MobileGroove

Peggy Anne Salz

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/

  1. Your Favourite Game Character Just Got an AI Brain

    6 DAYS AGO

    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. Chapters 00:00 The 13 to 18-month path to free cash flow in gaming. 00:45 Introduction to Character AI agents with Rebecca Liao 01:30 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/id1585861460 Let's Connect ⚡ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz ⚡ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peggyannesalz ⚡Website - https://www.mobilegrove.com

    38 min
  2. Beyond Performance: Why Ad Quality is Your Best Retention Strategy

    23 APR

    Beyond Performance: Why Ad Quality is Your Best Retention Strategy

    I speak with Nastassia Hubarevich, Senior Ad Monetization Manager at Digitalchemy, to discuss the critical link between ad quality and user experience. Managing a portfolio of over 45 utility apps as a one-person team, Nastassia shares her firsthand experience on why ad quality is a product health issue—not just a partner problem.Key takeaways from this discussion include: The Invisible Ad Quality Tax: Learn how low-quality ads—whether harmful, offensive, or technically intrusive—can lead to shorter sessions and a direct hit to your retention and LTV.Detecting the Disconnect: Why metrics like high eCPM can be misleading if you aren't tracking "blind spots" like app exits immediately following an ad impression.A Publisher’s Roadmap to Control: Nastassia outlines a structured approach to taking back ownership of your ad stack, from manual reviews and category blocking to leveraging AI tools for faster creative detection.Benchmarking for Success: How resources like the App Harbor Index help publishers move from a "blame game" to productive, data-driven conversations with demand partners.Gaming vs. Non-Gaming Context: Insights into why certain ad formats, like App Open ads, may work for utility apps but fail in gaming by disrupting user expectations.Stop reacting to bad user reviews and start being proactive about your ad quality strategy. Watch now to learn how to protect your users and your revenue.This conversation is part of PlayerFirst Perspectives, a MobileGroove mini-series powered by AppHarbr. It’s a series about fixing ad quality and developing ad policies so users stay in your app or game, and you can enforce what you believe is right for your players.👉 Join the conversation Be part of the Player First Collective on Slack, where marketers, product teams and platforms swap real examples of bad ads, policy fixes and UX wins, and compare notes on what’s working. Chapters00:00 Managing a Portfolio of 45+ Apps as a One-Person Team03:18 Ad Quality as a Product Health Issue05:53 Identifying the "Invisible Tax"09:51 Tracking Post-Impression Behavior12:43 Taking Back Control with AI17:37 Roadmap for Publishers20:51 Benchmarking Demand Partners24:24 The Strategy of Blocking30:12 Context Matters36:16 Drafting User-First Policies*** 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

    40 min
  3. 16 APR

    Scaling Products Forces a Harder Question: What Do You Keep?

    In this episode, I speak with Andrew Burrington, Senior Growth Leader at onX, and Andy Carvell, Co-Founder and CEO of Phiture, about what happens after the early growth wins and why scaling a product portfolio forces teams to rethink the playbook that got them there. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation built around five practical lessons for subscription apps. If Part 1 focused on identifying the users who truly get value, this episode picks up from there and asks the harder question: what do you keep, what do you change, and how do you know when your own playbook is starting to hold you back? As Andrew explains, continuity used to mean repeating what worked. Now it means carrying forward why something worked and being willing to change everything else. That shift matters when you are growing from one product to a portfolio, serving different audiences, use cases, and stages of maturity. What works in one app, or at one moment in the business, will not always work in the next. What you’ll learn in this episode: - How to know when to break your own rules - Why early-stage products need bigger swings, not just endless optimization - How to tell whether a learning is real or just noise - What changes when retention becomes as important as acquisition - Why strong teams build around intent, not just channels Part 1 was about finding value early; this episode is about learning how to scale it without losing the thinking that made it work in the first place. This is one of the conversations shaping the 2026 Full Funnel Growth Playbook, powered by RZR (formerly Aarki), available soon. Chapters 00:00 - Five Essential Lessons for Sustainable Growth 00:48 - Making Growth Learning Visible 01:20 - Utilizing AI and Automation for Optimization 03:08 - Case Study: 40% Growth Lift Through AI-Generated Assets 06:12 - Balancing "Big Swings" and Incremental Improvements 08:39 - Maximizing Resource Efficiency in User Acquisition 09:48 - Shifting Strategies Based on Product Maturity 11:58 - Pivoting from Acquisition to User Retention 15:05 - Onboarding and Engaging Diverse User Cohorts 18:00 - Leveraging Intent and Continuity for Long-Term Success *** 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

