App Growth Show

Hey, App Growth Community! Welcome back to High Five, our five-part mini-series spotlighting five of the boldest minds making the biggest waves in mobile marketing.
In this final episode, we’re ending on a high note with Michal Bubernik, Head of Marketing at Pixel Federation—the Slovakian studio behind beloved hits like TrainStation 2, Seaport, and Diggy’s Adventure. A creative force and industry veteran, Michal has helped shape Pixel’s reputation for simulation excellence and built a standout strategy that blends data-driven experimentation with human realness.
Joining host Peggy Anne Salz and series regular Peter Jung, Head of Paid UA & Creatives at App Guardians, Michal shares how AI is empowering his team to scale creative production without sacrificing quality—or soul. From the early days of static ad testing to fully automated video workflows and AI-generated voiceovers, Michal takes us behind the scenes on how his team went from brainstorming to blockbuster ads.
Tune in for honest insights and pragmatic tips, including when to let AI take the wheel, how to spot a winning creative early, and why sometimes the best-performing ads…aren’t the prettiest. (Spoiler: scrappy still sells.) Plus, don’t miss Michal’s backstory about how he became the “Tuna of the Gaming Industry.”
It’s the perfect finale to a series about fearless experimentation, fast iteration, and never losing sight of the human touch. Listen in now!

00:00 - Intro
01:49 - The "tuna" of the gaming industry
03:56 - AI in creatives strategy
11:14 - Scaling AI creatives
17:15 - "Worth it" AI tools
22:39 - Benchmarking performance 
25:30 - Peter's scrappy picks
31:20 - Michal's winning creatives
35:55 - What doesn't work

Hey, App Growth Community! Welcome back to High Five, a five-part mini-series where we spotlight five of the biggest minds driving the biggest bottom-line results in mobile today.

In this episode, we welcome Luis de la Cámara, Vice President of Marketing at Rovio Entertainment, the mobile gaming powerhouse behind the Angry Birds franchise. For nearly 20 years, Luis has shaped some of the most iconic games in the industry. He’s helped garner 600+ million installs for titles across genres, but his expertise goes beyond meeting metrics; Luis brings a unique creative edge, honed through years of leadership and a surprising past as a competitive breakdancer!

Joining our host, Peggy Anne Salz, and returning guest Peter Jung, Head of Paid UA & Creatives at App Guardians, Luis discusses how the fusion of art and science fuels creative strategy in gaming. From capitalizing on the fantasy of escapism to the power of emotionally engaging visuals, he shares honest insights and actionable tips for crafting ad campaigns that resonate with users and drive results. 

It’s an episode teeming with lessons from a truly top-of-the-line marketer, including how to craft creatives on the fly, when to challenge your winning creatives, and how to leverage scrappy tactics without compromising results.

Tune in now!

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro 

04:19 - Creatives creation platforms 

11:35 - Crafting creatives on the fly

19:49 - How to find a winning creative

24:03 - It's a volume game 

29:10 - Hero creatives

37:04 - Scrappiness vs speed

42:31 - One tip from Luis

44:08 - Good vs bad ads

Welcome back, App Growth Community, to High Five, a five-part mini-series where we spotlight five of the biggest minds driving the biggest bottom-line results in mobile today.

In this episode, we showcase Peter Jung, Director of Paid UA & Creatives at App Guardians, a mobile-first marketing agency focused on strategic growth. Throughout his career, Peter has managed $33+ million in ad spend and scaled hundreds of apps, including Lucky Day, a Top 10 App on iOS and Android. He joins our host, Peggy Anne Salz, in this week’s show to reveal his strategy for crafting captivating and attention-grabbing creative ads that actually convert and reduce wasted ad spend.  

It’s a strategy quite similar to fishing, he says. To effectively catch and keep users, every ad needs to bait, hook, and reel in users with engaging visuals, a clear call-to-action, and a creator or character that matches its target demographics' user persona. Throughout the episode, Peter shares several resources that marketers can review before, during, and after creating their ads to ensure each one meets this criteria before spotlighting real ads from real apps and explaining why each one either flopped or had users flying to the app stores to download. 

