Wooga’s June’s Journey has become a reference case for player-centric ad monetization. In this interview, Jan Pollack, Head of Ad Monetization, Cross Promotion & Partnerships, explains how early integration of rewarded video, rigorous UX safeguards, and evolving privacy constraints shaped one of the industry’s most resilient ad strategies.

What factors contributed to June’s Journey becoming a standout success in Wooga’s ad monetization strategy?

The success of June's Journey’s ad monetization strategy is mostly rooted in the fact that it was integrated very early in the game even before global launch. Unlike previous titles, we focused exclusively on Rewarded Video ads and optimizing the player engagement rate with the feature. This was achieved by carefully balancing ad placements with the player's progression, ensuring the ads were clear value propositions. This strategy led to an 80% engagement rate and we’re really proud to have established one of the leading ad integration. Since then, we focussed mostly on adding more Rewarded Video placements to increase the impressions per daily active user, using the best mediation solutions, and working with top ad networks. The key factor for us however remains the user experience. We  continuously track ad serving details and address player reports to ensure the ad experience is fun, non-intrusive, and preserves the loyalty of their long-term players.

Wooga’s games rely heavily on storytelling and immersion. What’s the hardest trade-off you’ve faced between maximising ad revenue and preserving player flow - and how did you resolve it?

The biggest challenge is balancing ad revenue maximization with protecting the user experience. In order to do so, we are being cautious and sensitive with our approach. We stick exclusively to Rewarded Video, as its opt-in nature and guaranteed rewards offer the best balance between player UX and business performance. Additionally we avoid excessive experimentation with new ad formats or client-side changes that could disrupt player flow. And lastly, we invest significant resources into ongoing UX improvements for existing ad integrations, proactively adapting to changes made by ad networks to ensure a seamless experience.

When evaluating a new ad tech or network partnership, what early signals tell you it’s worth integrating - before the data even comes in?

Before diving into the actual  integration, valuable insights can be gathered from unbiased third-party sources and industry peers. Strong positive signals include:

• Positive feedback from external companies and industry colleagues regarding performance and partnership satisfaction.
• Official support or recommendation from trusted mediation platforms.
• High rankings in industry benchmarks.

While direct information from the vendor can be helpful,we treat this rather cautiously.  However, a vendor who honestly admits to specific gaps or areas of underperformance during the sales process can actually increase trustworthiness by allowing for a more transparent conversation. 

How does your team blend quantitative data (LTV, ARPDAU, eCPM) with qualitative signals from players or creatives to shape monetization strategy?

The most critical area for blending data types is the ad user experience.

Quantitative Data: This includes tracking events related to ad serving (e.g., correct displaying of ads, reward delivery, successful closure) and metadata that flag which ad networks, creatives, devices, operating system versions, or countries are causing problems for players.

Qualitative Signals: This crucial input comes directly from players via Customer Care channels, Store reviews, Facebook communities, VIP groups, and even from internal staff or self-testing. Additionally, we partner with a company that performs human-driven mass testing to apply a personal, qualitative viewpoint to ads.

By connecting these quantitative data streams with the qualitative reports, which often include screenshots, recordings, or links of problematic ads, we gain a holistic picture in order to make an informed decision.

 After ATT and privacy shifts, what internal metric or mindset became most important for your monetization team to stay adaptive?

The most significant shift wasn't a specific metric, but an expansion of the team's core mindset. The previously business-oriented team had to incorporate a much stronger legal-oriented mindset. This involved deeply understanding and managing complex topics like:

• Consent flows for ATT (App Tracking Transparency) and ad personalization
• Opt-in rates
• CMP (Consent Management Platform) providers and their implementation
• Determining the necessary markets for consent popups and other requirements

These topics are complex and have also changed a lot in the last few years, yet are important to ensure compliance while maximizing business performance.

What are your top predictions for mobile game ad monetization in the coming years?

While one company has recently established a dominant position in the market with outstanding ad mediation and user acquisition products, there is still immense potential for innovation. The industry is currently witnessing many large ad tech companies and startups significantly scaling their investments to disrupt the market.

I see the most innovative potential in enhancing features around AI and machine learning, greater utilization of 1st-party data, advanced optimization of bid (floor) strategies and more granular segmentation and targeting.

It is currently unclear which approach will ultimately drive the most widespread industry adoption, but the mobile gaming ad monetization space is guaranteed to remain one of the fastest-evolving sectors worldwide.