It’s time for publishers to get on board with on-device cohorts
On-device cohort targeting provides publishers with a privacy-centric framework for monetizing their mobile inventory.
What Apple’s SKAN 5.0 means for marketers
Apple began enforcing privacy manifests in May 2024, and SKAN 5.0 is likely around the corner. What does this mean for iOS app marketers?
No ID, no problem: 5 ways advertisers can own targeting outcomes on mobile
No ID, no problem: How advertisers can target audiences on mobile without third-party cookies, IDFAs, or identifiers.
How advertisers can drive mobile performance after iOS Privacy Manifest enforcement
Privacy Manifests are now being enforced by Apple. Find out how this impacts app marketing and campaign targeting for marketers.
Explained: What are iOS 17 Privacy Manifests, and how do they impact app developers?
iOS 17’s Privacy Manifests are further promoting Apple’s privacy by design, but they will also have implications for third-party SDKs.
Why today’s and tomorrow’s ad tech requires durability
It is imperative for ad tech to prove its durability to weather multiple storms that challenge it. Fundamentally, a good cookie recipe, brand, or technology proves its durability because they can be future-proofed. This begs the question: With so much attention our industry has placed on cookie deprecation, how durable is a cookie? In other words, even though we’re all sick of cookie puns in the ad-tech space, is there a different recipe for cookies we could try — even if we mess it up? Cookies are burnt, but we’re still eating them In an era of massive regulatory change, consumers are bombarded with privacy and cookie statements. A privacy policy will include ways a company might collect and store data from users, but a “cookie policy” refers to specific embedded tracking technology and how it does or does not track user behavior. But the latter isn’t enough. Let’s remember that cookies (as part of HTTP headers) as a technology were not designed for a number of advertising use cases. They were a “hack” for cross-domain targeting as opposed to more durable and perpetual identifiers such as authenticated identity — i.e., Google or Meta using first-party domain cookies. Still, with the conversation started about cookies becoming obsolete, nobody has come up with a true and universally accepted replacement. While companies across the globe have been working within the Privacy Sandbox to think about what the future could look like, the date for fully moving away from cookies has been pushed back to 2024 because our industry can’t find a lasting and scalable solution. We still have cookies for now, and brands/advertisers are still “eating” them. Perhaps we need to be smarter about how to eat them. Equally as important is the ability for cookie replacements to solve future problems. Advances in Web3 could unearth ways for brands and marketers to stay relevant — with zero-party data, integrated marketing technology and customer-centric governance. This year will also provide a unique opportunity for the test-and-learn design of experiments to use cookie-based control groups to measure efficacy on such methodologies as contextual, interest-based ads, and behavioral matching. Making an easier-to-chew cookie In short, ad tech must start now in finding ways to strengthen cookie durability. Here are a few ideas to get us started: Where possible, leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Thanks to the pandemic, consumer behavior and privacy have driven different technological and human responses. We have seen several examples of audience cohorts that aggregate users and, in turn, provide a different vehicle for connecting with customers. Micro-cohort personalization is primed to become one of the more “durable” components of ad-tech and could easily become the de facto method for targeting in 2025 and beyond across an open web. Personalization in the form of on-device clustering can also be a powerful driver for interest-based advertising, but I also think we need to find other ways for it to be used. Google’s timeline for Privacy Sandbox results (2024) conveniently matches the AI and ML evolution, and allows for the timeline of cluster/cohort-based learnings to be exposed to marketing use cases outside of Google’s wheelhouse. Listen to the end user to see if the recipe is right for them. Great companies throughout history have listened to his customers to understand what products should be sold. Advertisers need to do a better job of listening, and the ad-tech sector can help them do it. Joe and Jane Public have become as smart as the technology that services them; they can easily remove cookies from a cache because they feel the technology invades their privacy. But imagine if we asked Mr. and Mrs. Public if they could be a part of the process