This is a show filled with practical tips and advice, from the three core elements of a strong creative and the tools Peter uses to edit his ads to why a soft sell rather than a direct ask might be the better option and the metrics to keep an eye on to evaluate campaign performance. Listen in now!

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

01:10 - Core of strong creatives

03:25 - Why CTA is so important

05:17 - Direct vs Indirect CTAs

07:34 - Gaming vs non-gaming apps

08:52 - App elements to consider in creatives

16:07 - The creative fishing formula

23:25: A checklist for great ads

27:29 - Effective or ineffective ad #1

30:24 - Effective or ineffective ad #2

32:00 - Effective or ineffective ad #3

35:00 - Effective or ineffective ad #4

36:42 - Effective or ineffective ad #5 

29:32 - Effective or ineffective ad #6

41:34 - Metrics to pay attention to

43:44 - Where does AI ad value?

46:10 - The secret to staying innovative

49:00 - Where to connect with Peter

Welcome back, App Growth Community, to High Five, a five-part mini-series where we spotlight five of the biggest minds driving the biggest bottom-line results in mobile today.

In this episode, we zoom in on Cameron Thom, Chief Revenue Officer of the Americas at Adikteev, a global leader in mobile app re-engagement and retention. Under Cameron’s leadership, Adikteev has shifted its focus to adaptive strategies, including a bold expansion into APAC with a new office in South Korea. 

He joins our host, Peggy Anne Salz, to share how prioritizing retention over traditional UA drives sustainable, long-term growth for mobile apps.  Drawing insights from Adikteev’s survey of 120 marketers, Cameron reveals the tools and tactics industry heavyweights are leveraging to predict churn, improve monetization, and minimize in-app friction. 

He dives into key findings from the report, like how over 58% of respondents have implemented personalized privacy prompts that not only improve opt-in rates but also present a unique opportunity to engage users in a brand’s voice. Plus, hear how retention strategies—like Duolingo’s predictive segmentation—can boost weekly active users by up to 70%.

It’s a data-dominated episode. Listen in as Peggy and Cameron unpack the common mistakes marketers make when measuring long-term retention and actionable solutions to fix them.

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro 

01:03 - Eastern vs Western growth

04:00 - Before sustainable growth was trendy

05:41 - Rule-based approaches

07:30 - 2024 Retention Survey

12:51 - A cross-team approach

15:49 - Privacy and retention

21:40 - A shared love for data

23:17 - Cameron's personal inspiration

24:30 - What's next?

Welcome to the App Growth Show’s debut episode of High Five, a five-part mini-series where we spotlight five of the biggest minds driving the biggest bottom-line results in mobile today.

Today, we highlight Fred Saeidi, Founder and CEO of AppGuardians and App Growth Network. Since establishing AGN six years ago, he’s rocketed revenue for over 250 mobile apps through his laser focus on comprehensive product marketing for apps at every stage. 

A digital native with nearly 15 years of experience managing teams, Fred is an expert at fueling growth, and the numbers back it up. Under his direction, the company has achieved 220% user growth, a 149% boost in visibility scores, and a nearly 600% increase in ROAS and organic growth for its clients thanks to an all-in-one optimization platform that leverages proprietary algorithms and custom-built tools.

He joins our host, Peggy Anne Salz—Content Marketing Strategist, Forbes Seníor Contributor and Founder of MobileGroove— to share how rebranding, practicing patience, and returning to AGN's roots grew the brand's LTV by 3x. He defines what it means to be a "connector" and describes why building your network—and even befriending your competitors—is one of the best steps you can take to strengthen your business today.

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High Five is sponsored by App Guardians, an award-winning North American app marketing agency. 

Book a call with us: https://appgrowthnetwork.com/freeevaluation/

Listen to the High Five Mini-Series:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3CiqVMu7FcgQekcmBthjEd

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/app-growth-show/id1593950307

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Chat More With Our Speakers From Today:

Fred Saeidi (Founder & CEO, App Growth Network)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredsaeidi/details/recommendations/?detailScreenTabIndex=0

Peggy Anne Salz (Content Marketing Strategist, Forbes Seníor Contributor and Founder of MobileGroove)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyannesalz/