As we appoint our new CEO, Jonas Söderqvist, we grabbed him for an exclusive Q&A to get the inside line on Adverty’s big moves in 2022. We discuss his future plans for the company, why in-game advertising is the future and what his gaming guilty pleasures are right now
How has the transition been going from board member to CEO?
Having been a board member over the past two years, I have seen Adverty go through several phases. It has seen some challenges along the way but one thing Adverty prides itself on is approaching obstacles head-on. We’re not afraid of moving forward, we are all about progressing, no matter how big the challenge. Transitioning into the role of CEO, my knowledge as a board member has given me an insight into Adverty’s vision, how they work and where they’re going.
As the new CEO, what is your goal for the business?
There are often several goals a company has so it’s hard to pinpoint just one. As the new CEO, my main goal right now would be to ensure that Adverty is always moving forward. We know the tools we have. It’s all about how you can use these tools to ensure the business moves forward effectively.
And an important goal that I do believe all businesses should have in their sights is to be sustainable. With the way the world is now, I think it’s really important that brands have sustainability in vision.
Does it now feel like a time where there is more potential in in-game advertising than ever before?
Yes. This time period in marketing feels perfect for in-game – there’s so much more potential in the field right now, and that is good news for us. Adverty is a tech platform, a media company and a sales-driven company all rolled into one, but the key to success with in-game is to keep it simple. Think about what is working for your company. Follow where the money is, what is making the company money and what isn’t. If you do that, then that is how you can unlock your full marketing potential.
How does Adverty plan to convert those brands who have not yet been convinced by in-game?
A lot of it is helping them to understand what is most effective in the gaming space. Our job is to show advertisers why they need to be involved in the gaming industry. It’s one of the world’s leading industries right now and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. We’re interacting with brands more than ever before and it’s largely down to having such an engaged, young audience that are easily influenced by advertisements. The sooner advertisers realise this, the quicker they can get ahead of the game and realise the full potential of in-game advertising.
Being in the gaming industry, what is a game you are secretly loving right now?
The mix right now is Wordfeud for the brain and Pure Sniper and Left To Survive for the adrenaline part. There is always a time when you need something to take your mind off things. A great cocktail of mature and young and restless, ha ha.
Finally, what is something that nobody knows about you yet as CEO?
I’m a sucker for single malt whiskey and cigars. If anyone struggles to know what to get me for Christmas, that’s all I need.
