Data is key for better targeting, as you need to know who to monetize, Google Israel’s Head of Gaming Eitan Reisel suggests, and warns: small companies need to make careful decisions when addressing monetization issues, and it’s better to be cautious about what platform will suit you best. Solution? Break down the game to different stages along the funnel to maximize targeting and insights. They explain more in their Casual Connect Tel Aviv talk.
Eitan Reisel, Head of Gaming at Google Israel, is someone who knows what it means to aim high. Before coming to Google, Eitan was an entrepreneur, and learned, as well as the importance of aiming high, the need for being very cost-efficient on both marketing and growth. Today they use that experience while working with some of the largest and most sophisticated game developers to help them grow their business with Google.
Supporting Google’s Partners
As the person responsible for leading the gaming business unit in Israel for both social and real money, Eitan works with Google’s partners to help them reach valuable potential gamers and achieve maximum growth through providing them all that Google can offer. And this, Eitan emphasizes, is what is most enjoyable about the work they do. So when Google offered this position, taking it was an easy decision.
Eitan claims that data was the inspiration to pursue this career, insisting “I think successful companies are those who analyze best. I build my team and skill all around data and the evolving ad tech development.”
However, the work also comes with tremendous challenges. Eitan points out that the sheer size of Google makes it difficult to get those involved in every function together to better support their partners. But this is crucial when working with app developers, particularly games, because during the game lifecycle there are so many touchpoints, including Android and Play, dev support, monetization and acquisition, among others.
Monetization Issues
Monetization issues are critical to the success of any game, so Google is building the solutions. For example, AdMob, Google’s mobile advertising platform, has been designed specifically to work well with mobile apps. Eitan describes it as “growing and becoming more and more valuable for App/Game developers.”
When considering the direction monetization is heading, Eitan again emphasizes the importance of data, saying, “Data, Data, Data and Data! Seriously, the more we know who we are monetizing, the better we can target.”
Smaller companies must make careful decisions when addressing monetization issues. Eitan recommends being very cautious about what platform will suit them best. Then they should spend time breaking down the game to different stages along the funnel to maximize targeting and insights.
Tools and Programs to Maximize Growth
Google is, of course, committed to assisting developers grow their business, both with the tools that match their needs and with developer/entrepreneur programs. For example, they have invested in simplifying and leveraging their data combined with game behavior in order to help new and existing apps acquire the best and most relevant users. Also on the acquisition front, the have Universal App Campaigns, an automated tool that permits developers to take only a few steps and have a targeted, specified campaign running.
Google has invested considerable time in learning and testing constantly changing technology to best incorporate it into their business. Some of the most effective tools they now offer include, for mobile marketing, AdWords, AdMob, Play and Firebase. And the most interesting feature Eitan has seen recently in working with developers is seeing how machine learning is changing the way to acquire customers.
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