Mega Rewards rebrands as Trofeo and appoints Kim Carlson as CRO

Mobile ads company Mega Rewards has rebranded as Trofeo and appointed Kim Carlson as chief revenue officer as the company looks to engage brands with games on its new platform.

The firm works with brands to offer rewards to players who reach in-game milestones, such as completing a level. Rewards can include a free trial to a streaming platform or a free pizza, for example.

The rebrand is said to be aimed at avoiding confusion with the incentivised ads space and services such as offerwalls and rewarded video. The word ‘trofeo’ translates to ‘trophy’ in English.

"New monetisation moment"

Speaking to PocketGamer.biz, new hire Carlson said while the business of targeting users based on in-game play and purchase behaviour, mostly to advertise competitors’ games, will always be big business, Trofeo is eyeing a different opportunity.

“We believe there is a huge opportunity to catch the attention of players when they least expect it, as a 'trophy' for reaching a milestone in the game,” she explained.

“This is psychologically different. Instead of showing an ad to a user for a similar product, we offer an opportunity to receive something from a brand for their accomplishment in game achievement

“...Trofeo is introducing an all new monetisation moment for games, and just as importantly, changing the mobile game playing experience, making it more celebratory and less punitive.”

Carlson has extensive experience in the ads space, previously working as the CRO and COO at Mobivity. She has also previously worked at companies including Aarki, Appnique, Taptica and InMobi.

“With the majority of mobile game players never making an in-app purchase and ad monetisation flooding players with incessant rewarded videos and interstitials, mostly promoting competitors, it's time for a change,” said Carlson on joining Trofeo.

“I've long held the belief - as a player and professional - that the ecosystem can do better.  Trofeo is building a solution that is player friendly, think of the ad as a celebration, not a penalty. We believe that the surprise and delight at the moment a player wins in the game can be a remarkable opportunity for brands to catch these players when spirits are high, dopamine is felt, and when that player chooses to engage with the brand offer, the intention is real.

“This is not a rewarded ad network or rewarded UA, this is an ad unit-carefully placed in the game at the right moment to achieve a win/win and value exchange for the player, the game publisher and the brand. I'm joining at a pivotal time for the company as CRO to focus on both publisher and brand growth.”

"Putting your brand on a pedestal"

Carlson added that she believes brands have approached advertising in games “the wrong way”.

“CPM buys across ad networks/DSP is largely misunderstood by most brands. CPM buys at scale drive little brand value and even less tangible performance outcomes,” she said. “However, showing up in a game at a moment of game play achievement as a celebration of that win drives true intent when the game player interacts with the brand offer.

“Importantly, I've heard repeatedly from brands over the past several years that what they want to do is 'get in the game', particularly to acquire new users to their loyalty platforms. Trofeo offers the only premium placement in the mobile gaming environment; putting your brand on a pedestal.”

Trofeo was formed out of games company Mega Studio. Trofeo co-CEO and co-founder Adam Jaffe told us that it was built two years ago to power a number of its owned and operated products. After launch, he claimed the platform transformed its business and drove more than 50% growth in gross profit.

“We quickly realised we had built something capable of delivering meaningful value to gaming companies, which led us to begin building out the B2B side of the business,” said Jaffe. “A year later, we officially launched Trofeo to the market and started onboarding publishers.

“Today, Trofeo has grown into a thriving platform that delivers real incremental value to game studios and app developers around the world.”

Trofeo is one of hundreds of companies heading to Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona on June 15th and 16th. Tickets are still available.