Hi there! Welcome to another dazzling session of Appvertiser Chats 😊

Today we are chatting with Sol Panella, our Art Director at Appvertiser. Let’s dive in some creative’s insights!

Q: Hi Sol, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us a bit about your background?

A: Sure! I’m an art director at Appvertiser, and I’ve been branding and designing creative ads for the past few years. I studied graphic design and specialized in UX/UI, and in recent years I’ve been focusing on marketing. I’m from Mendoza, Argentina, the city of wine

Q: What’s your favorite app? And what category do you enjoy working on the most?

A: My favorite app is TikTok. I think it can bring you a lot of opportunities if you use it the right way. It’s really personal because of who I am, but the category I enjoy working on the most is travel apps and AI. Right now, we have a client called Steller , a travel community app, and Ollie AI, which organizes your camera roll with AI. It’s so cool.

Q: We know that Gen Z are advanced consumers who can tell when they’re looking at an ad. How do you get their attention?

A: Playing tennis, and one day I am going to have a bakery somewhere sunny after Finland, probably.

Q: If you could have dinner and meet any person of your choice, whoever you want, who would they be?

A: They’re very smart and they’ll know you’re showing them an ad. They’re more skeptical about the concept of “advertising,” which is why you see a lot of UGC and word-of-mouth marketing.

I would prioritize a lot of small influencers and content creators. Gen Z values authenticity and has a short attention span. So the key is the storytelling and being able to catch the attention in the first 2 seconds. But I wouldn’t hurry them, don’t make them feel stressed about something.

Q: How do you motivate Gen Z to take action?

A: Gen Z is motivated by FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and is more likely to take action when they feel a time constraint. They’re more interested in the experience they gain from a product rather than the product itself. Gen Z cares deeply about societal issues, and they’re more likely to support businesses that align with their values.

Q: What advice would you give to app marketers targeting Gen Z?

A: Be authentic, creative, and data-driven. As I said, Gen Z can spot a fake ad from a mile away, so it’s important to be genuine and create content that resonates with them. Be creative in your approach and experiment with different ideas. And finally, use data to track your results and see what’s working and what’s not.

Q: How do you visually stand out when everybody is trying to stand out?

A: Each channel and game type has its own winning formula. Concepts like spicy content, unfortunately, work great. Hybrids between UGC and gameplay. Icons as simple as possible. But the real thing is to test.

Q: What are some things that marketers must keep in mind when doing creative testing in the app stores?

A: Having specific goals will guide your testing strategy. Consistent branding is key. Ensure that your creatives maintain a consistent brand identity, including color schemes, logos, and messaging. This helps users recognize your app and builds trust. Study your competitors’ creatives to understand what works in your niche and identify opportunities to stand out. Testing iteration is important. Don’t expect instant results. It may take several rounds of testing to see what works. Test one element at a time (e.g., changing the app icon) to accurately measure its impact on user engagement. Test a variety of creative assets, including app icons, screenshots, video previews, and descriptions. Use A/B testing to compare different creative variations. On the App Store, we always recommend doing custom product pages.

Q: What new technology is on your mind for creative production? Is there anything new coming? AI? 

A: We’re using a lot of AI tools to make our process faster and deliver better creative with a short budget. We’ve integrated Adobe’s AI tools to create original ad visuals, reducing our dependence on generic stock photos. These tools also allow for more efficient customization of stock images to various sizes. We also use AI voiceover and incorporated AI for copy ideation and localization. AI tools motivate our creative team to integrate them into our skill set, not as replacements for artists, but to enhance and empower their abilities.

Q: Besides AI, what new technology are you using to simplify processes?

A: Yes! We have a solution that can generate a big amount of static ads out of one video. Details coming soon…

Q: How do you maintain a creative edge and inspire your team in such a competitive industry?

A: I try to challenge the whole team to analyze the competition a lot. We have regular brainstorming sessions to bring new ideas to the table all the time.

Q: What are some of the trends you see in creative marketing for 2024?

A: This year we saw a shift from heavy brand-driven creatives to UGC and review type of assets. I think this trend will continue in 2024. I also believe that AI will play an even bigger role in creative production.

Thanks for your time today, Sol!

You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.