Brutally Honest #150 by Matej Lancaric
No 💩 BS newsletter with useful stuff about UA in the post IDFA world
Hey, FAM! What’s up?
🥃 Drink talk
Back in action from a vacation! Just came back from Maldives! Took that time off to record an album. Yes, absurd. But we released an album. Quest for a Half Gamer. Give it a listen!
And most important: Bonus!
🦩Tip of the week
People often ask how to get low CPIs in any ad platform
Finding a low CPI is like trying to catch a Legendary Pokémon in the wild; it requires strategy, patience, and a sprinkle of luck! Here are the keys to help you snag those installs without emptying your wallet:
Targeting: Get those audiences dialed in! Use customer segmentation and target specific demographics to reach those users who are more likely to install your app—like finding the right squad for your Fortnite team!
Creative Assets: the magic of eye-catching ad creatives! Test different visuals, ad formats, and messages like you’re trying to figure out which combo works best in Smash Bros. Quality ads get more clicks, which ultimately leads to a lower CPI!
Platform Optimization: Each platform has its quirks. Make sure your campaigns are optimized for the specific ad network, whether it’s Facebook, Google, or even TikTok! Think of it like learning character moves—each one has a sweet spot!
All of this is only one side of the equation. I always say the CPI is only one KPI which doesn’t say anything.
Retention Rate & LTV: Don’t forget about it! Users who stick around after installing can help improve your metrics. It’s like building a gaming guild; the stronger the members, the more likely you’ll dominate! Measuring retention rate on a creative level is crucial to understand if your FAKE ads work well or if players churn immediately.
🐊 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:
Meta 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗨𝗔 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱! This is not a prediction, it's already happening since the end of 2024
Facebook campaign performance has rapidly changed in the last couple of weeks and months. December 2024 was tough but much better than the last few years. They are slowly climbing back up to the top where they belong. Meta stock at all-time high in the last year.
Introducing AdROAS (finally, ehm ehm), experimenting with different campaign optimizations and now even seeing playables back in the feed? It's no coincidence to see Last War (Rivergame) and Whiteout Survival (Century Games) right after each other using playables. I also saw Travel Town (Magmatic Games Ltd) recently.
2025 looks good. I like it.
It's been tough for some years, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel. You just need to know how to make things work.
Anyway, playables. Absolutely critical for Ad Networks. Now looks like we should be thinking about it for Meta.
I know what I am going to be busy with.
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!
"Ahh the sweet taste of delicious schadenfreude. You don't know what that is ? Its on top of Dr.Doom's favorite things list 😎 "pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune. Or as you see here,, Open AI is crying us a river about a Chinese startup Deepseek coping their model ChatGPT, which before OpenAI trained on pretty much the whole internet of copyrighted stuff (they openly admitted this, duh!). Not a fan of being copied are we Sam 😁🍿?" Sincerely, Doom (https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-brass-balls-on-these-guys-openai-complains-that-deepseek-has-been-using-its-data-you-know-the-copyrighted-data-its-been-scraping-from-everywhere/)
🎉 “Ha-ha” moment
Because life is too short to be serious.
🎮 two & a half gamers - Game Review Radar!
𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱. 𝗨𝗔 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱. Everything is 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱. Yet, somehow, we still have jobs. Some games are live & kicking. Some games are not.
In this episode, Jakub revisits the games and apps we reviewed. How are these games doing nowadays? Which ones are breaking revenue records, and which ones have truly died?
Join us and take action—discover how so-called "dead" games are alive and making millions. Tune in now!
📺 Watch on Youtube
🎧 Listen on Spotify
🤑 Paid subs only
Sneak peek at what you get for your support:
How to use AI in advertising
🦄 Diary of a Dancing Unicorn
Today was a good day.
Random post on Linkedin: Nostalgia sells..
Nostalgia only works for certain group of people. And for certaing games. Nostalgia is not scalable.
Random LinkedIn bully: Yes, so we should be shot
Ehm?
Random LinkedIn bully: This is a nostalgia thread. Let it be that - just go posion something else - was my long form lol
Poison? What’s your problem?
Random LinkedIn bully: Pink Pelicans only works for certain group of people. And for certaing games. Pink Pelicans is not scalable.
Today was a good day.
🤺 Quote of the week
"Your videos have been a huge inspiration and played a big role in getting me into the gaming industry” - Özgür, DM
Game Review Radar #7
🧞 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.
👾 THE AI (R)EVOLUTION
The AI revolution is here, and it’s transforming the way we approach mobile games marketing.
From creating scroll-stopping ad creatives to optimizing user acquisition strategies, AI is the game-changer we can’t ignore.
🥦 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:
We are also starting a new segment, give it a go:
🍿 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!
🧙 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! ♥️
💡 PS: The latest UA & marketing jobs for you prepared by Gamigion:
Senior Product Manager - GrowthScopely
Performance Marketing Manager IIScopely
Brand Marketing, Hay DaySupercell
Marketing Producer, Central MarketingSupercell
Monetization Manager, Live Games and New GamesSupercell
Growth Analyst, ProductZynga
Product Monetization ManagerMoon Active
ASO ManagerMobilityWare
Senior Data Scientist, Growththatgamecompany
Product Marketing Manager - Hybrid or RemoteOutplay
Senior Marketing SpecialistPeak
Growth ManagerRollic
User Acquisition LeadKolibri Games
User Acquisition ManagerSocialpoint
ASO AnalystSocialpoint
ASO SpecialistSocialpoint
Senior User Acquisition AnalystSocialpoint
User Acquisition Manager - AppsVoodoo
Lead Marketing Data AnalystGameloft
ASO Graphic Designer (freelance)TapNation
User Acquisition Team LeadMiniclip
Data Scientist – Marketing & Network AnalyticsKing
Trade Marketing Manager – NordicBandai Namco
Nordic Trade Marketing ManagerBandai Namco
Growth SpecialistSKIDOS
Growth Specialist (User Acquisition)Fugo Games
Marketing AnalystMY.GAMES
Senior Lead Product Marketing ManagerOUTFIT7
User Acquisition ManagerTatem Games
Growth Marketing ManagerKabam
Product Marketing ManagerKabam
Marketing ManagerGametion Technologies
Product Monetization Lead- Amanotes
Senior Product Marketing ManagerAppsFlyer
Email Marketing Manager - LifecycleSensor Tower
Senior Supply Growth Manager - Japanadjoe
Product Marketing ManagerXsolla
Marketing Automation SpecialistTaboola
Business Performance Analyst - ApprenticeshipOgury
Growth ManagerLiftoff Mobile
Performance Strategist, New BusinessLiftoff Mobile
Senior Performance StrategistLiftoff Mobile
Marketing Admin, InternationalPubMatic
Marketing Manager, Southern APACPubMatic
Campaign Performance Improvement ExpertRTB House
[REMOTE] VP MarketingCrazyGames
Field Marketing ManagerAmplitude
App Growth ConsultantAppTweak
(Contractor) Marketing Data SpecialistBranch
Senior Lifecycle Marketing ManagerBraze
Mobile Growth Manager- Phiture
Product Marketing ManagerRevenueCat
Growth Marketing SpecialistEmbrace
Product Marketing ManagertvScientific
Senior Mobile Growth ManagerAppAgent
Senior User Acquisition ManagerStillfront
Senior ASO Manager (all genders)JustPlay
Growth ManagerMoloco
New Business Growth ManagerMoloco
UA Marketing ProducerPlayrix
Lead User Acquisition ManagerPlayrix
Senior User Acquisition ManagerPlayrix