation02:51 – The Challenge of Cross-Screen Performance05:08 – Moving Toward Omni-Channel Strategy07:43 – Revealing the Truth Behind "Organic" Revenue10:53 – Addressing Growth Team Pain Points12:30 – Empowering Marketers to Defend Budgets14:38 – Breaking Down Siloed Marketing Teams17:11 – Performance vs. Standard Web Analytics22:37 – The Future Vision of MeasurementSubscribe 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/id1585861460Let's Connect⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
May 21, 202647 min
SoundCloud Turned Off Brand Spend. What They Learned About ASO
In this episode, Peggy speaks with Hope Barrett, Director of Product Management for MarTech at SoundCloud, and Simon Thillay, Head of ASO Strategy & Market Insights at AppTweak, about their joint effort to answer the question teams avoid: why should you pay for users who are already searching for your app?SoundCloud turned off brand spend to find out. As Hope tells us, the goal was to understand what was incremental and challenge the assumption that brand spend is a must to drive growth. Simon breaks down the data to show when and where brand spend really makes a difference.The experiment also challenged another assumption. Teams often treat the App Store as top-of-funnel and manage ASO as a separate channel. In practice, ASO is essential across the entire user journey.What you’ll learn in this episode:How brand spend influences performance across paid and organic Why delivering the same results without this approach could require up to 49% more budget Why treating the App Store as top of funnel leads to the wrong conclusions How ASO signals connect to paid UA and user intent Why growth decisions need to be based on incrementality, not assumptionsIt’s just one of the conversations shaping the 2026 Full Funnel Growth Playbook, powered by RZR (formerly Aarki), available soon.Chapters00:00 – Exploring Reviews for User Insights00:43 – Introducing SoundCloud and AppTweak Experts01:40 – Reframing the App Store’s Role in the Funnel03:15 – Shifting from Lifecycle Marketing to ASO05:43 – Using Headlines to Capture User Attention07:05 – The Bold Decision to Turn Off Brand Spend09:56 – Modeling Incremental Gains and Efficiency16:24 – Connecting Search Intent to Subscription Value29:00 – Mining User Reviews to Power UA Strategy31:34 – Leveraging Social Proof in Custom Product PagesSubscribe 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/id1585861460Let's Connect⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
May 14, 202633 min
Magical vs. Manipulative: The Future of AI Characters
This episode continues our exploration into the transformative world of Character AI agents and their impact on entertainment and marketing. Guest Rebecca Liao, Co-Founder & CEO at Saga, returns to discuss the "magical vs. manipulative" divide in technology and how her unique background in law and presidential campaigns informs her vision for a more connected, AI-driven future.This is Part 2 of our in-depth conversation. If you missed Part 1, be sure to go back and watch it to learn how Saga is solving the $200 billion user acquisition problem in gaming!In this episode, we cover:The Evolution of Character Agents: How these AI entities are moving from recognizable IP to becoming "social native" entities that provide 24/7 compelling content.Inserting Humanity into AI: Why the most compelling agents are those with human-like nuances and the ability to go beyond generic, "sycophantic" positivity.The "Taste" Economy for Marketers: How the role of the marketer is shifting from a content creator to a director or editor who guides AI based on creative taste.A New Training Model: A technical look at how Saga uses sub-agents and small language models (SLMs) rather than just massive LLMs to maintain brand guidelines and character consistency.Bridging Tech and Policy: Insights from Rebecca’s background in political campaigns on why engineers and lawmakers must have direct, unpolished dialogues to shape the future of AI regulation.Connection over Assistance: Why the future of consumer AI should focus on facilitating human connection rather than just serving as private personal assistants.Chapters00:00 The emergence of social native character entities.02:18 Why nuances and "imperfections" make AI characters compelling.04:54 Defining the standard for a "good" synthetic relationship.07:35 The challenge of maintaining 24/7 compelling character content.08:35 Behind the scenes of the agent production and "breaking" process.11:51 The new skill set: Why marketers must become creative directors.13:23 Technical Deep Dive: Sub-agents vs. Large Language Models.17:15 Rebecca's journey from law and presidential campaigns to AI.21:05 Why engineers and lawmakers need to talk without filters.23:03 The great divide: Building "Magical" vs. "Manipulative" AI.28:44 Shifting the focus from personal assistants to connection tools.31:37 The future expectation: Every movie and game will have a companion agent.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.mobilegrove.com
May 12, 202640 min
Why Everyone Is Talking About MAU — and the Woman Driving Its Growth
