From the time iOS 14 came into the market, Apple got the chance to introduce two new frameworks for ad measurements and attribution. Among the lot, SKAdNetwork became quite popular in the market. The SKAdNetwork attribution presented a completely new approach to the present campaign measurement on Apple devices. Here, the data is wholly removed at the user level.
More on SKAdNetwork:
Among the two frameworks introduced from iOS 14, one was the ATT or App Tracking Transparency framework. The main goal was to manage access to IDFA by using user content.
- Then it was in the year 2018 when Apple introduced SKAdNetwork. It is a completely different approach to campaign management.
- Here, the data is not quite available at the user level.
- With the introduction of iOS 14, the current SKAdNetwork framework got updated to Version two.
- The main goal of Apple was to ameliorate some impact of reducing access of the developers to the IDFA.
Why this framework is gaining importance these days?
If you are planning to receive some attributions of the advertising campaigns on iOS, SKAdNetwork seems to be the best choice to cover up.
- It is mandatory for advertising networks to register with Apple.
- Here, the developers need to work to ensure that the apps remain compatible with registered networks and also the new framework.
- But, the SKAdNetwork will pose some major challenges for the methods that the current mobile marketers are using at present.
SKAdNetwork and the measurement challenges down the line:
As it has been proposed recently, the SKAdNetwork will offer 6-bits of the downstream metrics within the first 24 hours.
- These 6-bits can easily change every time whenever any event gets triggered in-app. Then you will come across a new 6-bit event code within the app, extending the timeframe by another 24 hours.
- When this window expires, the second 24-hour timing for attribution will start from there.
- Within this second window, the SKAdNetwork will return the attribution data. This system will then share the data in aggregate without any granular data accessible at the user level.
Progress always upward:
The events codes, as mentioned above, will only progress upward. For example, in case the app has created an event code for level 1 as 000001, then the user gets to purchase in-game currency, assigned in a different value of 000011.
Once the user completes the second level, the bits won’t be charged to 000010 as changes are not possible in one direction. To avoid that, the developers must assign a bit value to every path or combine possibilities.
The data that gets tracked with the SKAdNetwork and granular in-app events are then tracked down by MMP-SDKs and won’t get linked up!
The limitation to follow:
It is mandatory for you to know that the SKAdNetwork framework is highly limited to 100 different campaigns for every network. It might look all okay at the first glance, but with an average adjustment, clients need to run 15 campaigns for every network!
- It is shocking to know that there are limitless sub-campaigns, designed for different geographic, creative, or device types.
- For example, with SKAdNetwork, the use of 10 CREATIVES in 5 countries can only allow 2 different campaigns for every network!
The SKAdNetwork framework is currently seeking out some other changes for marketers and developers as a data delay of 24 to 48 hours can easily hinder real-time optimization over here. There will be another change in the ad fraud area.
The event conversion values will remain unsigned. It means that the app developers cannot verify if the event took place in the way they wanted to. That might open up some doors for fraud.
However, SKAdNetwork is not currently supporting deep linking and view-through attribution. Even though the current capabilities of the SKAdNetwork framework need to evolve to match the mindset of modern marketers, you will always receive full support for implementations.
Get a civilized approach to attribution:
SKAdNetwork is here to help out advertisers to measure the current success of ad campaigns and maintain user privacy. There are three different participants related to API.
- You have the advertised apps, which will appear in signed ads.
- Then you have the Source Apps, which will display the ads as presented by ad networks.
- Finally, you have the Ad networks as the 3rd participant in API, which will sign ads and receive the “install” notifications when ads revolve around conversions.
It is mandatory for the ad networks to register with Apple and the developers out there are ready to configure apps to work with the current ad networks.
Learning more about the SKAdNetwork framework and its framework is important before you proceed further with its usage. Searching online will help you to come across multiple options well in advance.
