Rovio is showing the industry what’s possible when UA and re-engagement work together.

In this new episode of the 2026 Full Funnel App Growth Series powered by Aarki, Peggy speaks with two of Rovio’s seasoned performance marketers, Martin Boccardi and Sinem Demiroz, to unpack how Angry Birds 2 is achieving exceptional results by rethinking segmentation, creative strategy, and predictive retargeting windows.

🎯 Results They Achieved:

• Beat Day 90 ROI goals by 1.7x on average

• Hit their Day 365 LTV target in just 3 months

• Increased retention and sessions even as installs dipped

• Scaled retargeting operations through dynamic (daily) list uploads

• Uncovered high-potential “movable middle” audiences previously missed
  

In this conversation, Martin and Sinem share how Rovio:

• Shifted from static rules to predictive re-engagement thinking

• Identified audiences with high future value — not just past purchases

• Shortened inactivity windows despite higher organic overlap

• Built a creative flywheel where UA insights feed retargeting (and back again)

• Embraced nostalgia-driven creatives that perform across the funnel

• Adopted a testing culture where “don’t be afraid” is the growth mindset
  

This episode is packed with learnings about segmentation, timing, creative strategy, and collaboration — and why retargeting is no longer an afterthought but a core growth lever in a privacy-first world.

🔗 Connect with the Guests

Sinem Demiroz (Rovio)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinemdemiroz/Rovio: https://www.rovio.com/

Martin Boccardi (Rovio)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-boccardi/ Rovio: https://www.rovio.com/

What happens when you treat retargeting like a real growth channel—not just an experiment?

For Aleyna Cerrah, UA Manager at APPS, the result was a jump from 30% to 100% ROAS in just 28 days—powered by a creative-first strategy and close collaboration with Aarki.

In this MobileGroove episode (recorded at MAU), Aleyna breaks down how her team achieved those numbers by combining smart segmentation, AI-generated creative hooks, and weekly iteration. Plus: why playables aren’t great for re-engagement, what KPIs matter most, and how retargeting became a bridge between UA and product.

🎯 This is the full-funnel blueprint for turning retargeting into your next major growth engine.

Aleyna Cerrah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleyna-cerrah/

APPS: https://apps.com.tr/

#ROAS #Retargeting #AppMarketing #MobileGrowth #Aarki #MobileGroove #CreativeTesting #FullFunnelMarketing #UserAcquisition #PerformanceMarketing

Can a video game treat depression? Teach democracy? Help us remember history?

In this special MobileGroove episode, we meet the creators who believe games can do all this — and more. Recorded at the POSSIBLE conference, Play with Purpose brings together three powerful conversations with game changers working at the intersection of entertainment and impact.

🎮 Jukka from Soihtu shares how his team is designing a game to treat major depression — a title that’s already seen 1,000+ patients play for 46+ hours and is moving toward FDA approval.

🇩🇪 Felix from the German Federal Agency for Civic Education explains how their agency is supporting indie games that explore democracy, media literacy, and social justice.

🕹️ Luc from Of Light and Darkness tells the story behind his Holocaust education game, played by over 2 million people globally — and why it’s sparking conversations that outlast gameplay.

If you’re a developer, brand, educator, or someone who believes games can spark change, this episode will challenge and inspire you.

Jukka Laakso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juklaakso/ 

Soihtu DTX: https://soihtudtx.com/

Felix Zimmermann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felix-zimmermann-07694a1a5/ and https://felix-zimmermann.net/ 

Germany Federal Agency for Civic Education: https://www.bpb.de/die-bpb/ueber-uns/federal-agency-for-civic-education/ 

Luc Bernard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardluc/

Voices of the Forgotten: https://www.voicesoftheforgotten.com/

Other Mentions:

Media Circus: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3868010/Media_Circus/

Take Us North: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/takeusnorth/take-us-north/rewards

Compensation Not Guaranteed: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2795590/Compensation_Not_Guaranteed/

The Darkest Files: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2058730/The_Darkest_Files/

Glasshouse: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2244700/Glasshouse/

Tears of Libya: https://www.voicesoftheforgotten.com/tearsoflibya

What happens when your audience becomes your investors—and your co-creators?

In this episode of MobileGroove, recorded live at Gamescom, host Peggy Anne Salz talks with Dan Francis and Shem Selah of Fateless Games, the studio behind the upcoming game Godforge.

It’s a deep dive into a community-powered game development model that’s raised $14M, attracted 50,000+ alpha testers, and brought together Emmy-winning talent and game veterans—all without traditional VC funding.

They unpack:

🎮 How their content creator roots shaped a community-first approach

🧱 Why they designed the entire alpha as a tower-based competition

🔥 What it takes to build not just a game—but a living, breathing IP and brand

🎯 Why modern devs must master activations, narrative, and long-tail loyalty

If you’re building a game, brand, or fanbase from the ground up, this is a masterclass in turning early engagement into lasting momentum.

