With Privacy Manifests on iOS 17, Apple is giving iOS app developers new control over the egress of data from their apps. Recall this important excerpt from Apple’s User Privacy and Data Use Policy FAQ:

The key here is that “developers are responsible for ALL code included in their apps.” Prior to Privacy Manifests, a developer implementing third-party SDKs had to trust that the SDK functionality was not collecting and using data for any purpose outside the scope of Apple’s User Privacy and Data Use Policy. If there was any doubt, the developer had no recourse to prevent unauthorized usage other than to pull the SDK altogether—not an ideal approach. 

Privacy Manifests allow the developer to keep SDKs in their app while ensuring they can’t transmit certain data points without a user first consenting to allow app tracking via the AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) framework. This is particularly helpful for app developers integrating SDKs that they may not yet fully trust or understand. 

That being said, when developers are working with SDKs of trusted partners like a mobile measurement partner (MMP), analytics provider, data management platform, and more—care will have to be taken to ensure the proper implementation of certain Privacy Manifest features.

One particular component of Privacy Manifests, the declaration of tracking domains, requires special attention. Here’s an excerpt from Apple’s documentation.

This means that any domain declared by a developer as engaging in tracking will have all network traffic blocked when ATT=0 (e.g., the user hasn’t opted to allow tracking via the ATT framework). Apple defines ‘tracking’ as:

“the act of linking user or device data collected from your app with user or device data collected from other companies’ apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes.”

However, there’s one potential hiccup here. What if an app developer mistakenly declares a domain that’s not engaged in tracking? 

To be clear, Apple isn’t dictating what these domains are, but rather looking to developers to make this decision themselves. This is where it becomes vital for app developers and marketers to closely communicate with their vendors. If this component is not implemented correctly by an app developer, the potential exists to handicap important functionalities provided by an MMP, for example, that are completely unrelated to tracking as defined by Apple’s ATT framework.

To help app developers and marketers optimally navigate implementation, we will be creating Privacy Manifests for all of our SDKs that support iOS app measurement. In these Privacy Manifests we will clearly spell out what data is collected and for what reasons. Additionally, new developer documentation will provide clarity on which domains contacted by our SDKs are used to provide consented tracking and therefore should be declared as tracking domains. 

In 2021, Kochava released Privacy Profiles to provide our clients with complete control over how our SDKs collect and use data when ATT consent is not present, including controls to ensure no tracking takes place. We’re excited to further iterate on Privacy Profiles and will be segmenting out new domains for network communication from our SDK that allow for continued data signals unrelated to tracking, but vital for other functionality, including: 

• Support of SKAdNetwork (SKAN)
• App install and event measurement (without attribution)
• Owned media and cross-promotional campaign measurement
• 1st party analytics
• Privacy-compliant Apple Search Ads results from the AdServices framework
• Deep linking into the app for personalized experiences
• Deep link meta data capture to support cohorted attribution with self-attributing networks (Examples include: gBraid from Google Ads, Facebook’s Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM) campaigns, etc.)
• And more

We’re committed to privacy and transparency and will be providing our clients with a clear path to compliance with Apple.

While Privacy Manifests is operating on an honor system at the moment, in that app developers have the onus to implement it, Apple is almost certainly going to make it mandatory in the not-too-distant future. Fingerprinting has continued to persist as a workaround utilized, and in some cases even promoted, by certain vendors skirting Apple’s ATT policies that went into effect in April 2021 with the release of iOS 14.5. Privacy Manifests is shaping up to be the mechanism that Apple will use to finally force compliance by making it technically impossible to gather signals off device without consent via ATT. If you’re in a position where you’re relying on this as a crutch, Apple has clearly sent a final warning shot across your bow.

The good news is that marketers have a growing array of options to help future-proof their measurement strategy in a privacy-safe manner. Here are recommendations of steps you can take to proactively position yourself for success as campaign measurement continues to evolve. 

