Zynga’s Take on Audience, Ads, and Authenticity

Mobile gaming isn’t just entertainment. It’s quickly becoming one of the most valuable and overlooked channels for digital advertisers. In this episode, Cerisse Velasco, Director of Brand Partnerships at Zynga, joins Neil to lift the lid on how the gaming giant is helping brands connect with highly engaged, predominantly female audiences through in-game experiences that balance fun, relevance, and performance.

• Why the stereotypical “gamer” image is outdated, and how Zynga’s audience trends toward Gen Z and millennial women
• How brands are using rewarded video, custom playable, and deep integrations to build emotional connections with players
• What made partnerships like the Real Housewives collaboration such a perfect fit, and how authenticity drives engagement
• Why mobile gaming is outperforming other digital channels in attention and conversion
• How Zynga is adapting to a privacy-first future through persona-based planning and contextual targeting

She also gives us a glimpse into what’s next for mobile gaming as a marketing platform, from value exchange experiences to retail media integration and gamified brand storytelling.

If your brand still views gaming as a niche space, this conversation will provide you with a completely different perspective.