Julia Eggiman

Meet Julia Eggiman, Senior Manager of Growth Marketing at DraftKings. A master of paid search and programmatic, Julia knows how to turn data into growth. She leads high-budget acquisition campaigns, optimizing performance through strategic testing and deep analytical insights. In the fast-moving world of mobile marketing, she stays ahead by constantly refining strategies to maximize engagement and efficiency

Julia and Justin Warshavsky are a Mobile Heroes duo from DraftKings, each bringing unique insights to drive performance marketing success.

DraftKings is a well-known name, but how would you explain its offerings to someone unfamiliar with them?

DraftKings is a popular online platform where you can play fantasy sports, place bets on real sporting events, and enjoy casino games – all from your phone, tablet, or computer. If you’re a big sports fan or just looking for a fun way to engage with your favorite teams, DraftKings gives you the chance to compete, win prizes, and have fun. You can bet on games like football, basketball, baseball, and more.

In addition to sports, DraftKings Casino lets you play real casino games online, like slots, blackjack, roulette, and even live dealer games where you interact with real people in real time.

Can you describe your journey to becoming a performance marketer? Are there any specific lessons you’ve learned that have helped you grow as a marketer? 

I came from an actuarial mathematics background and started my first job as a database analyst at the Gameshow Network. My journey into performance marketing has been shaped by a decade of hands-on experience and strategic leadership across top tech and digital brands. At KAYAK, I honed my expertise in digital acquisition, progressing from Digital Marketing Manager to Lead, where I drove user growth through data-driven campaign strategies across paid search and display. This foundation set the stage for my transition to DraftKings, where I’ve spent over five years scaling performance marketing efforts in a high-growth, competitive industry. As Manager and now Senior Manager of Paid Search and Programmatic marketing, I’ve led initiatives that significantly expanded customer acquisition, optimized multi-million-dollar budgets, and built agile, ROI-focused teams. All of which cemented my role as a results-oriented performance marketer.

Being data-driven in digital marketing is essential to success as a marketer. We must continuously leverage performance insights to inform strategic decisions. For example, while managing a programmatic campaign to acquire new users for a casino product, we clearly define CPA goals, account for incrementality, and use iterative A/B testing to assess impact accurately. We regularly analyze audience performance and the competitive landscape, often leading to strategic budget reallocations. This kind of agile, data-informed approach has been critical to driving meaningful results in high-stakes marketing environments.

What does your typical day look like at DraftKings?

A typical day for a senior marketing manager at DraftKings Casino is fast-paced and data-driven, with a strong focus on performance, experimentation, and cross-functional collaboration. The day often starts by reviewing key metrics like cost per acquisition (CPA), return on ad spend (ROAS), and player engagement across channels such as paid search, programmatic, and paid social. Morning stand-up meetings with my team help align priorities and flag any urgent trends. My role includes partnering with analytics and data teams to evaluate performance and run test-and-learn strategies to refine creative, messaging, and audience targeting. Collaborating with the creative team on campaign assets and A/B testing plans is also a regular part of my morning routine.

Afternoons typically focus on live campaign optimization—working with my teams to adjust budgets, fine-tune campaign operations, and identify new growth opportunities based on real-time results. I also work closely with the integrated marketing team to align on go-to-market timelines for the latest promotions, seasonal campaigns, and product launches. Competitive analyses and market monitoring are essential to my role, helping inform tactical adjustments and longer-term strategy. Occasionally, I meet with external partners in person, such as platform reps, to explore new tools, formats, or strategic opportunities.

Events like the World Cup or Superbowl Sunday are important for any sports betting app. How do you approach your campaign strategy around these events? Do you have any advice for marketers about making holidays or special events work?

Seasonal events like the Super Bowl are key moments in my campaign strategy for DraftKings Casino, especially when acquiring new users in legal iGaming states. While most of the buzz is around sports betting, I use that surge in attention to strategically position our casino offerings to sports fans who might be open to trying something new. I adjust targeting to focus on high-intent audiences, layering in sports interest segments, lookalikes, and geo-fencing to maximize efficiency across programmatic and paid search. I also work closely with creative teams to tailor messaging and promotions to the moment, whether it’s a halftime offer, a themed slot tournament, or a limited-time bonus. My goal is to meet users where they are—often on multiple screens—and convert the excitement of game day into a fun, rewarding casino experience.

