Nefta's Daniel Bowen on embracing new tech and opportunities in advertising

Pocket Gamer Connects, the leading international conference series for the global games industry is coming back to 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. 

One of our speakers at the show is Daniel Bowen, the vice president of sales at Nefta, a leading adtech company specialising in mobile gaming. He'll be hosting a session entitled: 'Embracing New Technologies – A Must-Have For Ad Monetisation And UA Managers'.

With over 10 years of experience in digital advertising and technology, Bowen excels at driving revenue growth, forging strategic partnerships, and scaling sales organisations. 

Known for a deep understanding of the mobile gaming ecosystem and data-driven ad solutions, Bowen has a proven track record of delivering results for clients and stakeholders. Passionate about empowering brands to connect with audiences, Bowen combines strategic vision with hands-on leadership to shape the future of in-game advertising.

PocketGamer.biz spoke to Bowen about his upcoming talk, consumer brand advertising, and overcoming signal loss post-ATT.

PocketGamer.biz:Please give us a summary of what you’re speaking about and why it’s important.

Daniel Bowen:

• ATT impact (App tracking transparency)
• First-party data - How can FPD be used to increase eCPMs and ROAS
• AI - How this new technology is being implemented in adtech
• Behaviour analysis and machine learning 

Where are the next big opportunities in the mobile games market?

Consumer brand advertising within mobile gaming. With billions of players worldwide, mobile games provide unparalleled access to diverse and highly engaged audiences who actively spend time in these environments.

Unlike your traditional media, in-game advertising allows for seamless, non-intrusive placements that enhance user experience while driving brand awareness and conversions making it an ideal channel for acquiring new customers in a cost-effective and impactful way.

What is the single biggest challenge facing the mobile games industry today?

Signal loss due to ATT and high opt-out rates. Apple's app tracking transparency laws hit the industry hard.

Publishers and advertisers who relied heavily on ad revenue were all of sudden thrown into chaos, scrambling to find new and inventive ways to bridge the gap with no long-term compliant solution in sight.

Even now, publishers are struggling to find revenue 

What key trend should we be paying attention to in the next 12 months?

I believe artificial intelligence is going to play a major role in the mobile games sector across many different areas such as game development and UA optimisation to ad performance and evaluation, as well as artwork design and video creation.

AI is still very much in its infancy and look at what we are already producing. Where will this technology take us in 12 months? One to watch for sure. 

What do you enjoy most about working in the mobile games industry?

I enjoy the versatility and fast moving pace of the industry and technology. Coming from a background in immersive technology such as VR/AR I have always enjoyed the giant leaps that seem to happen almost daily.

I am seeing parallels in mobile gaming now too which is very exciting. 

Can people get in touch with you at the event? What sort of people would you like to connect with?

I'd like to meet with ad monetisation and UA managers from game studios of all sizes, as well as DSPs who would be interested in partnering with us. 

Who are your 'don't miss' speakers at industry events?

I've been lucky enough to hear from many amazing industry leaders in my time. However, the three that stood out to me most recently have been John Wright from Kwalee, Adam Jaffe from Mega Studio and Gus Veigas from Cosmic Lounge.

All three have a fantastic ability to deliver key and insightful information and make it interesting and digestable. They have a wealth of knowledge and I look to them as the bench mark within the mobile gaming industry.

When not making/selling/playing games, what do you do to relax?

I have recently become a father for the first time to a beautiful baby girl. When I'm not working or attending events I enjoy spending every second with her. Being a father is officially the best job in the world.

What game has been on your phone the longest?

Clash of Clans (circa 10 years) currently town hall 17 and level 240!