In our final part of the series, we explore the importance of building durable, AI-ready measurement foundations across the ecosystem - with Nick Norton, app sales manager, Google, sharing two key actions specific to apps.
Building a future-fit, durable measurement strategy doesn’t stop on the web. As more and more eyes and attention dollars shift towards mobile apps, marketers mustn’t forget the importance of viewing measurement through the lens of the whole ecosystem.
“When it comes to building durable measurement foundations, marketers need to start thinking about everywhere they are running ads and bring that into decision making to ensure the steps they are making apply across the whole ecosystem to set themselves up for success in the years to come,” says Nick Norton, app sales manager, Google.
Within the broader framework, there are two key steps that advertisers in the European Economic Area (EEA) need to take to build a measurement foundation with Google that is in line with local regulations specific to apps.
“Marketers need to start thinking about everywhere they are running ads and bring that into decision making to ensure the steps they are making apply across the whole ecosystem to set themselves up for success in the years to come”
Nick Norton, app sales manager, Google
Step one: collecting app consent
Google will continue to require advertisers to collect user content. It’s important to note that this is not a new policy and has been a part of Google’s long standing EU User Consent Policy, which reflects the existing requirements and standards set out by laws and regulations.
The EEA consent banner is a regulatory requirement that reflects standards set up by the ePrivacy Directive and the GDPR and is fully customizable by the advertiser. This is different to Apple’s ATT banners (which are platform specific and not customizable).
The difference is that 80% of web advertisers already have consent banners implemented, compared to only 30% of app advertisers - which is why it’s important to make these updates now. This step can be done either in-house, or Google has partnerships in place with 15+ CMP partners (with more on the way) who - on top of supporting users’ consent collection - help share consent signals with Google.
“The difference is that 80% of web advertisers already have consent banners implemented compared to only 30% of app advertisers”
“By early March 2024, audience lists which lack consent signals will start degrading. To protect these campaigns, advertisers that use audiences need to take action. Depending on which solutions you use, you may need to take several sets of actions”
Nick Norton, Google
Step two: passing consent signals
The second step is focused on how this consent is communicated to Google. That involves confirming to Google that user consent has been collected by sharing opt-in user consent signals for both audiences and measurement with Google’s tools.
The workflow system is essentially the same - but there are some nuances to consider. Where on the web, consent mode adjusts the behavior of tags on the website to enable audience modeling, the equivalent for apps is a software development kit (SDK) implemented into an app, adjusted through consent mode to determine the data collection in the same way it does on the web to power the modeling.
App advertisers primarily have two types of data: online data, collected through a SDK, or offline measurement data, through app conversion tracking and Customer Match. For online data (measurement and audiences) measured through Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the solution is to pass consent to Google through the new upgraded version of consent mode, available for apps.
The other type of online data specific to apps is Aggregated Advanced Privacy (AAP) SDK data - data tracked by third-parties - which requires a solution that is essentially the equivalent of GA4 SDK consent mode, but developed by AAPs. This is something Google is working with AAPs on so that each builds their own equivalent of consent mode - which should be ready and available in Q1.
Then there’s offline measurement. The action here is to update to the latest version of whatever API advertisers are using for offline measurement and pass consent signals through that. In the case of apps server-to-server (S2S), this is done through the apps conversion tracking API. For offline audiences - for example Customer Match - advertisers can either update the Google Ads API to pass consent signals through, or, if done manually, will require an in-UI attestation.
“By early March 2024, audience lists which lack consent signals will start degrading, affecting all app campaigns for engagement (ACe) campaigns and some app campaigns for installs (ACi) campaigns,” says Norton. “So to protect these campaigns, advertisers that use audiences need to take action. Depending on which solutions you use, you may need to take several sets of actions.”
A durable apps roadmap
“App developers in particular can be pretty squeezed for time, but it’s important to make the time to make these updates with teams,” says Norton. “That means working with product teams, development teams and legal teams to ensure you have the approvals and can plan ahead.”
Looking ahead to the future on the apps front, Google will continue to invest heavily in building out product enhancements and features for on device management, as part of the broader, durable measurement roadmap with an eye on Privacy Sandbox features coming to Android.
“App developers in particular can be pretty squeezed for time, but it’s important to make the time to make these updates with teams”
Nick Norton, Google
3 steps to get ready
Google’s Norton summarizes with three key actions specific to apps:
Review your consent workflows specifically for apps to ensure you are collecting user consent through EEA consent banners; and do this either in-house or via a Google Partner CMP.
Make sure to pass back consent for all use cases - including GA4, APP, Customer Match and S2S - and remember, if you use several of these features, you need to take several actions.
Don’t forget to prioritize ACe and ACi campaigns with audiences by March 2024.
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