When Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework rolled out in 2021, it sent shockwaves through the mobile advertising ecosystem. For most user acquisition teams, it was a seismic shift. For Kentaro Sugiura, Lead UA Manager, who had just joined Rovio as ATT came into effect, it marked day one of a new chapter — and a crash course in privacy-first marketing.
“I came in just months after ATT,” Sugiura recalls. “Back then, very few companies were using SKAN in a meaningful way. Rovio was one of the exceptions, and that gave us a head start.”
Three years on, Rovio’s early move to embrace Apple’s SKAdNetwork (SKAN) has gone from a bold move to a real competitive edge: a head start in optimizing SKAN models, tapping into high-performing inventory, and driving results ahead of the curve. The company, known globally for its Angry Birds franchise and now part of SEGA, has navigated the post-IDFA landscape with surprising clarity.
And for Sugiura, the journey has been one of continuous learning, iteration, and trust in the right partners — such as Dataseat, a leading programmatic UA platform purpose-built for SKAN and IDFA-less environments. (Dataseat is now part of Verve.)
Privacy as a pillar
With a broad and diverse player base, Rovio sees user privacy not just as a regulatory requirement, but as a critical factor in shaping sustainable UA strategy.
“User privacy is important to us,” says Sugiura. “It doesn’t necessarily compromise growth, but we have to be smarter with how we run UA.”
This smarter approach has included contextual targeting and investing early into SKAN’s evolving capabilities. “User-level targeting has become increasingly challenging on iOS due to privacy restrictions,” Sugiura notes. “With limited addressability, it’s simply no longer the most effective path. We focus on broader signals, campaign architecture, and, importantly, working with partners who understand how to navigate this new landscape.”
Cracking the contextual code
Among Rovio’s most forward-looking initiatives has been its collaboration with Dataseat. Sugiura describes the partnership as a pillar of Rovio’s post-IDFA growth model.
“Contextual targeting doesn’t always offer much room for experimentation,” he admits. “But working with Dataseat allowed us to explore fresh approaches we might not have considered otherwise. It’s helped us expand our thinking around what’s possible in the new privacy environment.”
The ability to tap into competitive intelligence — without compromising privacy — gave Rovio a sharper edge. While most advertisers were still figuring out SKAN basics, Sugiura’s team was already refining their models and running tests with clear, data-informed hypotheses.
SKAN as a long game
Rovio’s early adoption of SKAN didn’t just provide a head start — it laid the foundation for continued growth in a privacy-first ecosystem.
“We’ve improved our SKAN modeling consistently over time,” says Sugiura. “We’re accumulating knowledge with every campaign. That’s the part a lot of teams overlook — it’s not just about performance today. It’s about being ahead of the curve tomorrow.”
Rovio is already applying its iOS insights to Android, using contextual learnings to stay ahead of evolving expectations. “We’ve been testing contextual campaigns across both platforms,” he explains. “The patterns often translate well. Even as plans shift, we’re not resetting — we’re refining.”
Test, learn, lead
Looking back, Sugiura sees the privacy shift not as a setback but as a forcing function — one that has made UA teams more disciplined, more experimental, and more thoughtful.
“I always recommend testing,” he says. “Not just for the sake of it, but grounded in a clear hypothesis. That’s how you learn what really works.”
As for advice to advertisers who are still grappling with ATT or waiting for Android’s Privacy Sandbox to take final shape? Sugiura is pragmatic: “Don’t wait. Start testing early, if possible. Contextual isn’t perfect, and SKAN still has some limitations, but if you partner with platforms that are built for this world, you’ll be ahead when it counts.”
Rovio’s journey shows that adapting to privacy shifts isn’t about waiting for perfect tools, it’s about building the habits, models, and partnerships that make you ready for what’s next.
The advertisers who treat privacy not as a constraint but as a design principle won’t just keep up — they’ll define the next era of mobile marketing.