A.) Further invest in SKAN 

SKAN can be difficult to get right, but it’s possible. Apple is clearly pushing it as the future of campaign measurement on iOS. If you’re new to SKAN or just want a refresher, check out our Ultimate Marketer’s Guide to SKAN. 

If you’ve been using SKAN for any length of time and are still struggling to get the insights you need from your SKAN data, our experts on the Kochava Foundry team offer a SKAN Consult that has been a game-changer for some of the biggest brands in the world. Learn more HERE. 

B.) Explore cohorted campaign measurement with SANs

Kochava now supports cohorted attribution on Google’s gBraid as well as Facebook’s Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM) campaigns, which are privacy-safe approaches to driving reengagement on iOS. Other SAN partners are also planning to introduce these privacy-safe approaches to driving measurable growth. Connect with your client success manager or email Support@Kochava.com to learn about utilizing these campaign types. 

C.) Set the stage for MMM

Marketing mix modeling (MMM) is gaining steam and making a comeback. With advances in technology, next-generation MMM platforms like AIM (Always-on Incremental Measurement) are now dynamic enough to meet the needs of today’s marketers. 

If MMM isn’t on your radar, it should be. It doesn’t rely on the row-level, granular attribution data that is increasingly being phased out. A good prerequisite for effectively testing an MMM platform is adopting a cost aggregation solution that will bring together your spend and conversion data by app, by partner, by country, and by day. This data will provide the foundation for building MMM models. 

If you want to learn more about MMM, check out our MMM 101 webinar series HERE.

We want to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out to your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com. 

Not a Kochava client? Contact us to connect with our experts and see how we can help you.

Over the last couple of years, a number of different self-attributing network (SAN) partners have introduced restrictions on what log-level data they enable advertisers to access through their third-party mobile measurement partner (MMP). By the end of this year, Snapchat will be added to that list, as they implement new restrictions on the granularity of reporting data available for view-through attributed conversions on Snapchat Ads campaigns.

At present, advertisers can leverage their MMP reporting to export attributed Snapchat ad data at a device level. Advertisers may use this granular attribution data to enable sophisticated measurement (e.g., identify if a new installer is an existing user, tie attribution data to a user’s game ID, build advanced models for attribution and retargeting, etc.).

Later this year, Snap will apply restrictions to log-level view-through conversion data. This means that raw data exports from Kochava and other MMPs will be limited, and certain fields will be obfuscated. Advertisers will still be able to see Snapchat as the network name for such conversions; however, they won’t be able to see campaign-level breakdowns to analyze campaign-level metrics. Advertisers will continue to be able to see all click-through attributed conversions with no restrictions on the data shared for the purpose of measurement or optimization.

This is part of Snapchat’s larger commitment to maintaining the privacy of Snap user data. By limiting the sharing of view-through conversions in raw data exports, campaign-level aggregate data will continue to be provided through MMP reporting interfaces or through Snap’s reporting interfaces and API.

Snapchat has provided the following FAQ for additional context. 

Question: 

Why did Snap decide to implement this change now?

Answer: 

This is in accordance with Snap’s data policies to ensure that we limit data sharing on Snap users to preserve user privacy. By obfuscating view-through conversion data in raw data exports, while allowing click-through conversions, we are able to support advertiser needs to assess campaign and media performance while maintaining user privacy.

Question: 

Why do log-level restrictions apply to view-throughs but not clicks?

Answer:

The decision to enable log-level restrictions for view-throughs was to ensure advertisers are able to understand Snap’s performance based on their preferred attribution methodology. With most advertisers looking at click-through over view-through conversions, we determined that obfuscating view-through conversions would allow us to maintain user privacy and be less disruptive to advertisers’ current internal analysis. That said, we understand that this can be disruptive for certain segments of advertisers and that the early announcement gives them enough time to adapt as needed.

Question:

What alternatives are available for clients who use view-throughs in their internal BI for campaign optimization purposes?

Answer:

Clients can consider using MMP reporting or Snap’s own 1P reporting solution in order to view campaign-ad set-ad level view-through conversion data for the purpose of campaign optimization.

