5 Questions to Felipe Ogibowski, CEO at IconPeak

Usually, the only contact we as users have to mobile ads is from a consumer’s point of view. Felipe Ogibowski, CEO of MAKERS-backed mobile advertising company IconPeak gives us some interesting perspectives on the AdTech market. Additionally, we get some insight on what a CEO’s typical day looks like.

1. First off — explain what IconPeak is and how it works.

IconPeak is a mobile advertising platform. We enable developers to monetize their app and advertisers to acquire quality users through in-app placements. Additionally, our product called SmartIcon gives us in-depth insights into our campaigns and traffic sources, pinpointing how each campaign could perform better and each campaign should be run.

2. How did you come up with the idea of a mobile advertising platform?

Both Gunnar and I have always been passionate about advertising. By 2015, the mobile advertising market grew to about $65 billion worldwide, which is 60% higher than 2014. We believed the market was going to grow exponentially and felt there was room for a new entrant looking to improve the way things were done. It was indeed a big opportunity — we have been profitable since our second month of operations. Today, we’re making over $20 Million in yearly revenues. Last year, we were awarded Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Rising Stars award for our year-on-year growth of 432%.

3. What does your typical workday look like?

My goal is to accomplish something significant everyday, as I’m convinced that a team can only be as motivated as its leader. After cycling to work, I grab a coffee and focus on planning the day and communicating all important information throughout the company, as well as researching current trends and developments in the advertising industry. I believe the Ad Tech movement is still in its early stages, so we have to be on our toes in order to be at the forefront of it. 
Of course, my job is also to oversee the operations at IconPeak, so I regularly check our CRM system to see how our sales activities are panning out. Lunchtime is always meeting time; be it with colleagues from the industry, partners, teammates or investors, I believe talking things through while having lunch really improves creative potential!

4. How does IconPeak face the rising usage of Adblockers? Do you use an Adblocker, Felipe?

Honestly, I do not pay attention to most ads. Nevertheless, using an adblocker has never been an option for me. I’d just feel guilty for consuming free media without contributing back to the creators, either through in-app purchases or ads. In addition to that, advertisers are becoming better at conveying their messages on our phones screens, resulting in some really great advertising content that’s fun to engage with.

When it comes to mobile advertising, ad blockers are not cutting into developers ad revenues significantly. According to Nielsen (the market intelligence company), almost 90% of user’s time is spent using apps, for which ad blockers are still very limited, rather than on mobile sites. Having said that, we will continue to follow developments in this area together with our partners.

5. What are the next steps? Where is IconPeak headed in the future?

We plan to continue our rapid growth by developing new technologies. We are recognized for our work to increase transparency for advertisers and focus on quality (for example, we are one of very few TUNE certified partners), and believe this will continue to allow us to grow our partnerships. With significant growth in the rate of adoption of smartphones in emerging markets like India and China, it’s a clear opportunity for us to expand further into these countries.

We are also releasing more details about our products, including SmartIcon 2.0, which will allow us to have even deeper insights on users’ behaviours. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter for news and announcements!