What the Apple IDFA Announcement Means for Marketers

apple iOS 14 update

Apple announced in their conference yesterday that the iOS 14.5 update will go into effect next week, sending many marketers and advertisers into panic mode.

How can marketers and advertisers target consumers effectively once iOS 14.5 is implemented? Is there a better solution for companies to know that they are making the most for every ad dollar spent?

We have the answers. Let’s dive in…

What’s Included in the iOS 14.5 Update?

The iOS 14.5 update will include its new privacy framework, AppTrackingTransparency (ATT). Once downloaded, ATT will require all apps to obtain users’ permission before tracking their data across third-party apps and websites. Individuals will be presented with a pop-up screen where they can either grant apps permission to track their data or opt-out of all tracking.

Consumers will also be able to see which apps have requested permission to track their data and make changes as needed. This means that advertisers will only have access to iOS users’ IDFAs (Identifier for Advertisers) from those who have opted in. 

Apple also stated that they are prepared to remove apps from the app store if they do not comply.

Impact on Marketers and Advertisers

Based on polls conducted by Apple, only 20-40% of consumers plan to opt-in to app data collection. This number is staggering and puts many big players like Facebook as well as smaller companies into a state of panic. If this number holds true, revenue for mobile app publishers will be cut by 50%.

It is important to note that this problem existed prior to Apple’s announcement yesterday. Advertising solely with third-party data has its gaps. In fact, only one-quarter of all digital ad spend ever reaches actual people.

When marketers are unsure if their messages are hitting real people, it impacts the entire digital ad industry, from small businesses to big agencies. Don’t be dismayed, however, there is a solution.

The Solution: Implement an Identity Resolution Strategy With a First-Party Data Provider

Meet the unsung hero that will ensure you reach REAL people and make the most of every ad dollar spent: Identity Resolution.

Identity resolution is a data management process through which an identity is analyzed between data sets to find a match. It’s a fancy way of saying that you can match a person’s offline persona (their ethically sourced PII data) with their online persona (mobile IDs, cookies, etc).

Mobile is only one of the many data sources first-party data providers use to connect online and offline data points to create a unique profile of each individual. First-party data providers use other data points such as an individual’s email address and postal address. Therefore, even if the provider does not have a user’s IDFA, they are confident in their ability to target that individual through numerous other identifiers.

Let’s take the example of BRIDGE CONNECT℠, our first-party consumer audience database that is accurate, timely, and complete. Unlike other data providers, we build each of our 250M profiles of real people starting with an individual’s email address.

All 250M people have also explicitly opted-in to the collection of specific data fields at the individual app level. This means we do not collect any data from people who opt out, and consumers can opt out at any time.

With BRIDGE CONNECT℠ , marketers and advertisers can remain confident that they will reach real people with accuracy and precision.

Apple’s IDFA update won’t change our ability to target real people because our data is 100% opt-in, permission-based, and ethically sourced. To learn more, fill out the form here.

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