Be on the lookout for additional updates from both Snapchat and the Kochava team. Proactive communication will be provided in advance of the new changes going into effect. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any important announcements.

Please feel free to connect with your Snapchat account manager for further questions around this change. You can also contact your Kochava Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com.

Silicon Valley, we have a problem. Adoption of SKAdNetwork (SKAN) 4.0 has been on the up and up, but a new bug related to conversion values has come to light. This bug has resulted in some major super publishers and ad networks temporarily rolling back to signing ads with SKAN v3 signatures. 

Let’s quickly unpack the details and what you need to know.

Apple Search Ads (ASA) and specifically the AdServices framework, which replaced the iAd framework, has been identified as the source of the issue. While ASA inventory is SKAN eligible, ASA performance is not available in any SKAN reporting. This functionality is made possible through calls made by measurement partners or any software development kit (SDK) to the AdServices framework to retrieve an attribution token that provides campaign measurement outcomes for ASA. 

The problem particularly arises if the ASA attribution token is retrieved any time following a previous conversion update. In such cases, it will cause a reset of any conversion values (fine and coarse) that have been recorded by calls made to the updatePostbackConversionValue method. Essentially, this causes a race condition whereby the conversion value could be reset if the ASA attribution token collection takes place closer to the postback than the last conversion update within the current postback window. 

Kochava is in communication with Apple, as well as media partners in Kochava’s SKAdNetwork Certified Partner Program who have begun running on SKAN 4. It should be noted that this is a small segment of overall media partners, as SKAN 4 adoption is still low.

Thankfully, as a marketer utilizing Kochava, you do not need to do anything at this time. While the Kochava iOS SDK is capable of regathering the ASA attribution token at 24-hour intervals, Kochava’s ability to dynamically configure the SDK allows us to modify SDK behavior in real time to disable regathering the ASA attribution token without an SDK update. As such, our engineering team has deployed a rapid server-side update to work around this bug, which will resolve this issue irrespective of how long it takes Apple to correct this. No iOS SDK update is required for clients to benefit from this server-side update.  

Bear in mind that if other SDKs (or your app code) collect the ASA attribution token at any time, the conversion value will be reset outside of the Kochava SDK’s control.

The Kochava iOS SDK provides out-of-the-box support for the AdServices framework. If you chose to integrate with Kochava via our server-to-server integration option, you might have integrated directly with the AdServices framework in order to gather ASA attribution data. 

If you’re directly integrated with the AdServices framework, we recommend reviewing your app code and other 3rd party SDKs to ensure that collection of the ASA attribution token happens only upon first app launch and not again thereafter.

Our team is here to help. Please contact your client success manager or email Support@Kochava.com if you have any questions. 

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Dissecting data in the Kochava dashboard can provide endlessly rewarding performance insights for marketers—helping you make optimization decisions for the betterment of your campaigns. The measurement of post-install events, (i.e., purchase, registration complete, free trial start, etc.) in particular, helps marketers understand how channel partners and specific campaign tactics deliver quality users that perform post-install. 

As you find yourself drilling down into post-install event data in Kochava analytics or reporting, it’s important to understand how attribution data is tied to such events. If the event record displays attribution metadata (e.g., ad network, campaign name and ID, etc.), the event may be a direct attributed conversion on a re-engagement campaign, or it could simply be associated back to a prior attributed conversion (either acquisition or re-engagement) from that same user device. In this post, we will unpack the concept of Attributed Events versus Associated Events, so you can dive into analytics with confidence and know how to read your performance results.

The following flow diagram visualizes the distinction between Attributed Events and Associated Events, each of which will be unpacked in further detail below.

Looking at the orange bar in the flow diagram above, Attributed Events are events that can be directly attributed to a specific ad impression or click that preceded the event. A user’s initial app install may be attributed to an acquisition campaign with an ad network. Additionally, if the marketer runs a re-engagement campaign to re-target existing users, a post-install event can be attributed to an ad impression or click on a re-engagement ad. 