of creating new technology. Their insights can shape recipes that we may be missing. Learn from other technologies to make a more durable recipe. Apple may be recognized as a global brand with great products, but its launch and release of the Newton PDA is considered a disaster — unless you look at the “intelligent assistant” feature that allowed you to perform tasks using natural language. Today, Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and other voice assistants have proven the durable power of one’s voice. Likewise, we should look to past models and technologies to mine ideas for future solutions. Conclusion While our industry embarks on solutions to replace the cookie, the answers must not be short-term options. They have to be battle-tested as well as beta-tested. Solving problems ahead of time can go a long way in measuring a durable solution, and durability is what will keep our industry moving forward. It’s time for us to toughen up. NOTE: This article originally appeared in Forbes Technology Council on June 23, 2023
Top 3 takeaways for app marketers from Apple WWDC 2023
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) this year had no shortage of talking points. Apple made a big splash by unveiling a major new product, Vision Pro. But Apple WWDC is about more than headline-grabbing reveals: it’s an incredibly important peek into software updates in iOS, MacOS, and other platforms. Those of us in the app ad-tech space eagerly tuned into WWDC 2023 hoping for updates and insights relating to privacy and tracking. Over at Dataseat (part of Verve), we delve into WWDC’s three most relevant announcements for app marketers, what you most need to know about them, and how we expect these changes to impact app advertising campaigns, both today and in the future. Here’s a sneak peek into our deep dive of Apple WWDC 2023 for app marketers. What we know about Privacy Manifests (so far) Privacy Manifests are here! Apple defines Privacy Manifests as “a property list that records the types of data collected by your app or third-party SDK, and the uses of the collected data.” According to Apple, “We’re introducing new privacy manifests — files that outline the privacy practices of the third-party code in an app, in a single standard format. When developers prepare to distribute their app, Xcode will combine the privacy manifests across all the third-party SDKs that a developer is using into a single, easy-to-use report.” The new Privacy Manifests feature is Apple’s answer to a big problem. Privacy Manifests aim to end user profiling and fingerprinting in early 2024. While App Tracking Transparency (ATT) has succeeded in blocking device ID-based tracking, Apple hasn’t yet rolled out a solution to prevent tracking via probabilistic methods (profiling and fingerprinting) – until now. To find out what platforms and SDKs will be impacted, head over to Dataseat. Coming Soon: SKAdNetwork 5.0 and re-engagement metrics Speaking of SKAN, Apple teased a fifth iteration of SKAdNetwork (SKAN) in its Platforms State of the Union. SKAdNetwork 5.0 is due sometime “later this year” in coordination with a new iOS version, though Apple wasn’t more specific. An exciting update for app marketers is Apple’s hint that SKAN 5.0 will support measuring re-engagement. iOS app developers can soon leverage Private Relay For iCloud+ subscribers who opt in, Private Relay helps protect users’ privacy by obscuring IP addresses. What’s new? App developers can soon reap the benefits of Private Relay in their apps. Like Privacy Manifests, implementing Private Relay will make it harder to create user profiles and track users through their IP addresses. However, because Private Relay is an optional feature for users, many apps that rely on fingerprinting aren’t likely to pursue it. Comparatively, the impact of increased access to Private Relay is expected to be less significant than that of Privacy Manifests. What should app marketers do now that Apple WWDC 2023 is over? For us, the implications of these three takeaways from WWDC 2023 mean a shift in priorities: There’s never been a better time for marketing teams to transition to using SKAN 4.0. SKAdNetwork 4 is increasingly available in traffic, and SKAdNetwork 5 is approaching quickly. Dataseat’s expertise in SKAN, contextual targeting, and mobile marketing helps app developers and marketers acquire new users, monetize, and engage. Interested in learning more? The Dataseat team is here to help.
Identity Guide
This guide is the ultimate resource for navigating the complex discussions around identity — a must-read in today’s ad-tech environment.
2022 Trends in Programmatic Advertising, Part 1: Attribution and measurement
In the first part of our 2022 Trends in Programmatic Advertising series, we’re digging into Campaign Attribution and Measurement.