    24 min
  4. 9 APR

    Qualifying Users: Why 90% of Your Growth Metrics Are Lying

    In this episode, I speak with Andrew Burrington, Senior Growth Leader at onX, and Andy Carvell, Co-Founder and CEO of Phiture, about what sustainable growth really looks like when an app grows from 3 people to 500 and from one product to a portfolio. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation built around five practical lessons for subscription apps. It starts with a deceptively simple idea: not every user who installs the app matters. As Andrew explains, the shift came when onX stopped blasting users with purchase prompts and started focusing on what actually qualified them. In their case, that meant helping users understand the core actions that made the product valuable in the first place. The result is a conversation about what strong teams do early, what they carry forward, and why commitment beats volume. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why sustainable growth starts with identifying the users who actually get valueHow onX used key actions to qualify users instead of just pushing conversionWhy onboarding should teach value, not just sell featuresWhat changes when one app becomes a growing portfolioWhy repeating what worked is not the same as understanding why it worked If you work on a subscription app, this episode is packed with practical thinking you can apply immediately. Part 2 continues the conversation, focusing on when to break your own playbook, how to recognize real learning, and why growth priorities change as products mature. This is one of the conversations shaping the 2026 Full Funnel Growth Playbook, powered by RZR (formerly Aarki), available soon. Chapters 00:00 Intro: Growth Beyond Theory 01:32 Meet the Guests: Andy Carvell and Andrew Burrington 03:00 A Decade of Growth: Building a Data-Driven Partnership 08:33 Lesson 1: Commitment Over Volume in User Retention 10:14 Qualifying Users: Finding Real Value in Your Product 15:53 Lesson 2: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel for New Products 18:02 Team Structure: Vertical Expertise vs. Service Centers 25:00 Lesson 3: Knowing When to Break Your Own Playbook 26:23 Maturity Curves: Adapting Strategies Across the S-Curve 33:45 Lesson 4: Making Growth Visible with AI and Automation 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

    35 min
  5. The Latino Audience Mistake Every Brand Makes

    2 APR

    The Latino Audience Mistake Every Brand Makes

    Brands still talk about Latino audiences as if they are a segment to target, rather than communities to understand. I recorded this conversation with Kirk Gimenez, Founder of Sizzle TV, at POSSIBLE last year, and I’m bringing it back now because it feels just as relevant as we head into POSSIBLE again. Kirk is on a mission to elevate Latino voices and tell stories that reflect real people, not assumptions. That perspective shapes everything he does, from media to marketing to financial education. He brings serious charisma, but he also brings a clear point of view on storytelling, representation and what brands still get wrong when they try to connect with Latino communities in ways that feel real and respectful. In this conversation, we get into: What brands misunderstand about Latino audiencesWhy language matters less than cultural understandingHow storytelling becomes more powerful when it leads to actionWhy collaboration is a more powerful mindset than competition As a media partner of POSSIBLE, I wanted to bring this conversation back because it captures something the event does especially well. The value is not only in the stages or the sessions. It’s also in the unexpected conversations that challenge your thinking and stay with you long after the event is over. If you’re heading to POSSIBLE, or simply thinking more deeply about how brands connect with culture and community, this episode is for you. Subscribe to MobileGroove for conversations with the people shaping what comes next in marketing, media and technology. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Sizzle TV and Kirk's Mission 02:44 - Networking and Key Connections at the Possible Event 04:30 - Impactful Sessions: NFL and Big Brothers Big Sisters 05:31 - Bridging the Wealth Gap and Financial Advice 08:51 - Authenticity in Marketing to the Latino Community *** 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

    13 min
  6. Why Most Events Get It Wrong - and What POSSIBLE Gets Right

    26 MAR

    Why Most Events Get It Wrong - and What POSSIBLE Gets Right

    In this episode of MobileGroove, I’m speaking with Christian Muche, Global President and Co-Founder of POSSIBLE, about what it really takes to build something people want to be part of, not just attend. POSSIBLE is not trying to win on size. It’s winning on intention and impact.💥 Christian’s philosophy is simple, but not easy to execute: bring the right people together, design the right environment and focus on outcomes, not optics. Growth follows when the experience delivers. And it is delivering. POSSIBLE has grown from 2,500 to more than 5,000 participants in just a few years, not by chasing scale, but by building something the industry wants to co-create. We also talk about why time, not budget, is now the most valuable currency for attendees, why most networking falls short and how curated connections, from small-group formats to thousands of pre-arranged meetings, are changing what people expect from events. In this conversation, we explore: Why building for relevance and long-term value matters more than chasing audience numbers or rapid growthHow POSSIBLE is designed to create intentional connections through curated meetings, smaller formats and purpose-built environmentsWhy the intersection of marketing, technology and culture is where the most important conversations are happening now As a media partner of POSSIBLE and someone who has experienced it firsthand, I’m especially excited about what’s coming next. This is not just another stop on the event circuit. It brings together business, culture and community. And that matters, because the most valuable ideas happen when the right people are in the right place, having the right conversations. If you’re heading to POSSIBLE in Miami, or considering it, this episode is your inside look at what makes it different and why it continues to gain momentum. Subscribe to MobileGroove for conversations with the people building what's next in marketing, media, and technology. Chapters 00:00 Challenging the Need for New Industry Events 04:41 Prioritizing Human Connections Amidst Industry Noise 06:05 Reimagining the Event Format as a Platform 07:41 Focusing on Relevance and Quality Over Scale 10:05 Curating Intentional Business Outcomes and Networking 13:42 Navigating the Intersection of Marketing, Tech, and Culture 18:18 Shifting from a Seasonal Event to a Year-Round Platform 19:53 Growth Milestones and New Formats for 2024 26:58 The Power of Co-Creation with 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.mobilegrove.com