These Attributed Events are directly tied to the user’s interaction with a marketing campaign and are typically used to measure the direct effectiveness of the campaign and optimize advertising strategies.

Looking at the blue bar in the flow diagram, Associated Events are “associated or tagged” with attribution data only because that same user device had a previous conversion (either acquisition or re-engagement) that was attributed. They’re indirectly related to a point of attribution, but not directly tied to an ad impression or click as the conversion event. The association is there to help marketers understand how a user’s touchpoint(s) with campaigns drive ongoing activity and engagement within the app, offering additional insights into the user’s journey post-conversion.

For example, let’s say a user clicks on an advertisement and installs an app. The installation is an Attributed Event because it can be directly attributed to a specific click. However, if the user also completes a purchase within the app after installing it, the purchase event would be considered an Associated Event. While the purchase is not directly attributed to the click, it is associated with the user’s journey post-install and provides valuable information about the effectiveness of the marketing campaign in not just acquiring a user, but a user that went on to complete an in-app goal.

It’s important to note that by default within Kochava, all downstream events completed by a user device will be associated with the most recent touchpoint of attribution for that same device in perpetuity. For example, if a user installed your app through a Liftoff acquisition campaign and over the next year or more completed hundreds of in-app events, all of those events would be associated back to the original Liftoff campaign they were acquired through, unless some other re-engagement attributed conversion took place along the way. 

Marketers, however, do have the option to customize the length of time that this event association lasts. If a marketer wanted to limit event association to 30 days, that could be done by updating their Event Association Lookback within the Kochava dashboard (refer to this support documentation for more details). 

An update to 30 days would mean that if a user installed your app through a Liftoff acquisition campaign, any event they complete over the 30 days after install would be associated back to the Liftoff acquisition campaign. However, from day 31 onward, the attribution for subsequent events would show as unattributed and remain as such, unless or until the user converted on a re-engagement campaign. 

Please note that the Tracker Overrides feature is not available for all accounts. If you wish to explore this feature further, contact your client success manager or email Support@Kochava.com.

When you’re analyzing post-install events in Kochava analytics or running an Event report from the reporting dashboard, there’s a simple method to clarify whether events with attribution metadata are Attributed or Associated. 

Kochava Analytics
Within analytics, you can use the ‘Is Reengagement’ parameter as a split-by metric or filter. A value of “1” indicates that the event is Attributed to a direct ad interaction on a re-engagement campaign. Whereas a value of “Unknown” indicates that it’s an Associated Event. In the example pictured below, you can see that Snapchat has 45 events Attributed to re-engagement campaigns, whereas there are 1,108 events that are Associated with Snapchat due to a prior attributed conversion event.

Kochava Reengagement reports
Separate from an Event report that features both Associated and Attributed events, the Kochava reports dashboard also features two dedicated re-engagement reports. The Reengagement report ONLY shows in-app event conversions driven by clicks on a re-engagement campaign, and the Reengagement Impression report ONLY shows in-app event conversions attributed to an ad impression on a re-engagement campaign.

Kochava Query
“Is_Reengagement” is also an available field within the ‘Events_Primary’ table of Kochava Query. If you use Kochava Query for customized reporting, you can include, filter, and/or sort custom reports based on the field’s value.

If you have questions about data in analytics or reporting, please reach out to your client success manager or email Support@Kochava.com. Our team’s goal is to empower you with the data you measure through our tools.

Kochava is introducing a seamless account migration process to provide marketers with an easy transition from TikTok’s current integration to their new and improved self-attributing network (SAN) integration. Auto-provisioning of campaign configurations is slated for September 5th, 2023. While marketers can create these new configurations manually before this date, this auto-migration will be available for all advertisers who choose to opt in.

In order to ensure a smooth transition and provide you with the latest TikTok features and enhancements, TikTok and the Kochava Integrations team are requesting that all clients participate in this automated account migration process. By opting in, you will also have exclusive access to new TikTok features as they’re released.

