Unleashing AI in Game Marketing | Harry Lang from Kwalee

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments. With relevant micro experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more, stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us out on pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Harry Lang from Kwalee, VP of Marketing. How are you doing today, Harry?

Harry Lang: Yeah, I’m very good, thanks, Ernesto.

Ernesto: It’s great to have you on. Excited to learn a little bit more about Kwalee. I mean, I’m sure some of the listeners may have not heard about Kwalee, but I’m sure they’ve played some of the games. So, let’s kick it off with that. Harry, in your own words, can you tell us a little bit more?

Harry: Yeah, for sure. So, Kwalee is a significant-sized, UK-headquartered games developer and publisher. We work across four verticals, making hyper-casual games, hybrid casual games, and we publish PC and console games for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Across the board, we’re involved in either the development or publishing of most types of games that your viewers might have played over the last few years.

Ernesto: Definitely. Awesome to hear that. So then, for our listeners to get a good understanding of Kwalee, Harry, what would you say is the main problem Kwalee helps clients with?

Harry: Yeah, I mean, effectively, it’s listed in our mission statement from our CEO, David Darling. He’s kind of the godfather of UK games as the founder of Codemasters back in the day. He says our job is to make the most fun games for the world’s players. If we’re making or publishing fun games, then people will play them, and the commercial side will follow. Our task is to develop and publish the best game content. On the product marketing side, we need to make sure we’re creating the best games out there in whatever vertical we’re operating in. On the marketing side, our task is simple: get those games in front of as many people as possible and convert at the best rate possible. We use almost all available marketing channels. Sometimes it’s performance marketing-driven, and other times it’s brand-driven. Our key tool is the fail-fast mentality—avoid wastage at all costs. We deploy thousands of different creatives every month, identify which ones are hits, invest in those, and pull the ones that aren’t working off the networks. On mobile performance marketing, that’s crucial. On the PC/console side, it’s almost entirely about brand building. We need to turn unknown indie titles into world-famous properties in a short time, getting them to the top of the wishlist and sales pile. It involves great products and astute marketing tactics, identifying audiences, markets, and geos, and investing in the most effective channels. It’s different every day, but it keeps things exciting.

Ernesto: That’s awesome to hear. So there are two parts to Kwalee, right? The B2C side and the B2B side. How do these verticals work? Is there an ideal ICP for you guys?

Harry: I’m not sure about the acronym ICP, but I think I know what you’re getting at. In terms of inbounds on the B2B side, the best example is our platform called Hit Seeker. On the mobile publishing side, we need to get in front of developers, small studios, and individuals making games and persuade them that we’re the best place to publish their titles. Hit Seeker is an all-in-one platform where they can update their game metrics and data, learn from professional coaches about game development and marketing, and manage in-game metrics. It’s become the most important facet of our relationship with potential clients.

Ernesto: Definitely important. So how would someone usually find out about Kwalee? Is there a top client acquisition channel for you guys?

Harry: Each vertical has different effective channels. On the mobile game side, we rely on SDKs, big ad networks like Google and Mintegral, and we also use influencer marketing. For PC and console games, 70-80% is influencer and creator-based. We find a sweet spot with micro and midi influencers who engage in the sphere of that particular game. We get as much out of organic influencers as paid ones. They look for good content for their audience, and we provide exclusives and game keys. This mutual benefit works well for both parties. On the PC/console side, community is significant, mainly on Discord. We build a community for each game, which helps with early feedback and creates a loyal fan base before the game launches.

Ernesto: Definitely. That’s super important, and that’s where it grows. I believe having those communities is going to help the users of those games as well as Kwalee. For our listeners, you can always check them out at kwalee.com. What role does the website play in client acquisition?

Harry: Our website, which we refreshed last year, had a brand refresh and new design. It has to serve many roles for different parts of the business. We did it mobile-first and optimized for SEO. Our SEMrush score went from 67 to 97 in four months. The site is highly optimized, and we have a content strategy that covers the entire organization. We use a lot of PR and social work, delivering content in one piece and syndicating it across different channels. The website is a crucial organic channel that works 24/7 to meet our needs.

Ernesto: Great to hear that, Harry. Is there any tool, tip, or method you’d recommend to our listeners for website lead generation?

Harry: SEO is crucial. It’s a slow-burning channel, but if you invest in it properly, it can be a net zero cost channel. Get your link-building strategy right, invest in content marketing, and look for niche opportunities. Hyper-granular investment in time to look at long-tail keywords can be very rewarding. AI is also improving and can help, but you need to think laterally to find those nuggets. One video and two blog posts can suddenly bring in qualified leads for free.

Ernesto: Awesome. Thank you for sharing that with us. Let’s switch gears a bit and talk about you as a leader. As VP of Marketing at Kwalee, what are some key tasks you focus on daily?

Harry: First thing is data. We have excellent dashboards for reporting, so I check those in the morning, look for any glitches or standout ad performance. I stay in close contact with my direct reports and other VPs. My role involves staying ahead of the curve, anticipating problems and opportunities, and focusing on people management. I ensure the team is motivated, has the right tools, and is collaborating effectively. I also enjoy getting involved in projects and strategy workshops, which helps me understand what’s coming next and our direction of travel.

Ernesto: Great to hear that. How do you stay up to date with marketing strategies and trends?

Harry: My inbox is full of games blogs, forums, and media updates. I find a lot of insights via LinkedIn, where I’m quite active and selective about who I follow. I also look at free online reports about marketing trends and tools. AI is a big part of our strategy, and we test new tools frequently. We see AI as an augmentation, helping us do better work faster.

Ernesto: Great channels for our listeners. Let’s go into our rapid-fire question rounds. Are you ready?

Harry: I think so, yeah.

Ernesto: What’s the last book you read?

Harry: I’m reading two at the moment. “The Light Over Liscannor” by Louis de Bernières on my Kindle and “Gaming for Good” by Judu and Mathias Norvig as a hard copy. Both are excellent reads.

Ernesto: Great reads for our listeners. What’s the one thing Kwalee is focused on the most right now?

Harry: The launch of Robobeat, our next PC/console title, a rhythm shooter game developed by a single person. It’s gaining a lot of traction, and we’re polishing the launch strategy for May. Check it out on its website, Discord, and Steam wishlist.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what one thing would you want to have fixed for your role as a marketer today?

Harry: Attribution on the Steam platform. It’s a great platform for buying games but terrible for marketers due to zero attribution. Knowing where every cent goes and the ROI is crucial.

Ernesto: If there’s one repetitive task you could automate, what would it be?

Harry: Deleting spam email. I get a lot of irrelevant emails, and automating that would save me 10-20 minutes every morning.

Ernesto: Definitely something many would find useful. Lastly, what one piece of advice would you give yourself if you were restarting your journey as a marketer today?

Harry: Do what you’re good at, do what you enjoy, and don’t follow the money. Early decisions based on profile or salary can lead to roles that don’t make you happy. Find a mentor and make thoughtful decisions.

Ernesto: Great advice. Thank you for sharing that. Before we end, if someone forgets everything about the interview today, what’s the one thing they should remember about Kwalee?

Harry: Remember that we’re a fantastic place to work, publishing and developing great games. We have many job openings, so check our careers page. Also, keep an eye out for Robobeat and The Precinct, our upcoming games.

Ernesto: Awesome. Harry, thank you so much for being on today’s episode of Pathmonk Presents. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in. I look forward to our next episode. Thanks a lot, Harry.

Harry: Thank you very much, Ernesto.