    33 min
  7. A Single Bad Ad Wiped Out 20,000 DAUs — Here’s What Publishers Miss

    19 MAR

    A Single Bad Ad Wiped Out 20,000 DAUs — Here’s What Publishers Miss

    One bad ad wiped out 20,000 daily active users in hours. Not because the product failed. Because the ad experience did. In this episode, I sit down with Ezgi Dogan, a well-known monetization consultant and former engineer who works with gaming and non-gaming publishers. She sees patterns most studios never see — from deceptive-by-design creatives to algorithm changes that quietly double ad duration overnight. And the reality is uncomfortable: publishers often think they understand their ad quality problem. The data usually says it’s worse. This conversation is part of PlayerFirst Perspectives, a show series on MobileGroove powered by AppHarbr. It’s a series about fixing ad quality and building smarter ad policies so users stay in your app or game — and you can enforce what you believe is right for your players. 👉 Join the conversation Be part of the Player First Collective on Slack, where marketers, monetization leads and product teams share real examples, data and solutions around ad quality: https://join.slack.com/t/playerfirstcollective/shared_invite/zt-3kcihn2oh-jXuCNSOYnqIFjynxegYUug In this episode, Ezgi explains: How one network change created infinite ad loops and cost a studio 20,000 DAUs in a day Why some publishers see up to 50% CPM swings when tightening ad quality controlsWhy 90% CTRs are often a red flag, not a performance winHow deceptive ads use fake close buttons, redirect traps and multi-click exitsWhy churn and retention often reveal ad quality problems before revenue doesWhere real control over ad quality actually lives today — and why publishers must own itHow to combine tools, internal KPIs and external benchmarks like the Ad Quality IndexWhy clean supply is not a “nice to have” but a competitive differentiatorWhat successful publishers do differently when they prioritize experience over short-term revenue Ezgi also breaks down the mindset shift studios need to make: ad experience is product experience. And if you don’t measure it, you’re flying blind. Stay tuned for more episodes of PlayerFirst Perspectives on MobileGroove, where we continue unpacking how publishers, platforms and partners can turn ad quality into a real growth advantage — not just revenue protection. Chapters 01:10 Defining Ad Quality Problems 02:07 Evolution of a Consultancy 02:47 Ezgi's Professional Backstory 04:39 Essential Monetization Skill Sets 06:56 Impact of Bad Ads on Revenue 09:59 Ad Quality as a Systemic Issue 11:58 Signs of Ad Quality Problems 23:31 Using Data to Show Reality 29:11 The Case for Publisher Control 32:11 Launching the First Ad Quality Index 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

    48 min
  8. The Chatvertising Shift No One Saw Coming

    12 MAR

    The Chatvertising Shift No One Saw Coming

    What if the front door to your brand wasn’t an app, a landing page or a form, but a conversation? In this MobileGroove episode, I spoke with Moritz Beck, founder and CEO of Memacon, about why chatvertising is emerging as one of the most critical shifts in marketing and why it’s already forcing brands to rethink apps, funnels and trust. Moritz doesn’t just talk theory. He shares real examples from brands like IKEA, Volvo, and Aldi, along with hard numbers that explain why messaging is outperforming traditional journeys. We get into: What chatvertising actually is and why it’s different from chatbotsWhy messaging apps are used ~24 minutes a day, while phone apps average ~2.5 minutesHow brands are replacing landing pages with WhatsApp conversationsWhy app downloads require more trust than most users are willing to giveHow chat-first funnels can drop CPIs from €5–6 to €1–2Why WhatsApp newsletters regularly see 90%+ open ratesHow conversational engagement changes brand building, not just performanceWhy some use cases no longer need an app at all We also explore how chat is reshaping recruitment, training, subscriptions, surveys and internal workflows, and why flow-based thinking is replacing funnels faster than most marketers realise. Moritz explains why this shift took so long, why it’s accelerating now, and zeroes in on the one simple experiment marketers should run in the next 30 days to see the impact for themselves. If you’re an app marketer, CMO or product leader trying to cut through saturation, rebuild trust and meet users where they already are, this conversation will change how you think about engagement. 0:00 Introduction to Chatvertising 2:14 Defining Chatvertising 4:05 Drivers of Conversational Engagement 7:48 Messaging Channels and newsletters 10:00 WhatsApp for Lead Generation 11:47 User-Centric Case Studies 16:48 Improving Conversion Rates 22:27 Hyper-Personalization Strategies 30:15 Key Metrics for Messaging Success 43:32 Getting Started with WhatsApp Newsletters *** 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

    45 min

About

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/