Brutally Honest #139 by Matej Lancaric

No 💩​ BS newsletter with useful stuff about UA in the post IDFA world

Hey, FAM! What’s up?

🥃 Drink talk

Planing a day trip to San Francisco. Anyone around Nov 26 or Nov 28?

As you know, I love AI. You can clearly see it in every newsletter and in my Matej AI—the first mobile user acquisition AI that helps with marketing your mobile game UA strategy. It is getting better and better. I have also started experimenting with AI people in UGC videos 2 years ago (before it was cool).

There is also the new stuff that I am starting to experiment with called Ramdam, which connects AI and UGC, but in a slightly different way than you might think.

As a solopreneur, I have limited time to manage various tasks. If something takes too long, I usually prioritize UA activities with a higher impact.

This usually meant I delayed all creator/UGC types of production since it always took a long time. Here is the interesting part: Ramdam uses an AI-powered sorting algorithms to help brands get matched with creator that beats the odds. Thanks to this AI, process is sped up heavily. YAY!

Jump on this with me and book a demo!

🦩Tip of the week

*BREAKING NEWS* AdROAS is live on Facebook. Start campaigns ASAP. It's already rolled out to 50% of advertisers, and you need to track the AdImpression event properly.

No more shitty workarounds. Meta is finally getting on the AdROAS trend. It is only 2 years later than it should be, but better late than never!

Jokes aside, Google, AppLovin, Unity, and Mintegral have already enabled AdROAS campaigns, but Facebook has historically lacked this functionality.

For instructions on how to implement the event, see the official documentation.

Adjust vs. Singular toggles:

Adjust:

Singular:

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any guidance for Appsflyer.

After integration, follow these steps:

1. Create an App Promotion campaign. Works with both Advantage+ app campaigns and Manual app promotion campaigns.

2. After selecting your app, select Maximize the value of conversions and choose In-app ad impressions as the Conversion event.

For now, you can’t set a ROAS goal like you can in VO campaigns!

Thats it!

Now, TikTok is also getting into AdROAS campaigns! Stay tuned for more info.

🐊​ Cornelius: The Suspicious Investi-gator

True detective-like exploration of creative trends and historical influences. Delving deep into the world of creatives to uncover hidden patterns and inspirations:

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭? Getting inspired by other games is essential for creative production. But sometimes, the line between “heavily inspired” and “copying” gets a little blurry. After all, why reinvent the wheel, right?

Today, we’re looking at two nearly identical videos—yes, a full 1:1 copy—for two different games: Township (Playrix) and Idle Lumber (AppQuantum). It’s uncanny. Isn’t this pushing it a bit too far?

𝐒𝐨, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭? Drop your guesses in the comments, and I’ll reveal the answer later today. But there’s a twist! This is a full minute-long video—was there a shorter version floating around in 2023? Maybe yes, maybe not… 👀

Yours truly, Cornelius.

💀 Dr. Doom is not amused

One of my industry friends amused me with his direct and honest TL;DRs, so we agreed to share it here, too! My friend remains anonymous as Dr.Doom!

"When a PC first developer releases a mobile game, it usually fails, and they move on. But being Blizzard, why not still release it on PC when it has already failed on mobile 😅? Picture a legacy car company making a trendy electric car that didn't work, so, like all of their other cars, let's try to fill it with gasoline; maybe it will work now 💥" Sincerely, Doom (https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rts/warcraft-rumble-blizzards-first-new-rts-in-years-will-finally-shed-its-mobile-shackles-and-come-to-pc-in-december/)

🎉  “Ha-ha” moment

Because life is too short to be serious.

🎮 two & a half gamers - Pokemon TCG Pocket

In this special nostalgia episode with John we explore the gameplay mechanics, the nostalgia factor of the game, and the importance of booster packs and collection systems. Jakub discussed the innovative Wonder Pick mechanic that drives player interaction and excitement. There is a content pipeline for next quarter with trading and events coming. Uff! What a pipeline. Also, check the easter egg at the very end of the show.

I assume this game spends around 5-10% of its daily revenue, which is $500k/day. This is a lot as a standalone number, but this is almost nothing regarding the overall daily revenue. The UA foundation is there, but they could expand the operations on multiple levels - channels & creatives. Why not using Pokemon theme song? Why not use narrative/story-driven creatives for each Pokemon? The Pokémon Company International, what do you think?

Creatives are wrapped around pack openings. Which the game is all about. The collection of Pokemon. Gotta catch 'em all, right? Some people missed the important point. Pack openings are incredibly appealing on YouTube for several psychological and entertainment-driven reasons. Here’s why millions of people are hooked:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Pack openings play on humans' love for surprises and the dopamine rush of what could be inside. It’s like scratching a lottery ticket—people are drawn to the suspense of seeing whether the pack contains something rare, valuable, or exciting.

𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲
The chance to see rare or limited-edition items being revealed adds an extra layer of excitement. These special pack videos on YouTube often contain items or cards that are hard to come by, making the discovery feel unique and significant.

𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫
Pack openings are full of highs and lows—will they get Mewtwo EX Jakub Remiar, or will it be a Magikarp Felix? This emotional tension creates a narrative that’s compelling to watch, almost like a mini-drama.

Ultimately, pack openings combine elements of surprise, satisfaction, and shared excitement, making them a perfect recipe for addictive content. It’s not just about the packs—it’s about the experience!

