Tips for mobile marketing with Apple’s ATT framework

One year on from Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, which overhauled  the rules for measurement and attribution, marketers are still learning how to adapt their mobile app campaigns to the new privacy-centric environment.  

Over the past 12 months, multiple best practices have emerged following the impact of the ATT framework. From prioritising consented first-party data strategies to adjusting approaches to campaign measurement, what steps can mobile marketers take to navigate the shifting landscape? 
 

1. Invest in first-party data

With the ongoing changes to privacy frameworks, mobile identifiers are on the way out. To adapt, mobile marketers must focus on collecting, integrating, and activating their own consented first-party data. 

Systems such as Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) enable mobile marketers to consolidate available data and build a comprehensive picture of their users. Being able to use a centralised platform for this purpose also streamlines marketing operations, from building user profiles and keeping them updated to reporting on campaign impact. With a clear understanding of their customer segments, mobile marketers can improve metrics, such as retention, by pinpointing segment-specific challenges. They also drive acquisitions by meeting the expectations of prospective users that exhibit similar behaviours to known users.
 

2. Feed machine learning tools with first-party data

Mobile marketers can leverage machine learning to truly unlock the value of their first-party data. Machine learning tools can analyse hundreds of data points in seconds and apply insights to specific tasks; for example, they can automate the optimisation of messaging, ad creative, and mobile environments with their decisioning capabilities, allowing mobile marketers to efficiently maximise the effectiveness of their budgets.

By accelerating the process of analysing and drawing insights from first-party data, machine learning tools can also predict the impact of mobile marketing efforts. However, predictive models require significant amounts of data to create accurate forecasts, emphasising the importance of robust first-party data strategies. 
 

3. Tap into Marketing Mix Modelling

When app users opt out of Apple’s ATT framework, mobile marketers no longer have access to identifiers making it harder to understand the success of their campaigns. As a result, many are turning to Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) as an alternative. 

MMM is a statistical method that aims to identify the success of marketing activities by taking into account a wider range of factors and data inputs, from specific campaign elements to external influence such as market changes. Unlike attribution models, which tend to be used for analysis at interaction-level, MMM leverages aggregated historical data to perform analysis on an annual, biannual, or quarterly basis. The insights it generates help marketers understand how specific marketing efforts affect sales or revenue data, which can then inform future campaigns and optimisations that deliver success. Because it uses aggregated data, this method protects user privacy while allowing mobile marketers to ensure their investments generate results. As the deprecation of identifiers continues, adopting an holistic view across all marketing elements will become even more necessary for launching and running mobile app campaigns. 
 

4. Adopt a consent-first approach 

To actively prioritise a consent-first approach, marketers should focus on openly communicating their data privacy policy, while developing strategies to encourage data sharing from their customers; this will help increase understanding about the reasons their data is required and how it would be used, as well as highlight the value this would bring to the customer. In addition, marketers should focus on finding and hiring an effective Consent Management Platform solution to capture the correct details in a privacy-safe way. 

According to current iOS privacy standards, an app must request consent to send user information to a server if that user can then be identified from these details. When planning their mobile campaigns, marketers should take note of the consent management tools that apps use, as this will influence the availability of user data. Marketers should consider the following key points when assessing consent management tools: 

• Compliance: Data privacy regulations can vary across geographies and are subject to change, so it is important to continuously ensure consent management methods adhere to current and applicable standards
• Transparency: Users must be aware of what information is being collected about them, what it is being used for, and how they can adjust their privacy preferences if needed
• Data minimisation: Consumers are increasingly sensitive about how much data they share and why; the more selective marketers can be about the data they gather, the less likely users are to feel uncomfortable

While Apple’s app ecosystem was the first to have been affected by new privacy frameworks, it won’t be long before others are as well. Google announced plans earlier this year to introduce its Privacy Sandbox to Android, alongside its decision to limit cross-app tracking capabilities and potentially remove mobile identifiers entirely. For this reason, marketers must be prepared for new ways of managing user consent in all mobile environments.

Collating, enhancing and activating all available sources of consented first-party data is essential for sustaining mobile marketing operations. In response to the changes prompted by Apple’s ATT framework, mobile marketers can also shift their approaches to campaign measurement and reduce their reliance on identifiers. Following these tips will help mobile marketers as they continue to achieve results in an evolving privacy landscape.