To opt in to the automated migration, please email the message below to your Kochava client success manager or to Support@Kochava.com no later than September 1st, 2023:

I would like to be included in TikTok’s auto-migration from the traditional tracker and postback configuration to the new, self-attributing integration configuration.

Keep in mind that, with prior approval from your TikTok account representative, you can make these configuration changes sooner on your own. If you choose to self-configure, please DO NOT pause your TikTok campaign(s), as the cutover of your campaigns to flow through the new integration will be handled programmatically by TikTok.

Once the configurations are auto-provisioned, please note that this does not immediately transition attribution on your campaigns to the new network integration. This is a separate step and will be managed progressively by TikTok at a later date; you will be notified at least one week before this happens for your app(s).

Once Kochava begins to receive attribution claims on your TikTok campaigns from the new TikTok SAN integration, you’ll see the data displayed in our dashboard under the network name “TikTok for Business – SAN” as opposed to “TikTok for Business – Android” or “TikTok for Business – iOS”. In addition, this will also reflect in any third-party BI or reporting tools you may be using; please ensure your external reporting integrations are updated to account for this network name change. 

Please note that your account will not be automatically migrated unless you opt in. If you choose not to participate, your current TikTok integration settings will remain active. However,  subject to TikTok’s discretion, you will not have access to the enhanced features and improvements offered by the new integration until you migrate.

Should you encounter any issues or have questions during this migration process, both TikTok and Kochava support teams will be ready to provide prompt assistance.

Don’t hesitate to connect with your client success manager or email Support@Kochava.com.

Q2 2023 is a wrap. A lot happened across April-June, and here’s a look back at some of the most important developments, news, and product updates to be aware of. 

First, here’s a short list of quick recaps: 

• Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2023 event. Read our key takeaways post or watch the webinar. 
• Do you run re-engagement campaigns? Learn how to enable Kochava’s view-through re-engagement on your apps for greater performance visibility. 
• Full SKAN 4 support was released in April. Consult this checklist to update your iOS apps.
• Do you use Facebook’s App Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM) campaigns? Learn about Kochava updates to support Facebook’s latest improvements to AEM here. 

Next, let’s unpack a bit more on: 

• The Kochava Publisher’s Suite for premium ad inventory
• Release of GBRAID support 
• Kochava dashboard updates
• Kochava cost aggregation updates
• Integrated partner updates

If you didn’t already read it in the news, Kochava Publisher’s Suite is now in use across many of the major OTT and CTV platforms, and retail media networks, including LG Ad Solutions, MNTN, NBCUniversal, Roku, Samsung Ads, and Spotify, to help them deliver outcomes-based measurement for their premium inventory. Check out this post to learn more about what this means for publishers and ad platforms, as well as advertisers. 

If you’re an advertiser and are interested in campaign activation with premium inventory partners, please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com.

Cohort ID-based attribution for self-attributing networks (SANs) is on the rise. In June, Kochava released support for the Google gBraid. This update applies to Google Ads App Campaigns for Engagement (ACe) where the cohort IDs can be picked up from the URI metadata on deep link events. 

If you’re interested in leveraging the gBraid, please contact your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com to ensure your deep link setup supports gBraid capture.

Not already measuring your spend through Kochava Cost? Plug in your cost data to Kochava now to simplify return on ad spend measurement and avoid dashboard hopping to pull your cost data across different partners. Kochava Cost now features support for all major integrated partners and just recently added Remerge and Qverse as new integrations. 

As marketing mix modeling (MMM) becomes more important and Kochava invests further in its next-generation MMM platform, Always-On Incremental Measurement (AIM), unifying your cost data now will simplify adoption of MMM capabilities.  

Consult this support documentation to create new configurations to import cost data for your partners. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com.

Below is a list of new partners that completed a first-time integration with Kochava in May and June, as well as current partners that deployed updates to their existing integrations. 

New integrated partners:

Integrated partner updates:

If you’re an ad network, DSP, or other partner looking to integrate with Kochava, please contact Integrations@Kochava.com. 

