Q. Thanks for joining me Rado! Can you introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?

My name is Radostina Zhekova, people in the industry know me as Rado, my friends know me as Radost, a name that translates to “joy” in Bulgarian. Since 2014, I’ve called Berlin home. Initially I joined foodpanda (Rocket Internet venture) for a year. From 2016 onward, my professional journey has unfolded within the ad tech industry, where I've taken on diverse roles. Currently I am part of Jam City’s UA team.

     Q. What is your go to mobile game?

Oh that’s a tricky question, I play games occasionally. If you look at my in-game engagement, you would encounter a rollercoaster-like graph. I tend to have prolonged periods of inactivity, followed by extensive gaming sessions, creating distinctive spiky patterns :D I am definitely a casual gamer, the latest game I played was Triple Match. 

     Q. Tell us a bit more about how you came to work in mobile marketing?

My journey into marketing was a bit of a happy accident. I wanted to work in marketing, so I pursued a master's degree in the field without a clear picture of what it would entail in practice. In 2016, I took a leap into the industry by joining Applift as an account manager (the dark side) and that’s how I started in the industry. I began working closely with numerous gaming companies and found myself captivated by the dynamic realm of the gaming industry.

     Q. What titles are you working on at Jam City?

At the moment I am working on one of our flagship games - Disney Emoji Games. I have worked also on several other games from our portfolio.

     Q. One thing we talk about a lot is the changing nature of the role of UA Manager. How has your role changed since first joining Jam City in 2020?

So, being in User Acquisition (UA) is a bit like riding different waves depending on where you work. Forget about drowning in excel sheets – nowadays, it's all about automation and AI doing the heavy lifting. This doesn't just make our lives easier; it also cranks up the complexity of what we do.

But here's the thing – your experience in UA can be as wild or as chill as you want it to be. Some folks dig the thrill of juggling everything UA-related, while others are cool with sticking to their favorite parts. So, in my book, there are two types of UA peeps: the all-around magicians and the essential team players who keep the vibe going.

     Q. Let’s talk creative in two parts…

a. How do you work with the creative team at Jam City to ensure ads are capturing the imagination of new users?

I'm closely involved with our creative team, and we're in constant communication to ensure that our product and user acquisition needs align seamlessly with the creative side. Creative plays a pivotal role in our overall marketing strategy, and dealing with a Disney IP game adds another layer of complexity with approvals and syncing up with Disney's show roadmap. So, planning ahead is key to staying on top of everything.

b. Talk to anyone who plays mobile games (and doesn’t work in the industry) and they’ll complain about ad quality. How can we as an industry ensure they are protecting the user experience in games?

In our industry, there's a bunch of cool stuff we can do to make the user experience way better. To keep it short, let's aim for ads that are more on point and don't bug people, both in how they look and what they say. Give users better choices to opt-out and personalise their experience. And, of course apply some quality control and not let those annoying and offensive ads run wild on social media.

     Q. As a panellist on our Gamesforum Creative Panel at Gamesforum Barcelona, what can our audience expect to hear from you?

This time I am joining the creative panel and I will be sharing insights into how we approach creatives at Jam City. I'll open the door to our experience without giving away all the secrets.

     Q. Having attended Gamesforum Barcelona, what advice do you have for other out of town attendees on places to eat, drink and attractions to visit?

Barcelona is such a cool city to just wander around. One of my favorite spots is Bunkers del Carmel – the view there is insane, especially at sunset. This time, I'm catching a concert by Maestros de la guitarra at el Real Círculo Artístico. You should also totally check out el Palau de la música catalana – it's pretty awesome!

     Q. Final question, a song plays every time you walk into a room. What song plays for you and why?

“Cover me in sunshine” by Pink, because I love that song.

You can hear more from Rado at Gamesforum Barcelona, February 7th & 8th!