"Focusing on UA alone is no longer healthy in today's more competitive environment"

Pocket Gamer Connects, the leading international conference series for the global games industry, returns to London on January 19th to 20th, 2026. 

The must-attend conference will bring together 3,000 delegates from 70+ countries, including decision makers from key international games hubs across the globe. Companies set to join the show include Supercell, Epic Games, Duolingo, CD Projekt Red, Tencent, PlayStation, EA, AppLovin, TikTok and many more.

PGC London will host 32 tracks across two days, including at the Apps Business Summit (January 19th) and the Beyond Games: Transmedia Summit (January 20th).

One of the speakers set to join the conference is Snapchat's app growth strategy lead Sara Antonelli.

Antonelli drives product strategy and go-to-market initiatives for Snap’s app advertisers, with a focus on building solutions that enhance performance and align with industry trends, particularly in non-SKAN measurement approaches.

With over 10 years in the app industry, before joining Snap, Antonelli previously worked at MoPub (Twitter), where she partnered with gaming advertisers, tapping into the whole marketing cycle from monetisation to UA strategies..

Antonelli will be hosting a session entitled 'From Installs To Lifetime Value: How Snapchat Powers Gaming Growth' on the Monetiser track.

We caught up with Antonelli ahead of the show to discuss user acquisition challenges, sustainable growth and adapting to a world with fewer deterministic signals.

PocketGamer.biz: What’s the most common mistake you see being made in the games sector?

Sara Antonelli: I still see so many teams relying on the same strategies they’ve used over the past few years and expecting the same growth results. This often shows up as over-reliance on last-click attribution and increased spend in channels that look strong in the short-term but don’t drive incremental growth.

Just as importantly, focusing on user acquisition (UA) alone is no longer healthy in today’s more competitive environment, where UA is hitting a plateau. Sustainable growth now requires stronger product-driven user retention and more effective retargeting strategies.

What’s the most important key performance indicator (KPI) for you - and why?

For me, lifetime value is the most important long-term KPI, while short-term ROAS is the earliest signal that consistently predicts success.

Looking at things like early purchase behavior or meaningful in-game actions helps teams understand much sooner whether growth is sustainable. It’s a more honest way to balance scale with profitability.

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

The biggest challenge right now is driving sustainable growth in an environment that’s both highly competitive and increasingly privacy-focused.

Costs are rising, measurement is changing, and players have more choice than ever. UA is plateauing for many players which means relying on a single channel or tactic is riskier than it used to be.

Teams that diversify and think beyond short-term wins are much better positioned for long-term success.

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

One trend to watch closely over the next 12 months is how gaming marketers adapt to a world with fewer deterministic signals.

As privacy changes continue to reshape measurement, more teams are shifting away from pure install optimisation and looking at early in-app behaviours to understand player quality.

The marketers who get comfortable making decisions with other types of methodologies such as MMM and MTA, and who focus on quality and retention over volume, will be the ones who scale more sustainably.

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

What I enjoy most about working in the mobile games industry is how naturally it aligns with Snapchat’s audience and the way they connect. Snapchat is a place where people have close, real relationships and interact in playful, expressive ways with friends.

Gaming fits seamlessly into that behaviour, which makes partnerships with game developers on Snap feel authentic rather than forced. For me, the best part of the job is working closely with partners, experimenting together, and evolving alongside a fast-moving industry.