For a list of all integrated networks and publishers, click here.

If you have any questions regarding these updates, please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com. 

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The Kochava Publisher’s Suite has become the go-to outcomes-based, ads measurement solution for publishers and ad platforms who have premium owned and operated inventory. As advertisers re-forecast and adjust their media plans more frequently (45% are now doing so monthly and another 20% weekly or daily, according to the IAB’s 2023 Outlook Survey), these partners have been forced to employ sophisticated measurement tech to prove their value and secure ongoing buying consideration from demand-side advertisers. 

As recently announced, the Kochava Publisher’s Suite is now licensed by major connected TV platforms, including: Roku, Samsung Ads, and LG Ad Solutions who have experienced tremendous spend acceleration and interest from advertisers as a result. Major publishers and broadcasters, such as NBCUniversal, as well as the connected TV performance marketing platform MNTN, are also leveraging Kochava’s clear-labeled ads measurement technology to bring outcomes-based measurement within reach for their advertisers.

While Publisher’s Suite is an obvious choice for the OTT and CTV sector with its YoY spend increase of 14.4% compared to 2022 (Source IAB’s 2023 Outlook Survey), it’s not the only channel embracing this trend. Other advertising channel partners working with Kochava include increasingly popular platforms like Spotify for audio streaming & podcasts, plus retail media networks, and intrinsic in-game advertising, to name a few.

For too long, premium inventory was held back by limited campaign measurement options, with unduplicated reach, total unique impressions, and other currencies being used to judge success. Performance marketers struggled to justify continued ad spend without the ability to more directly correlate ad delivery to their business outcomes and goals. 

Outcomes-based measurement, as empowered by Kochava, enables advertisers from enterprise media and entertainment brands, to quick service restaurants (QSR), and even SMBs to understand campaign performance against the outcomes they’re looking to drive. These business outcomes can include, but are not limited to: 

• Mobile app installs
• Free trial activations
• Subscriptions
• In-app purchases
• In-app registrations
• Website visits
• Website conversion activities
• And more

Advertisers have never been under greater pressure to prove the value behind every ad dollar spent—particularly as economic headwinds force downward pressure on marketing budgets. Outcomes-based measurement provides a more definitive measure for success. 

As an example, a QSR can run an ad campaign on the home menu screen of a major connected TV platform (think Roku, Vizio, LG, Samsung, etc.). This premium inventory lets them engage with a captive audience on the big screen. Beyond just understanding total unique impressions and unduplicated reach by exposed households, that QSR marketing team can now quantify how that campaign directly drives mobile app installs, in-app rewards registrations, online orders, and even website visits. The ability to prove such direct outcomes provides a clearer ROI picture – making the business case for unlocking more budget for that channel partner far more straightforward and defensible.

In the current world of connected devices, the capability to understand both same-screen and cross-screen performance impact is paramount. That’s why the Kochava Publisher’s Suite enables publishers and ad platforms to showcase the holistic cross-device impact of their campaigns, beyond just the screen of the ad interaction.

Are you an advertiser looking to measure performance outcomes with premium inventory partners? Connect with us today to understand how our solutions can help you connect the dots to your business goals – ensuring your spending aligns with proven growth.

If you’re a publisher or ad platform with premium owned & operated inventory, onboarding outcomes-based measurement starts with learning more about the Kochava Publisher’s Suite and booking a consultation with one of our specialists. 

Our solutions are helping ad sellers and account executives with major publishers and ad platforms prove the value of their inventory and drive new growth with their demand-side partners at a time when the scrutiny over ROI has never been greater. 

Key benefits you can expect, include: 

• Standardized, in-house performance reporting for advertiser business outcomes
• Supply-side attribution configuration controls
• Integration support across mobile measurement partners (MMPs)
• Omni-channel and omni-platform attribution coverage

Take the next step to learn more and see if the Kochava Publisher’s Suite is a fit for your needs.

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