Apple recently announced iOS 17, a significant update introducing enhanced security measures and greater user anonymity. While this is undoubtedly a positive step for user privacy, it presents challenges for advertisers relying heavily on customer tracking to deliver personalised and targeted advertising content. In this article, we will explore the implications of iOS 17 on tracking capabilities and discuss the growing importance of 3rd party tracking platforms for marketing managers.
With iOS 17, Apple is hiding UTMs and query strings from advertisers, directly impacting UTM tracking. This change will make it more difficult for advertisers to gather valuable insights into customer behaviour and campaign performance. As a result, marketing managers need to explore alternative solutions to maintain a detailed view of their brand’s digital marketing activities.
This is where 3rd party tracking platforms come into play. These platforms rely on 1st party data for tracking customers, providing advertisers with the means to overcome the limitations imposed by Apple’s security measures. By utilising these platforms, marketers can still gather data and gain valuable insights into their campaigns, ensuring they can continue to deliver effective and targeted advertising content.
While focusing on enhancing security and protecting user anonymity, iOS 17’s Impact on tailored advertising cannot be ignored. Opted-in iOS users can expect fewer targeted ads from the brands they love and potentially more from random advertisers who need to be aligned with their interests. This shift in advertising dynamics could create challenges for marketers aiming to reach their desired audience effectively.
Introducing iOS 17 may also have consequences for small and emerging brands attempting to break into the e-commerce sphere. As the effectiveness of targeting iOS users diminishes, these brands may need help reaching their desired audience. Consequently, marketers may need to redirect their efforts towards targeting Android and Chrome users, as these platforms remain unaffected by the iOS changes.
In navigating the evolving landscape of digital advertising, the value of 3rd party tracking and attribution platforms cannot be overstated. These platforms allow marketers to gain insights into the effectiveness of multifaceted and multi-channel campaigns. By tying actual sales to every step of the customer journey and relying on 1st party data, advertisers can make informed decisions regarding budget allocation, campaign optimisation, and maximising retailer results.
Wicked Report is a comprehensive solution for digital marketers among the top attribution tracking platforms available. Wicked Reports offers a holistic view of the Impact of various digital marketing campaigns by tying purchases to specific channels. Marketers can identify gaps in the sales funnel, optimise budget allocation, and make data-driven decisions to improve campaign performance.
In addition to Wicked Reports, there are several other noteworthy attribution tracking platforms that marketers should consider:
Tripple Whale: This Shopify-exclusive platform provides advanced tracking capabilities and comprehensive analytics to help marketers understand the effectiveness of their advertising efforts. With its user-friendly interface, Tripple Whale makes it easy to gain valuable insights into campaign performance.
Funnel.io: Funnel.io offers a powerful solution for consolidating data from various sources into a single dashboard. Marketers can quickly analyse and measure the effectiveness of their campaigns by centralising their data through Funnel.io.
As iOS 17 changes tracking capabilities, marketing managers must adapt and explore alternative solutions. By leveraging 3rd party tracking platforms and attribution tracking tools like Wicked Reports, Tripple Whale, and Funnel.io, advertisers can continue to gather insights, make data-driven decisions, and optimise their digital marketing campaigns.
