Major iOS 14 and iOS 15 Features Impacting Marketers
- App Tracking Transparency (ATT):
Apps must now explicitly ask users for permission to track their activity across other apps and websites.
- Mail Privacy Protection & Hide My Email:
Users can now mask their email addresses and block tracking pixels, making email campaign metrics like open rates highly unreliable.
- iCloud Private Relay (IPR):
Browsing data on Safari is anonymized, masking users’ IP addresses and impacting geo-targeted ad campaigns.
What Changed with iOS 14?
Before iOS 14, apps and platforms like Facebook and Google freely collected user behavior across apps and locations to build detailed user profiles. This data was then monetized via highly targeted advertising.
Now, thanks to iOS 14:
- Explicit User Consent Required:
Apps must request opt-in permission for tracking. Surveys suggest fewer than 40% of users are likely to allow tracking.
- IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) Limited:
Apple no longer automatically shares IDFAs unless users opt-in, severely limiting advertisers’ ability to track cross-app behavior. Apple’s alternative, SKAdNetwork, offers far less data granularity.
- Location Data Restricted:
Only approximate locations are shared, reducing the ability to run hyper-local ad campaigns.
- Device Access Curtailed:
Apps now face tighter restrictions on accessing users’ microphones, photos, and other sensitive device information.
- Conversion Tracking Shrinks:
Data used for attributing conversions—like view-through conversions—now has a 7-day window limit instead of 28 days.
What iOS 15 Added to the Mix
Building on iOS 14’s privacy stance, iOS 15 tightened user anonymity even further:
- Mail Privacy Protection:
Hides open rates by loading tracking pixels remotely, leading to inflated or inaccurate campaign metrics.
- Hide My Email:
Creates random alias emails for signups, limiting brands’ ability to collect real user email addresses.
- Cloud Private Relay:
Anonymizes Safari users’ IP addresses, throwing off geo-targeted marketing campaigns.
How These Changes Directly Impact Advertisers
- Targeting on platforms like Facebook will become less precise.
- Advertisers will see fewer reported conversions from iOS users.
- Attribution models will break, complicating ROI measurement.
- Apple’s restrictions will limit the number of campaigns and IDs marketers can run.
- Acquiring new customers will become more expensive and challenging.
- Brands must pivot toward customer retention and first-party data strategies.
Key Steps for Brands and Marketers
1. Reconfigure Your App and Campaigns:
- Adapt apps to comply with ATT policies.
- Reset and rebuild ad campaigns around iOS 14/15 guidelines.
2. Prepare for Reduced Metrics:
- Expect lower reported conversions and altered attribution windows.
- Educate internal teams and clients about these changes to set expectations.
3. Focus on Customer Loyalty:
- Create high-value touchpoints to encourage users to opt-in voluntarily.
- Provide superior experiences and personalized value.
4. Diversify Your Marketing Mix:
- Invest more in intent-driven platforms like search.
- Emphasize email marketing and media channels using first-party data.
- Increase focus on customer lifetime value (CLV) instead of immediate acquisition.
5. Explore Apple’s Advertising Solutions:
- Apple’s privacy moves hint at an emerging internal ad ecosystem.
- It might be time to consider running campaigns directly through Apple.
Final Thoughts
Apple’s privacy updates aren’t a passing trend—they’re a sign of things to come. As users demand more control over their data, marketers must adapt, rethink their strategies, and invest in sustainable, permission-based marketing approaches.
The digital landscape has shifted. Your move, Google.
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