Gaming is no longer a niche — it’s where culture, identity, and consumer attention all converge. In this MobileGroove x Gamescom special, Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Bastian Bergmann (COO of Solsten and author of Press Play) and Erika Wykes-Sneyd (Adidas, PlayStation) to explore how brands can truly show up in games — not just as logos, but as immersive, strategic partners in play.From building a 24/7 virtual store in Roblox to selling NFT-based avatars, Erika shares how she led Adidas’ gaming evolution and aligned internal stakeholders along the way. Bastian explains how Solsten helps brands move from stereotype to strategy — and why it’s time to treat gaming like the channel it is, not just an experiment.Whether you’re in marketing, brand strategy, product, or innovation — this is your playbook for getting gaming right.

Rewarded ads are evolving—and return on ad spend is just the beginning.

In this episode of MobileGroove, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with David Ruggiero from TyrAds to explore a more holistic approach to rewarded user acquisition—one that blends personalization, timing, and real user motivation.

With firsthand experience on the publisher side, David shares how TyrAds is:

• Building a new SDK for level-based rewards and better segmentation

• Applying rewarded strategies across verticals—from mobile games to FinTech apps

• Using data and loyalty loops to increase engagement and retention

• Helping developers understand what makes rewarded ads work (or fail)

Whether you’re launching a new app, optimizing monetization, or looking beyond ROAS, this episode is packed with strategies to help you grow smarter.

David Ruggiero: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-ruggiero-810766100/

TyrAds: https://tyrads.com/

Offerwalls are back—and this time, they’re not just for whales. 🎯In this episode, recorded live at Gamescom, Travis Anderson, VP of Global Publisher Partnerships at Xsolla, breaks down why offerwalls are experiencing a resurgence—and how they’re evolving into something much bigger: a unified monetization layer that spans webshops, wallets, quests, and even cloud gaming.Travis shares how today’s offerwalls deliver real value across the full player base—not just spenders—by creating personalized, gamified incentives that feel native, not intrusive. He also explains how publishers can tie multiple monetization tools together into a cohesive reward system, reducing reliance on third parties and reclaiming control over the player relationship.💡 Whether you’re an indie team looking for scalable monetization, or a large studio exploring first-party platforms, this episode offers tactical insights and a clear look at how Xsolla is shaping the next era of game commerce.

Travis Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisandersonpro/

Xsolla: https://xsolla.com/

From toothpaste to purple hair dye, brands are showing up inside games—and players are loving it.In this live episode from Gamescom, Sarah Chafer, SVP of Global Ad Sales at Xsolla, joins Peggy Anne Salz to explain why brand-formance is the future, how offerwalls are leveling up, and what makes a great reward-driven experience for players and brands alike.🎮 What gaming gets right about user sentiment🏆 How to build win-win offers for brands, devs, and players💡 Why “everyone is a gamer” is more than a slogan📈 How Xsolla is helping brands track ROI—not just awareness🚀 Where G-Commerce is headed next (and how to stay ahead)If you’re building games, selling virtual goods, or helping brands connect with players, this one’s a must-listen.Sarah Chafer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahprescottchafer/Xsolla: https://xsolla.com/

Attribution is broken. Trust in the data is shaky. And most publishers are still leaning too hard on a single channel. But Geeklab is changing the game.

In this episode recorded live at Gamescom, we sit down with Jani Torppa and Jesse Lempiäinen, the minds behind Geeklab, to unpack what’s really going on in the world of mobile growth—and what studios can do to fix it.

They share how Geeklab helps developers rebuild confidence in their creative, rework campaigns that have stopped performing, and bring back value from platforms like Meta and TikTok (yes, even after ATT). They also discuss why most attribution models are still misleading, how to test smarter without overspending, and why diversifying UA spend is no longer optional.

🧠 The key insight? It’s not about throwing money at the problem—it’s about bravery, transparency, and making smarter creative decisions backed by real signals.

🎯 Whether you’re scaling up, stuck in a plateau, or questioning your media mix, this is the growth therapy session you didn’t know you needed.

Everyone’s talking about growth. Thomas Hopkins is diagnosing it.

In this episode, the Head of Growth at GrowthOps unpacks why attribution is broken, why your creative probably isn’t working, and how to rewire your funnel around perception—not just awareness.

🎯 The three types of awareness (and why it changes your messaging)

🧠 The real reason B2B and B2C campaigns underperform

🎤 The influencer-led playbook that works before people know your product

📊 Why GrowthOps surveys differently—and gets better insights

🚀 The “What Buzz Does” model for modern performance marketing

Whether you’re an operator, a founder, or just tired of marketing that doesn’t convert, this episode delivers the playbook.