Taoufik Lazrak is the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of Adikteev, a leading platform in game retargeting. Adikteev has worked with over 400 gaming titles, including King, Blizzard, Rovio and Playtika, pioneering the concept of incremental value. With over a decade of experience at Adikteev, Taoufik has guided the company through the evolution of game marketing, from its early days to today's sophisticated retargeting strategies.

Roi Nam, co-founder and CEO of Airbridge, recently spoke with Taoufik about effective re-engagement and retargeting strategies for gaming apps. Dive into their conversation to learn tried-and-true tactics, bust common myths, and navigate the new landscape of privacy-first re-engagement.

🎥 Watch the full interview video 

‍Biggest myths on game re-engagement and retargeting 

Let's dive straight into some common misconceptions about re-engagement and retargeting campaigns for gaming.  

What are the top 3 misconceptions you've had to debunk?

Taoufik: That’s a great question. I’d be happy to debunk some of the most common misconceptions in the re-engagement and retargeting space.

‍Myth 1: Re-engagement campaigns do not work for casual games.

You’ve probably heard that re-engagement is a waste of time and money for games with short user lifecycles. But that’s simply not true. With the right targeting and creative strategy, casual and hybrid-casual games can see significant results from re-engagement campaigns.

We’ve seen great success when campaigns are aligned with in-game events, new content drops, or key monetization windows. The key to re-engagement is personalization—casual users are far more likely to respond when the message feels relevant and timely.

Myth 2: The view-through metric doesn’t matter.

Some marketers dismiss view-throughs as irrelevant, but in today’s complex advertising landscape, every interaction matters. Adopting a mixed attribution model is essential, especially in gaming, where repeated exposure often drives results. Even if a well-crafted ad doesn’t get a click, it can still influence a user’s decision to return or make a purchase. That impact needs to be properly measured and valued.

Myth 3: Incrementality is not reliable.

There’s a misconception that re-engagement doesn’t deliver real, incremental returns. However, as a pioneer in incrementality testing for re-engagement, Adikteev demonstrates daily that incrementality can be accurately measured—provided the testing framework is clean and unbiased.

“The key to re-engagement is personalization—casual users are far more likely to respond when the message feels relevant and timely.”

Driving incremental revenue for casual hybrid casual games 

Incrementality testing involves creating a control group and a test group, which can be challenging. As Taoufik notes, the challenge is indeed ensuring these tests remain bias-free to accurately measure the incremental revenue generated by re-engagement and retargeting campaigns.

How do you measure incrementality for a re-engagement campaign for high-value players? How do you guarantee it’s bias-free?  

Taoufik: At Adikteev, we use the ITT (Intention-to-Treat) methodology, originally developed in the medical field, to ensure clean and unbiased results. This means measuring the impact of retargeting much like doctors assess the effectiveness of a treatment in clinical trials. We isolate a control group and compare it to a test group exposed to re-engagement ads, then evaluate whether there's a significant lift in revenue and user activity.

“With clean and unbiased incrementality testing frameworks, even casual and hybrid-casual games can use re-engagement campaigns to drive incremental revenue.”

Are re-engagement campaigns truly incremental, or do they just cannibalize existing revenue streams?

Taoufik: Many gaming marketers worry that re-engagement campaigns simply result in paying more for high-spending or active paying users. However, what we consistently observe is that high-value players, including paying users, tend to spend more when exposed to re-engagement campaigns. This isn't about cannibalization, where existing revenue is simply reallocated, but rather about unlocking additional value that wouldn't have been captured otherwise.

How do you explain the real incremental value of re-engagement and retargeting campaigns to your clients? 

Taoufik: We focus on straightforward, real-world outcomes. For active users, re-engagement prevents them from spending less or disengaging sooner. For lapsed players, it often prompts their return. We back this up with clear metrics: incremental revenue, ARPU uplift, and behavioral differences between exposed and control groups. It's not about surface-level clicks or impressions; it's about delivering net new business impact.

Plus, we're fully transparent, allowing clients to replicate our tests and compare results. Our incrementality measurement data is based on event and attribution data from MMPs (Mobile Measurement Partners) like Airbridge. Since clients have access to this data, they can easily replicate our tests and compare results, ensuring everyone is aligned.

Suppose I’m a game marketer, and I want to test incrementality with you. Could you walk me through the process? 

Taoufik: We start with data-driven insights from pre-launch analysis. Once we partner up, we begin receiving event, attribution, and behavioral data from MMPs like Airbridge. This data helps us figure out if a game is a good fit for re-engagement campaigns. We typically spend about 1 ~ 2 weeks analyzing user behavior to get a sense of their patterns. Then, we recommend specific audience segments and calculate the optimal budget for each—usually around $500 to $1,000 daily at a global level. The idea is to scale these efforts effectively.

For incrementality testing, we start measuring from day one of the re-engagement campaign launch. This allows clients to see the true value of their campaigns alongside live performance, ensuring transparency and that every dollar spent drives real results.

“Re-engagement isn't about cannibalization, where existing revenue is simply reallocated, but rather about unlocking additional value that wouldn't have been captured otherwise.”

Proven best practices for re-engagement and retargeting campaigns

Since 2012 Adikteev has advanced way beyond basic retargeting to deliver real, measurable ROI (Return on Investment). Trained on billions of gaming data points, their algorithms drive their dominance in the industry. If anyone knows what works for game re-engagement and retargeting, it's Taoufik Lazrak.