Budgeting and timing play major roles in making these campaigns successful. I typically ramp up spending leading into the event and monitor real-time performance to stay agile as costs fluctuate. At the same time, I set aside a budget for post-game retargeting, which often gives me a better return once the media noise settles. While volume is important, I focus on quality users likely to stay engaged with the casino beyond the Super Bowl. For me, it’s about turning a high-traffic, sports-focused moment into a long-term growth opportunity for the casino, keeping users entertained and engaged even after the final whistle.

What about driving engagement during periods with fewer events? Do you have any tips for other apps that rely on seasonal events?

These quieter windows are also ideal for testing. I run A/B experiments on new audience segments, creative formats, and bidding strategies while CPMs are lower. I shift the budget around partners that tend to perform well when competition isn’t as intense. This drives efficient acquisition and helps fine-tune my approach ahead of the next big push.

Slow periods are generally perfect for algorithm/automation testing, campaign restructuring, and advanced measurement frameworks.

There’s a lot to balance running creative for a DraftKings app. Can you describe your creative strategy? How do you approach creative production and testing?

Our creative strategy for online casino marketing starts with aligning messaging to the user’s intent, mindset, and place in the funnel. We focus on clearly communicating the value of the casino—whether it’s instant entertainment, the chance to win big, or an exclusive promotion. We tailor our creative by audience segment; for example, new users might see messaging around welcome bonuses and game variety, while lapsed users receive personalized incentives to return. We also incorporate seasonal relevance, tying creatives to major events like the Super Bowl or March Madness to make our campaigns timely and engaging.

When it comes to production and testing, we take a structured but agile approach. We partner closely with our creative team to develop multiple ad variants optimized for each channel, such as programmatic and paid search, across formats including static, video, and dynamic media. We run continuous A/B tests to evaluate different messaging, visuals, CTAs, and formats. Performance data drives our decisions: we quickly scale what works and iterate on what doesn’t. Our goal is to consistently deliver the right message to the right user at the right time and ensure our creative doesn’t just look good but also drives measurable results.

What work challenges or concerns keep you up at night?

One concern is balancing short-term profitability goals with long-term user value. It’s easy to chase installs or first deposits during high-demand periods, but I worry more about retention and LTV, especially in such a competitive market. How do we keep users engaged when another offer or platform tries to win their attention? That’s where creative strategy, smart segmentation, and personalized user journeys become crucial. At the end of the day, I want to make sure every campaign I run doesn’t just convert but builds real, lasting value for the brand.

What would you predict for the future of mobile marketing and performance marketing?

I think the future of mobile and performance marketing—especially in the online casino space—will be all about personalization, smarter targeting, and adapting to a more privacy-first world. With third-party cookies disappearing and platforms tightening data restrictions, I’m leaning more on first-party data and real-time user signals to reach the right people. In casino marketing, that means finding creative ways to show the right game or offer at the right moment. Since mobile is where most users are, I’m always focused on making the experience as seamless and fast as possible, from ad click to gameplay.

I’m also really excited about how creative is evolving. I see more interactive formats gaining traction, like playable ads that let people try a quick slot spin or dynamic videos that showcase real-time jackpots. It’s not just about driving installs anymore; it’s about keeping users engaged and turning them into loyal players. AI and automation are helping me test, learn, and scale campaigns faster than ever. It’s about combining smart use of data with great creatives to create experiences that feel personal, fun, and frictionless.

Everyone is talking about the growth of iGaming—any predictions for this industry? What challenges do you foresee? 

The online casino space is moving fast, and I see it heading toward more personalized, seamless mobile experiences. It’s all about making things easy and engaging, serving the right games, tailored offers, and smooth onboarding. Cross-product engagement is also big; with users bouncing between sportsbook and casino, finding innovative ways to keep them active across both will be a huge win.

At the same time, challenges are growing. State-by-state regulations make scaling tricky, and SKAN has changed how we approach mobile attribution. With limited data and delayed reporting, we rely more on modeled outcomes and first-party insights. Targeting’s tougher, and acquisition costs are rising, so focusing on retention and lifetime value is more important than ever. It’s a more challenging landscape and a big opportunity for marketers who can adapt quickly.

What resources—websites, blogs, podcasts—do you use to keep up with performance marketing?

We sync with our platform reps regularly to gain access to alpha testing opportunities, stay informed on product roadmaps, and get recommendations on best practices. 

In addition, I regularly follow a mix of industry websites, blogs, and podcasts that offer strategic insights and actionable updates. Search Engine Land is a go-to resource for paid search and PPC trends. At the same time, AdExchanger provides deeper coverage of programmatic advertising, ad tech, and data privacy, which are critical for casino and mobile marketing. I also find the AppsFlyer Blog particularly valuable for topics like SKAN, attribution, and user acquisition best practices.