Assaf Shalev

Q&A with Assaf

This Q&A reflects Assaf's time as Creative Director at PLAYSTUDIOS IL. Currently, Assaf is Co-Founder & CEO at Lootheads.

Assaf is Creative Director at Playstudios, one of the largest social casino game developers in the world. Assaf leads the Creative Marketing team, helping fuel UA for the studio's most successful mobile game “POP! Slots”, taking it to the top 10 charts of the worldwide casino category.

Assaf is a leader in "performance-design", emphasizing the importance of incorporating metrics and KPIs into the design process, and training his team of designers to leverage performance data in the design iteration process.

In your own words, tell us about the app(s) that you manage?

“POP! Slots” is the most innovative and immersive social casino game out there. It includes real casino environments, customizable avatars, real world rewards, and so much more.

How did you get started in mobile marketing?

Although I was happy working in the field of design, I knew I could do more with my performance data skill set. Even when working in design, I was always extremely curious about how my designs impacted my clients’ performance.

In 2015 I was freelancing for an online bar, Shaker, which was later acquired by Playstudios. While working with Shaker, I fell in love with the product and the work environment there.

A few years later, while walking down the street, I ran into the CCO of Playstudios Israel. To my surprise, she asked me to come down to do an interview. I knew it would be the perfect role for my skill-set - beyond design but still in design.

What do you like most about mobile marketing?

I love the mixture of design and performance data. Designing something beautiful then measuring its aesthetic using data and KPIs is incredibly rewarding.

What does it take to succeed in mobile marketing?

Agenda, vision, and the strong personality it takes to keep pushing forward.

What strategies work best to convert installs into engaged app users?

I am a firm believer that the quality of a product will keep people engaged. While you can get anyone to install an app, if you want to keep them engaged you need to deliver a positive experience.

In the past year, what is one tip you can share which made the biggest performance difference with UA or re-engagement of your app?

Keep tabs on product development plans. As marketers, we feed off of new product features, capabilities and in-app performance data. By staying up-to-speed, my team is able to deliver better creatives, which makes everyone happy. I also find that it helps to maintain a more fluid creative marketing team.

What’s one tip you can share when it comes to mobile ad creative?

Think of your product as yourself going on a date with someone you have a really big crush on. You’ve got one chance to make a positive impression and you don't want to screw things up. What are the things you want to share? What are the things you want to hide? What is the smartest thing about you? What is your best angle? Look at the creative and ask yourself, “Would I date me?”. If the answer is no, go back and start over.

What are your top 3 go-to resources for keeping up with the mobile ad tech industry?

The App stores, Facebook’s ad history (Ad Library) feature and the outside world.

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