This iOS 14 Really Is a Thing

iOS introduced their new iOS 14 in 2021 and we’re still learning how to navigate the ad world with it. If you’re not quite sure what we’re referencing, take a quick listen to this one-and-a-half-minute video before you continue reading this blog. We promise it’ll all make a little more sense!

So who and what does this update affect in the digital marketing industry? Keep scrolling and we’ll try to break it down.

1. Advertisers that run campaigns for iOS apps.
These individuals will run into complications because less data is being reported. This will generate smaller audiences and bring higher costs. The reason for this is that if we have the same amount of demand for advertising but fewer users to target there will be more competition, driving up the costs. It is also worth noting that Apple allows advertising campaigns to be carried out through its platform called Apple Search Ads. While they don’t have the reach of Google and Facebook, we know that an iOS user is technically perceived as being of higher value in terms of purchasing power.

2. Audience lists.
Currently, users have the right to choose if they want to participate in IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) Tracking for an app or not. If they do not allow IDFA to track them, then the user will be unidentifiable and their data is not collected. For example, if a user has an item in their cart and before completing the purchase they were to select ‘do not track’ through iOS 14, they will not be included in the audience list even if they still make it through the buying process.

3. Lookalike audiences.
These audiences are a collection of individuals that share similar characteristics with your existing customers and lists. As a result of fewer users opting in for IDFA tracking, advertisers won’t have as much data to build their lookalike audiences. While they will still be available on the platforms, one might have a tougher time building the list with fewer data and options.

4. Retargeting.
It will not be possible to re-target users who have opted out of tracking, based on device-level targeting. For some advertising platforms, such as Google and Facebook, this may not be a problem, since companies can use data such as email or phone numbers to continue to track users. However, not all advertising platforms can offer this possibility.

5. Attribution reports.
Conversion-based attribution reports are likely to be less accurate. These types of reports help give credit to sales based on the customer’s journey from their first visit to purchasing a product and everything in between. Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs), traditionally relied on the IDFA identifier to link impressions to conversions.

It hasn’t been an easy task for ad strategists and marketing teams to navigate these new restrictions that have been rolled out with iOS 14. We’ve had to rely on previous methods to build and retain audiences, while still respecting people’s privacy. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for any new updates, but as all social and digital marketers know, these are just the newest changes that we’ll have to navigate and there’s always more to look forward to!