Publishers are done being passive participants in their own monetization stacks.Recorded live at the Google App Summit in Dublin, this MobileGroove episode features two candid conversations with experienced publishers who are taking a clear, player-first stance on ad quality, trust and long-term value.

I spoke with:

Otto Simola, Head of Player Acquisition and Monetization at FingersoftAnastasiia Paliienko, Marketing Lead at 6037Together, we unpack how publishers are rethinking monetization as a product decision, and why ad quality, policy and trust are now central to sustainable growth.

With Otto, I talk about:

• Why user acquisition and monetization must operate as one system
• How poor ad quality quietly erodes long-term retention
• Why publishers have more power than they think to push back on bad ads
• What clear value exchange gets right in rewarded experiences
• Why measuring retention over time matters more than short-term performance
• Where AI helps today in detecting low-quality and misleading ads

With Anastasiia, I dig into:

• What it means to scale subscription apps without compromising trust
• Why hybrid monetization is becoming essential
• How ad policy and platform standards support better player experiences
• Where AI is already changing creative production and testing
• Why value, honesty and relevance matter more than clicks alone

Across both conversations, a clear theme emerges: publishers are shifting to a player-first perspective, where ad quality, trust and long-term value are treated as core growth levers, not trade-offs.

PlayerFirst Perspectives on MobileGroove

This episode is part of PlayerFirst Perspectives, a MobileGroove mini-series powered by AppHarbr.The series focuses on improving ad quality and developing ad policies so users stay in your app or game and publishers can enforce policies that are right for their players.

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Be part of the Player First Collective on Slack, where marketers, product teams and platforms share real examples of bad ads, policy fixes and UX wins.

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MobileGroove: Mobile Marketing Insights, Trends & Growth Strategies

MobileGroove is a top-ranked destination for mobile marketing, app growth, and customer engagement strategies. We deliver expert analysis, custom research, and strategic content marketing to help mobile-first businesses and tech startups thrive in a fast-moving industry.

My videos cover: • User acquisition (UA) best practices • App retention and lifecycle marketing strategies • Personalization and loyalty programs that drive ROI • The latest in mobile advertising and data-driven growth • Success stories from top marketers and mobile-first brandsPeggy is a recognized thought leader, named a Top 100 Mobile Influencer by Mobile World Congress, and the author of Apponomics (with InMobi) and The Everything Guide to Mobile Apps.

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