What are the best practices that consistently deliver results for gaming clients? 

Taoufik: The top 3 proven best practices have been audience segmentation, creative A/B testing and geo-targeting. 
First off, it's all about embracing smart, data-driven audience segmentation. It's not just about targeting active users; you need to re-engage lapsed users and even convert non-payers. The more granular the segmentation, the better the performance will be.

Next, understanding what resonates with your audience is everything. That's why creative A/B testing is so important. You need to constantly experiment with different ad formats, like interstitials, rewarded videos, and banners, along with placements and messaging strategies specifically adapted for retargeting. It’s an ongoing process designed to help you identify which creative elements truly drive engagement and conversions within each target segment.

Lastly, when it comes to optimizing your campaigns, having a global reach with localized insights is key. You start by casting a wide net with broad geo-targeting, and then quickly zero in on the regions that show the highest LTV potential.

Is broad geo-targeting still a good bet for game marketers, even with the risk of burning through budget in the wrong regions?

Taoufik: Tools like Adikteev use personalized algorithms to predict which users are most likely to convert, and they automatically stop targeting those who aren't. This way, you avoid pouring money into underperforming regions and ensure your ads are seen by the players who matter most.

“You start by casting a wide net with broad geo-targeting, and then quickly zero in on the regions that show the highest LTV potential.” 

Hybrid monetization strategies for casual and hyper-casual games 

Game monetization used to be divided into two main approaches: IAP (In-app purchases) and IAA (in-app advertising). Each strategy targets different players and revenue streams. Today, many casual and hyper-casual games are adopting hybrid monetization models, combining IAP and IAA.

Is transitioning from a single revenue stream to a hybrid model the right move? What metrics should game marketers focus on?

Taoufik: Absolutely consider hybrid monetization, especially if you're in the casual or hyper-casual space. Try blended tROAS (target ROAS) over traditional ROAS as your key metric. Unlike traditional ROAS, which looks at past performance, tROAS is proactive allowing you to optimize as you go. By setting a target ROAS, you also ensure your ad campaigns align with your business objectives—whether that's maximizing revenue or achieving a specific profit margin.

“Try blended tROAS over traditional ROAS as your key metric. Unlike traditional ROAS, which looks at past performance, tROAS is proactive allowing you to optimize as you go.” 

Re-engagement and retargeting strategies in a privacy-first world

Ever since Apple introduced the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework with iOS 14.5 in 2021, privacy regulations have become increasingly stringent. With iOS users now having greater control over their data, game marketers must adapt their re-engagement strategies to ensure their campaigns remain effective.

How can game marketers run better re-engagement campaigns on iOS in the era of enhanced privacy?

Taoufik: Before ATT, retargeting users with IDFA was the standard approach. Now, many users will likely choose not to opt-in for your gaming apps, even if they opt-in elsewhere. This is where probabilistic attribution comes into play. By using probabilistic methods, we can unify user identities across different platforms. For instance, if a user agrees to share data in one app, we can infer with a high degree of certainty—say, 90%—that they are the same person we're targeting in another context.

Over the past year, we've significantly improved our ability to target iOS users, increasing our reach from 20-30% on some partners. In the U.S., gaming partners have seen natural opt-in rates of 40-45%. With Adikteev's campaigns, this means they can reach 60-70% of their target users on iOS for re-engagement, which can positively impact revenue.

“With probabilistic attribution, if a user agrees to share data in one app, we can infer with a high degree of certainty—say, 90%—that they are the same person we're targeting in another context.”

6 Key takeaways to remember 

Here’s a quick recap of six key takeaways to help you create successful re-engagement and retargeting campaigns for your games.

• Mythbusting: Incrementality testing, view-through metrics, and re-engagement campaigns can be highly effective, even for games with shorter lifecycles like casual and hyper-casual titles.
• Incrementality: Clean and unbiased testing frameworks enable casual and hyper-casual games to use re-engagement campaigns to drive incremental revenue.
• Proven best practices: Use audience segmentation, creative A/B testing, and geo-targeting for effective re-engagement.
• Hybrid monetization: For casual and hyper-casual games, try hybrid monetization and focus on blended tROAS as your key metric.
• Privacy-first retargeting: Probabilistic attribution can help you reach 20-30% more users on iOS.

Supercharge your game growth with Airbridge

If you're ready to take your game marketing to the next level, check out Airbridge. Our platform provides:

• Advanced Cohort Analysis for LTV: Track lifetime value with precision and break down performance at a granular level (keyword, creative, country, OS, and more).
• Ad Mediation Integration: Seamlessly combine data from multiple ad networks in one place (e.g., Google AdMob, AppLovin MAX, Unity LevelPlay).
• Predictive LTV (pLTV) Feature: Forecast future revenue in real-time, allowing for faster, data-driven decisions.
• Minutely/Hourly Retention Analysis: Understand player behavior down to the minute or hour for truly actionable insights.
• Competitive, All-Inclusive Pricing: Access enterprise-grade analytics without hidden fees or complicated add-ons.

Whether you're an indie studio or an established publisher, Airbridge gives you the critical tools you need to stay ahead in today's fast-paced market. Visit airbridge.io to learn more.

Win gaming re-engagement with Adikteev

Stay ahead of the game with Adikteev's expert insights and strategies for winning re-engagement and retargeting. Dive into resources for actionable tips and real-world success stories at adikteev.com or learn more by getting in touch here.