Apple recently launched the new iOS 14.5 that will come with a framework called App Tracking Transparency (ATT). Apple will start requiring apps in the App Store to obtain permission to “track” users across apps and websites owned by third parties for advertising and measurement purposes through its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, even if they already have user consent.
As a result, these changes will restrain particular data collection and sharing by businesses unless people opt-in. It is expected that there will be limitations for companies that use third-party advertising such as Google, Facebook, Instagram advertising for mobile apps on iOS devices, as well as those that drive business results through their website.
Below is our summary of how your campaign might be affected by the iOS 14.5 new update:
What’s changing:
- Limitations for businesses that use Facebook advertising for mobile apps on iOS devices and those that drive business results through their website.
- Limited information for advertisers
- Decreased retargeting capabilities
- Decline in performance
- Limited reporting
- Pausing of ad sets because of limited optimization choices
Reporting impact:
- Delayed reporting
- Estimating results through statistical modeling to fill the gap in reporting
- No support for breakdowns (age, gender, region, placement)
- Change from 28 days click-through to 7-day click-through attribution
Changes on campaigns:
- iOS 14.5 mobile app install advertising
- Required to run only within one ad account
- Limitation to run only up to 9 campaigns per app
- Web events optimization
- Limit to 8 events optimization per domain
- Prioritization of these events between high priority and low priority
- Domain verification to set up these web events
- Pausing of ad sets optimized using unsupported events
Solutions for App Advertisers:
- Update Facebook SDK to version 8.0 or above
- Set up your conversion schema in Events Manager
- Restructuring of app campaigns (limit to 9 campaigns for iOS)
Solutions for Web Advertisers:
- Verify domain
- Set up AEM (Aggregated event measurement)
- Statistical modeling of estimated results
- Prioritization of 8 events
- Conversions API
- Server-side analytics (as opposed to browser-based)
- Setting up–
- Integration via Shopify/WordPress
- Manual setup
What’s changing:
- No gclid for iOS 14.5 traffic
Impact:
- Decrease in traffic from iOS apps
- Change in reporting (SKAN reporting columns)
Solutions:
- New URL parameter to help with conversion modeling (check if your website is qualified by visiting this link)
- Enable audience expansion for remarketing or use similar audiences
- Use Smart Bidding
For app advertisers:
- Evaluate whether Apple’s ATT prompt is right for your app
- Implement Apple’s SKAdnetwork API
- Upgrade to the latest version of GA for Firebase – automatic registration for SKAdnetwork attribution
- Consolidate iOS App campaigns and use only tCPI or tCPA bidding
- Eight or fewer campaigns
How does it work?
- GA will set a new first-party cookie on your domains
- They will be able to attribute ads subject to ATT policies
What changes are required from advertisers?
- Global site tag should be implemented on your site
- Some may need to allow arbitrary URL parameters (see link here)
Summary
In summary, iOS 14.5 gives users the option to opt-out of tracking. This will impact advertisers in terms of limited retargeting capabilities as well as reporting. Here’s some of the workaround that the Kaliber team list down that might be useful for your business.
Facebook workaround
- Verify domain to be able to implement AEM (Aggregated Events Measurement)
- Implement Conversions API
Google workaround
- Implement Apple’s SKAdnetwork API
- Implement a new URL parameter to support conversion modeling (check if your website is qualified by visiting this link)
- Enable audience expansion for remarketing
- Utilize similar audiences.
Do you want to discuss more the iOS 14.5 update? Feel free to reach out to us by visiting our website or email us straight away.