MAU is having a moment, and Angela Harar is a big reason why.It’s also an amazing and increasingly massive event, which is exactly why this conversation matters. If you’re heading to MAU, or even thinking about it, this is the podcast to help you understand what’s changing, where the energy is and how to get the most out of the week.In this episode of MobileGroove, I speak with Angela Harar, VP of Strategy & Growth at MAU Vegas, about what it really takes to build an event that does more than attract a crowd. It has to create momentum, spark real conversations and keep evolving with the industry it serves.And right now, that momentum is impossible to miss. Angela shares that MAU was up 30% last year and is already tracking 34% ahead again this year, with investor attendance climbing from 47 to 72. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from listening closely, moving fast and designing an experience that gives people a reason to show up, connect and come back.What I like about this conversation is that it isn’t just about event logistics. It’s about Angela’s instinct for where mobile is heading and how to build around what people actually need, not what organizers assume they want.In this conversation, we get into:Why MAU has become more than a UA event and now reflects the full mobile ecosystemWhat Angela is seeing across founders, product teams, CRM leaders, creatives, developers and investorsWhy she believes the best events create the conditions for organic conversations instead of overprogramming every minuteHow BrainDates, Mic Drops, meetups and kickoff summits are helping people shape the experience for themselvesWhy MAU is leaning into “mobile audiences unlocked,” not just apps or channelsWhat it means to build a serious learning event that still feels energetic, open and humanHow Angela thinks about community, growth and the details that turn a good event into a category-defining oneAngela also talks candidly about the pressure, the curiosity and the constant push behind the scenes, including the moment last year when she realized MAU had become something people didn’t want to leave.As someone on the advisory board, I can say this conversation captures what makes Angela so effective. She’s strategic, restless, thoughtful and deeply tuned in to what this industry is worried about, building toward and excited to explore next.If MAU is on your calendar, this will get you even more ready for the week ahead. And if it isn’t, this episode makes a strong case for why it should be.Subscribe to MobileGroove for conversations with the people shaping what comes next in marketing, growth and mobile.Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Vision for MAU Vegas01:17 - Explosive Growth and Record Engagement06:43 - Attendee Profiles and Influence09:36 - Expanded Tuesday Kickoff and Orientation11:51 - High-Energy Side Events and Networking13:55 - Specialized App Growth and Gaming Summits17:04 - Brain Dates: Flipping the Stage for Peer Content20:48 - Fast-Paced Mic Drops and Themed Meetups26:30 - Evolving the Conference Format for Connection31:22 - Celebrating 10 Years and Announcing the FutureSubscribe 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/id1585861460Let's Connect⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
April 30, 202637 min
Your Favourite Game Character Just Got an AI Brain
What if your favorite gaming companion wasn’t human, but knew you better than any player ever could? What if the characters you grew up with could talk to you, remember you, and even build a relationship with you?That future isn’t far off. It’s already starting to take shape.In this episode, we explore the future of gaming and brand engagement through the emergence of Character AI Agents. Guest Rebecca Liao, Co-Founder & CEO at Saga, joins the podcast to explain how these AI-driven characters are moving beyond static IP to become living social presences capable of fostering deep, synthetic relationships with users.This is Part 1 of our in-depth conversation. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we will dive even deeper into the technological evolution and future applications of these agents.In this episode, we cover:The Concept of Character AI Agents: Characters from gaming, film, and TV brought to life as interactive AI trained on specific lore and stories.Revolutionizing User Acquisition (UA): How Saga is addressing the $200 billion UA problem in gaming by using agents for high-conversion organic acquisition.Case Study: Willie from Trivia Crack: A look at Saga's first launched agent, which achieved a 90% engagement rate on social media.The Power of Synthetic Relationships: Moving from traditional "brute force" advertising to meaningful, high-touch conversations.Cross-Platform Memory: The technical challenge and importance of an AI agent remembering user interactions across different social media channels.The Future of NPCs and In-Game Companions: How these agents will eventually move from social media marketing into the actual gaming experience.Chapters00:00 The 13 to 18-month path to free cash flow in gaming.00:45 Introduction to Character AI agents with Rebecca Liao01:30 Defining the category: Bringing IP to life through text and voice.03:09 The philosophy of nailing the "synthetic relationship".04:05 How AI agents function as performance marketing.05:06 Why users refuse to believe these agents aren't real people.07:54 Navigating social platform guardrails and link-sharing bans.11:33 Comparing AI agent conversion rates vs. traditional ad networks.13:47 The potential for high-touch engagement with gaming "whales".16:06 Ensuring transparency: Labeling AI content on social channels.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/id1585861460Let's Connect⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz⚡Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com
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