The advertising world is on edge with the rollout of Apple’s iOS 14.5 updates. And with nearly 47% of all smartphone users in the United States owning an iPhone, this update does have a significant impact on advertising. It is estimated that 10%-15% of iOS users will continue sharing their information after the update fully rolls out.
But what does this mean to you as a company?
All devices have a unique identifier (called an IDFA) that internet advertising companies use for targeting, retargeting, completing frequency capping, and campaign performance. With the latest updates, these identifiers become masked or scrambled from the device manufacture to help protect the consumer’s identity. The immediate impact is in the ability to target and the ability to measure the performance of your digital marketing efforts.
For example, these updates will directly impact companies’ abilities to retarget someone with ads that show an article of clothing or the toy they were looking at when they go to another website. In addition, the iOS update is reducing technology companies’ ability to connect consumers through their personal and mobile advertising IDs.
How is this Apple update different than Google changes to be cookieless?
When a consumer opens a new app on their mobile devices, a pop up comes up where it asks the consumer, “Allow [App Name] to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites?” and then they choose “Ask App Not to Track” or “Allow.” This simple change of asking for permission is different from the tradition of being opted in until they go in and manually opt out.
How do we think analytics will change?
We will no longer see some of the traditional analytics with match-backs and conversion reporting. Instead, most companies will have to rely on business data such as overall sales lift or increase in website traffic to infer the effectiveness of their campaigns.
How can you prepare for the inevitable changes?
The time to create an aggressive First-Party data strategy is now! First-party data is the database your company owns through your current or previous marketing strategies and just being in business. These consumers are your customers and the prospects you collected while you have been in business. And luckily, companies who utilize EARL® as part of their marketing strategies are actively building their first-party databases!
No one knows how long it will take to see the full impact of the anonymization of the internet and mobile traffic, and while there is still the availability of using third party data sets (the rentable audiences we use in digital advertising), make sure that you are getting the most from your marketing by adding EARL®. Contact us today to find out how we can help you future proof your marketing strategy.
Sources:
- https://digiday.com/marketing/advertisers-scramble-for-answers-after-apples-idfa-update/
- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/technology/personaltech/apple-app-tracking-transparency.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-digital-privacy®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_2&context=storylines-guide
- https://www.zdnet.com/article/ios-14-5-arrives-with-controversial-privacy-feature-face-id-improvements-and-new-voices-for-siri/
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211808
- https://www.adexchanger.com/content-studio/ios-14-5-will-bring-challenges-for-advertisers-but-also-new-opportunities-for-those-who-get-it-right/#:~:text=Once%20iOS%2014.5%20arrives%2C%20those,these%20irregularities%20and%20missing%20values.
- https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/#:~:text=mobile%20revolution%20below.-,Mobile%20phone%20ownership%20over%20time,smartphone%20ownership%20conducted%20in%202011.
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/236550/percentage-of-us-population-that-own-a-iphone-smartphone/#:~:text=How%20many%20people%20have%20iPhones,users%20in%20the%20United%20States.
- https://noidfanoproblem.com/app-marketers/what-are-the-different-traffic-types-post-idfa/
- https://liftoff.io/blog/the-benefits-of-lat-traffic/
- https://tinuiti.com/blog/data-privacy/apple-ios-idfa-guide/
- https://tinuiti.com/blog/data-privacy/what-is-apples-skadnetwork-api/?utm_source=justuno&utm_medium=partner
Jayme Hill is Chief Operating Officer for Diamond Media Solutions.
No Comments