On Point #16 – Sharp Takes. Smart Voices & Peggy’s Wrap
I’ve been quiet in your inbox—but not in the industry. And now I’m back with two kinds of newsletters to cut through the noise and deliver what matters.
This week: When bad ads become a business risk
Hey there — it’s been a minute. I’ve been quiet in your inbox—but not in the industry. And now I’m back with two kinds of newsletters to cut through the noise and deliver what matters.
🔄 The Wrap: What I’m doing, who I’m talking to, and where the smart signals are
🤫 The Whisper File: What people really say — on mic, off script and under the surface
This edition? It’s a Wrap — and we're diving in hot.
🔎 This week’s spotlight story When harmful ads hurt players—studios need to step up.
Something seismic just happened – and this is just the start.
No Mercy, a game that glorified violence against women, was pulled from Steam after a wave of public backlash. The community—including Women in Games —stood up, spoke out and made a difference.
That’s a win. And I celebrate Women in Games and everyone pushing for accountability and safety in this space. They show that change is possible.
But now, we need to expand the lens. We need to look at the entire player experience—what happens inside games and the ads around them.
From sexist and disturbing creatives to deceptive formats that distort data, the ad experience in mobile games isn’t just a player problem. It’s a business one.
That’s why my latest article at PocketGamer.biz breaks down what “bad ads” actually look like—and what studios can (and should) be doing to take back control.
I draw from conversations with:
And the ever-insightful John Wright adds the grounded perspective that ties it all together.
👉 Bottom line: We need to have this conversation—across gaming and non-gaming apps—because it affects players everywhere.
And it’s part of a larger initiative I’m proud to be driving—one I’ll be sharing more about soon. And if you care about retention, reputation, or real results, you’ll want in early.
⭐ Only five make the cut. You’re about to see why.
✋ Peggy’s High-Five
Five podcast picks. Five real takeaways. Not the kind you’ll find in the usual roundup.
I host podcasts, webinars and interviews every week, talking to the marketers, makers, and mavericks shaping what’s next. These are the ones that stuck with me—and the insights you’ll want to steal 🤑
🐶 Not Just Bark: Zigzag’s CRM has real bite
In a world of guilt trips and nudge loops, choose empathy—and it paid off.
Zigzag Dog Training | B Corp is a puppy training app with B-Corp values and a behavioral science backbone. In this MobileGroove episode, Lorna Winter and Edward Williams explain how they built a trust-based CRM strategy that drives results without pressure tactics.
“We don’t rely on FOMO. We rely on value.”
📈 The outcome? A 14% boost in lesson completions and a 16% lift in retention—without sacrificing ethics or user well-being.
🚫 Why Voodoo kills “high-performing” ads
Kenjy Vanitou calls out the clicks that lie.
His talk at UA Society was a standout—diving into AI and creative optimization before it was cool. Now, the pioneer is back on MobileGroove with an edgy take on performance marketing that should have us thinking—again.
“Early numbers can trick you. If you scale too soon, you’re scaling the wrong signal.”
⚠️ It’s a call to rethink how we define success—and why CTR isn’t the full story.
🕶️ Bold like Bond. Brilliant by design. Built for marketers.
Yogeeta Chainani isn’t just running Swaarm —she’s rewriting the rulebook.
Forget what you thought you knew about marketing analytics. In this episode, Yogeeta explains why her platform is built for agility, not just accuracy: codeless event tracking, real-time data, and privacy-first design.
“You don’t need to throw money at the problem. You just need tools that don’t get in your way.”
📈 One client saw a 1000% revenue increase in three months. Another? A 66% lift in organic installs—just by removing SDK bottlenecks and giving marketers the freedom to test.
🎮 A $6M raise, a cult following—and a 'Simon Sweater' line in the works
I met them in the shark tank. I interviewed them in the cinema. And I left convinced they’re the ones to watch.
In this on-location episode, the founders of Fateless Games ,Hisham Saleh , Simon Lockerby and Dan Francis —creators of the upcoming Godforge—explain how they raised $6M in pre-seed funding almost entirely from their fans. Their secret? They built the community first.
“We didn’t build a game and go find a community. We built the community first—then they asked us to make the game.”
💡 They’re redefining influence in gaming—because they are the influencers.
🌟 Less Mad Men. More machine learning.
Z built BLKBOX.ai to fix what’s broken in ad creative—and he’s not pulling punches.
In this PocketGamer episode, Athar Zia Z unpacks his five-part framework (Analyze, Ideate, Create, Test, Scale) and how AI-powered tools like data-to-video, automated storyboarding, and localized creative are helping teams move faster without losing the plot.
“Great ads don’t just stop the scroll. They scale.”
🎯 First-time approval ratings skyrocketed: From 30% to 95% as BLKBOX refined its AI-powered ad creation system.
📈 Speed matters: With their rapid testing approach, studios can know within 48 hours whether their ads will scale, cutting down the traditional 4-6 week testing timeline.
💡 Real-world impact: From optimizing ad performance to driving user retention, Z's AI-driven solutions have empowered studios to scale millions in ad spend—delivering results in record time.
The future of ad tech isn’t about replacing humans—it’s about amplifying their creativity and efficiency.
✈️ On the road: Where I’ll be—and who I’ll be talking to
🎤 First stop: APS London
I’ll be back hosting App Talk—recording live, fast-paced interviews with standout marketers and rising vendors from companies including Usercentrics, Paddle , Mobrand , Alison , Stream , and Flo Health Inc. .
We’ll dig into what’s actually working in UA, subscription growth, and strategic partnerships—plus pick up on themes from Flo’s keynote, “Lessons Learned Growing an App Unicorn.”
It’s all about sharp insights, smart voices, and what’s moving the needle in mobile right now.
🔥 Then: POSSIBLE Miami
Where decision-makers from startups to C-Suites gather for three days of bold ideas and big conversations.
👏 Shoutout to Leah Steinhardt and Emma Pastore, MBA —the powerhouse team making POSSIBLE possible.
It’s my first time at the event, and I’ll be there as a media partner with my own podcast studio, hosting quick-hit interviews with industry leaders on what’s next in marketing, mobility, media, and more.
Here’s a sneak peek:
🚗 Predictive Mobility with Arity – how movement data is becoming the next frontier in targeting
📺 GenZ TV with Michael Vito Valentino ( NowThis ) – what brands need to know about the next wave of media habits
...and a few surprises still to come.
🎤 I’ve got a couple of interview slots left—if you’ll be there and have something bold to share, DM me.
Out of time, never out of insights. See you in the inbox next time. Peggy
🎲 Next stop: MAU Vegas.
Hot takes, new voices and one big theme I can’t wait to unpack.
And I’ll be back moderating Women in Leaders(h)ip — a high-energy luncheon where industry-shifting connections are always on the menu.
