Media Bodies’ Sara Guerola on the power of podcast marketing in games
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Pocket Gamer Connects, the leading international conference series for the global games industry hits London on January 20th and 21st, 2025.
This must-attend event will unite more than 2,750 industry professionals for two days of learning, pitching and networking. Attendees will dive into 20 expertly curated conference tracks exploring the latest trends in mobile, PC, console, web3, AI and beyond.
Media Bodies chief growth officer Sara Guerola is set to host a session at PGC London entitled: ‘Podcast Marketing: Insights and Strategies for Success’. She’ll share key formulas for success from her extensive experience shaping podcast marketing strategies for games.
From building diversity into the UA mix amidst changing privacy and data regulations, to driving valuable new user acquisition through powerful opinion leaders and improving the impact of traditional UA efforts, Guerola believes podcast ads present a key opportunity for marketers to drive impactful brand value and ROAS in the short and long-term.
Ahead of the show, PocketGamer.biz caught up with Guerola to discuss her role and gain more insights into podcast and influencer marketing in gaming.
PocketGamer.biz: What’s the most common mistake you see being made in the games sector?
Sara Guerola: From a marketing and growth perspective, and particularly with non-conventional UA channels, it’s not investing enough.
Diversification is so important, but these alternative channels can be somewhat of a mystery to tackle for the first time without the right partner. Marketers naturally want to be cautious, but if you’re not investing enough, even with the right set up, you’ll never see the benefits.
On the other hand, you don’t want to rush into spending with the wrong partner either. Get a trustworthy, transparent consultant or partner to guide your efforts and be prepared to invest more if you’re looking for positive ROAS.
If you could give other mobile games companies one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be patient with your campaign results when you’re working with unconventional UA channels. Channels like podcasts and influencer marketing are not meant to be evaluated purely on short-term impact.
“We’re at a place where influencer marketing has become more stable and acceptable, and Podcasts are the natural next step.”
Sara Guerola
At their best, they can drive valuable new user acquisition by themselves and also improve the performance of traditional UA activations. But there’s a lot of optimisation that goes behind figuring out the right set up. Every campaign is an opportunity to collect data, derive your learnings, and evaluate and revise your direction.
Where are the next big opportunities in the mobile games market?
Podcast ads for user acquisition. We’re at a place where influencer marketing has become more stable and acceptable, and Podcasts are the natural next step.
Podcast hosts themselves have massive influence with their communities and the industry has seen significant YOY growth, with more people expected to listen to podcasts in 2025 than in 2024.
Gaming was also one of the fastest growing industries advertising on podcasts in 2024, so there’s definitely a lot of interest in the platform. This means more research, more investment, and development of better tech, and ultimately bigger and better opportunities.
What’s the most important key performance indicator (KPI) for you and why?
This is a tough question to answer, like asking me if I prefer watching Friends or The Office. However, if I really have to choose I’d stay with retention rate.
It reflects how well the game resonates with players and how engaging the experience is over time. It has a direct impact on other metrics such as monetisation. Without a strong retention, efforts in marketing are a bit useless and a waste of money.
What’s your favourite ever mobile game?
I can’t choose just one! There’s a game for every moment — it depends on my mood and what I’m looking for, whether it’s something relaxing, challenging, or just pure fun.
What do you enjoy most about working in the mobile games industry?
The constant evolution of the industry keeps it exciting, with always something new to learn.
Living in Barcelona, a small city full of gaming companies, makes it easy to connect with interesting people. This environment often leads to valuable networking opportunities and even new friendships. Being a social extrovert, I love being part of this.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received that you can pass on to others?
I’m not sure if it’s the best advice I’ve ever received, but it’s definitely the one that comes to mind when asked this question. A long time ago, someone told me not to lose my innocence.
“Adulthood often makes us more ‘serious’ and ‘responsible,’ but for me, it’s about not losing the ability to have fun.”
Sara Guerola
To me, this means holding on to that inner child we all have. It’s advice that has stayed with me, and I try to remind myself of it often. As I’ve grown older and experienced more exciting things, I’ve come to see it as a reminder to stay excited about the small joys in life.
Adulthood often makes us more ‘serious’ and ‘responsible,’ but for me, it’s about not losing the ability to have fun. I’m a bit goofy, so if the time and moment feel right, why not embrace it?
What was the fundamental appeal of the mobile games industry that brought you to it?
Honestly, it was a bit of luck. Thirteen years ago, I wanted to make movies, but somehow, I ended up selling games — and I’ve loved it ever since!
What topics do you want to hear more about at industry events?
I’d love to hear more about creative concept ideation and the processes behind generating fresh, engaging ideas.
Additionally, I’m always interested in learning how teams stay relevant by exploring strategies beyond traditional user acquisition methods.
Can people get in touch with you at the event? What sort of people would you like to connect with?
Absolutely! I’m always keen to talk to people within marketing and growth and exchange insights. If you’re thinking about trying and testing podcast ads or influencer marketing for the first time, or need to switch up your approach, don’t hesitate to reach out.
I’ve been working with these channels for over a decade across my time at Socialpoint, FunPlus and Bandai Namco Mobile, so I’ve likely worked through every concern, hurdle, or challenge you may be experiencing — whether it’s convincing stakeholders to invest, switching up your creative, or producing positive ROI.
That said, I’m an extrovert and a lover of games, so I’m always happy to meet any new friends across all areas of the industry!
When not making/selling/playing games, what do you do to relax?
Definitely, my two go-to activities to ground myself when I feel like I’ve been pulled too deeply into routine are cooking and running. I find both incredibly relaxing.
Cooking allows me to either disconnect through repetitive tasks or focus completely on something else when I’m trying to innovate and experiment with new recipes.
Running helps me reconnect with my body; it’s my way of hitting the reset button both mentally and physically.