📺 Watch on Youtube

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🤑 Paid subs only

Sneak peek at what you get for your support:

🦄​ Diary of a Dancing Unicorn

Today was a good day.

Hey. I hope you’re doing well! I’m considering ending our collaboration. To be fully transparent, I’m slightly disappointed with how things have progressed so far. I was expecting better communication and organization between us.

Hey, no problem. Not everybody is meant to get along with everybody. That is just how things are. From my perspective, the D0 and D7 ROAS improved significantly since we started working together + Cost per UNIQUE EVENT. IMHO, it's going in the right direction, but I understand your feelings. As I understood, it didn't work out properly with the other UA agency you worked with before; now, it’s not working with me as well. I believe you need to find the right partner that suits your needs.

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Ready to go from hybrid to hybrid business? Supersonic’s SuperHybrid competition launches December 2! Grab your capes, bring your best ideas, and get ready to make your game invincible. Check out the super-sized surprises in store for you! 

Join the competition now!

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I understand that we’re still early in the collaboration and that UA takes time, but given the relatively high level of your fees/retainer and your strong reputation, I believe it’s fair to expect more.

This is my way of working; I don’t really talk daily with people. I like to work towards a goal = better performance. Less talking, more working and optimizing. I enjoyed working with you and seems like the product is great and numbers start to show that.. so I am glad we were able to meet, obviously not glad you feel this way.

Thanks for your message! Yes, I agree it seems to go in a good direction, and we had good results. I think, in the end, we need to grow this learning internally, at our own pace, learning by doing! Let’s have a call.

Sure thing. Let’s do it!

…

…

…

Thanks a lot for the call and for your words. It showed me the path to move forward, and I realized I couldn't really expect people to be online 24/7 and reply immediately.

Thanks for your cooperation. I am here for you if you need anything else in the future!

Today was a good day.

🤺​ Quote of the week

"I still dont understand match3 btw lol...i played Royal Match with infinite gold and i got bored haha” - Yang, Whatsapp chat

Creative trends review!

🧞 Level up yourself

I launched a YouTube Channel. I'm putting a ton of energy into creating valuable content that I think you'll like. Check out the latest stuff, and give me a like and subscribe.

👾  Gaming blast from the past

Do you remember this game? What did you play when you were young?

🥦​ Before you go

Ask Matej AI a question. It’s actually quite good!

We produced one more episode at 2.5gamers. Check it out now:

Actually, last week was extra special. Here you go one more:

🍿 Fun starts in two & a half gamers Slack! Join now

We are opening up a Slack channel for everybody. It is the most inclusive slack for the gaming industry. Female, male, non-binary, juniors, mid-level, seniors, vendors, developers = EVERYBODY! We are waiting for you ♥️

Feel free to join here!

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🧙 Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter!

Please do me a favor and share this with someone in your network who you think would benefit from the insights and brutal honesty. It would mean a lot to me!

Take care, everyone! See you next Monday!

👇 Reach out for feedback or questions, or say hi!

Give me some love (or hate) & Subscribe everywhere! ♥️

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💡 PS: The latest UA & marketing jobs for you prepared by Gamigion:

Performance Marketing Manager Scopely
Director of Product, Growth Scopely
Marketing Lead, Clash Royale Supercell
Monetization Manager Supercell
Associate UA Manager Zynga
ASO Manager Zynga
Monetization Manager - Gram Games
Senior Performance Marketing Manager Zynga
Marketing Analytics Manager Dream Games
Senior Marketing Analyst Dream Games
UA Manager Moon Active
Monetization Analyst SciPlay
Product Monetization Manager SciPlay
Marketing Analyst Candivore
Senior Marketing Specialist Peak
Growth Manager Rollic
UA Lead - Apps Voodoo
Monetization Director Voodoo
Senior Monetization Associate Voodoo
Senior Ad Monetization Manager Homa
Senior UA Manager Homa
Senior UA Manager TapNation
Director of Growth Kwalee
Monetization Manager Gram Games
Senior Ad Monetisation Manager Miniclip
Marketing Program Manager King
Marketing Specialist Fugo Games
Marketing Specialist - Games Gamegos
Growth Manager Good Job Games
Marketing Data Analyst Wargaming
Senior Marketing Analyst AXLEBOLT
Performance Marketer Uken Games
Growth Associate AppLovin
Growth Customer Success Manager AppsFlyer
Senior Product Marketing Manager AppsFlyer
Marketing Manager adjoe
Product Monetization Manager Unity
Growth Partnerships Manager Unity
Performance Manager Unity
Growth Partnerships Manager- RU Unity
Chief of Staff - Marketing Xsolla
VP of Product Marketing Xsolla
Monetization Product Manager Taboola
Product Marketing Manager Taboola
Senior Client Growth Manager Nativex
Customer Success Campaign Manager PubMatic
Revenue Operations Marketing Manager Adikteev
Campaign Performance Improvement Expert RTB House
Product Growth Analyst Amplitude
Product Marketing Manager MoEngage
ASO Consultant Phiture
Senior Product Marketing Manager Tatari
Head of Marketing Aptoide
Growth Manager Moloco
Partner Marketing Manager Moloco
UA Marketing Producer Playrix
Lead UA Manager Playrix
Senior UA Manager Playrix

Find out more here!