# How will iOS 14 change the Digital Landscape? Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-02-15 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: Prepare for the Impact of iOS 14 Updates on Digital Marketing Meta Description: Learn how changes to iOS 14, like the reduced attribution window, will affect digital marketing strategies and how to prepare for the future in a cookieless URL: https://financedigest.com/how-will-ios-14-change-the-digital-landscapehtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/untitled-design-21-1736838569367-compressed.jpg) _By **Tim Hyde,** Founder and Director of Social Media Marketing Agency, TWH Media_ In an ever-changing landscape, marketers and digital businesses alike are forced to adapt with the times as new opportunities arise and existing strategies become redundant. Since starting my career 8 years ago at TheLADbible, the updates to iOS14 and the subsequent changes to ad platform attribution has been one of the most significant. As an example, in response to Apple releasing iOS 14, Facebook has changed its attribution window from 28days to 7days meaning that some advertisers have seen 50% [drop in recorded sales](https://www.financedigest.com/switzerlands-clariant-sees-slight-sales-drop-in-2023.html "Switzerland’s Clariant sees slight sales drop in 2023"), overnight. The changes in attribution, not just for Facebook, but across numerous mainstream platforms will have a huge [impact on advertising activity as it means there will be no way of tracking](https://www.financedigest.com/eye-tracking-study-confirms-that-high-impact-formats-outperform-standard-display.html "Eye-tracking study confirms that high impact formats outperform standard display") off-platform activity via third-party browser cookies. There will be no way of reaching consumers on a 1-1 basis across sites and apps if they don’t choose to opt in. This will make it very difficult for advertisers to target consumers on a personal level and even harder to measure the results of their [marketing activity](https://www.financedigest.com/rebound-in-the-oil-gas-exploration-and-production-activities-to-boost-mobile-servicing-rig-market-fact-mr-report.html "Rebound In the Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Activities to Boost Mobile Servicing Rig Market, Fact.MR Report"). The fallout from this is that there will be no way of attributing purchases made on advertisers’ sites to the ads served across the platform and, as a result, the implementation of the iOS 14 iPhone operating system update is likely to have a substantial impact across the [digital marketing](https://www.financedigest.com/the-global-digital-label-printing-market-will-grow-at-a-significant-cagr-throughout-2020-2030.html "The Global Digital Label Printing Market Will Grow At A Significant CAGR Throughout 2020-2030") network. Apple has a framework known as App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and with the implementation of the new iOS system, app [developers will have to notify users if they want to gather](https://www.financedigest.com/cosmetic-packaging-market-to-gather-traction-in-developing-countries-latest-insights-by-transparency-market-research.html "Cosmetic Packaging Market to Gather Traction in Developing Countries, Latest Insights by Transparency Market Research") their information, otherwise known as their IDFA. IDFA is Apple’s Identifier for Advertisers and is a persistent ID used by mobile devices which run an Apple [operating system](https://www.financedigest.com/robot-operating-system-market-is-witnessing-a-sustainable-growth-due-to-increase-in-demand-scrutinized-in-the-new-analysis.html "Robot Operating System Market is witnessing a Sustainable Growth Due to Increase in Demand Scrutinized in the New Analysis"). ![Tim Hyde](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/17-e1613387481872-1736838569303-compressed.jpeg) Tim Hyde Often used in tandem with cookies, the IDFA helps to create identity graphs for ad [targeting through tracking](https://www.financedigest.com/insurer-aviva-says-capital-return-and-costs-targets-on-track.html "Insurer Aviva says capital return and costs targets on track") behaviour. Moving forward, it will only be present if [consumers opt-in to give their consent to the advertiser to use their data](https://www.financedigest.com/power-to-the-people-how-consumers-are-calling-the-shots-when-it-comes-to-data-privacy.html "Power to the people: how consumers are calling the shots when it comes to data privacy") for advertising purposes. This will create a massive change for advertisers who have previously served [targeted ads to key audience](https://www.financedigest.com/automotive-ecu-market-size-analysis-top-players-target-audience-and-forecast-to-2026.html "Automotive ECU Market Size, Analysis, Top Players, Target Audience and Forecast to 2026") groups through the use of IDAF’s. They will no longer be able to effectively target consumers on Apple devices or have any way of measuring results. If iOS advertisers don’t prepare or ensure they have the right tools in place, they will have to use generalised messages served to a non-specific audience which will likely result in fewer installs and a less effective experience. How to prepare for these changes: - First off, assess how much affect the rollout of the iOS 14 system will have on your current marketing activity, and evaluate your [strategies keeping in mind](https://www.financedigest.com/minding-the-gap-the-importance-of-inclusive-financial-strategies-as-digital-currencies-rise.html "Minding The Gap: The importance of inclusive financial strategies as digital currencies rise ") how reliant you are on in-app advertising. - As an advertiser/digital marketer, one of the best [ways to prepare](https://www.financedigest.com/five-ways-businesses-can-prepare-themselves-for-the-digital-economy-be-kaler-pilgrim.html "Five ways businesses can prepare themselves for the digital economy – Be Kaler Pilgrim") for these changes is to make sure you are maximising your capture of user information. As other ID’s disappear, capturing emails and [phone numbers](https://www.financedigest.com/your-phone-number-on-google-search-giant-now-takes-removal-demands.html "Your phone number on Google? Search giant now takes removal demands") will be critical to targeting consumers. - Make a [move towards](https://www.financedigest.com/the-biopesticides-market-to-move-towards-constructive-advancements.html "The Biopesticides Market To Move Towards Constructive Advancements") Media mix modelling. As an analysis technique, it allows marketers to measure the [impact](https://www.financedigest.com/railway-bearing-market-size-2021-key-manufacturers-industry-share-investment-opportunities-future-trends-market-impact-revenue-demand-and-analysis-by-forecast-2030.html "Railway Bearing Market Size 2021 Key Manufacturers, Industry Share, Investment Opportunities, Future Trends, Market Impact, Revenue, Demand and Analysis by Forecast 2030") of their marketing and advertising campaigns and allows marketers to hone their campaigns based on a variety of factors. It uses aggregate data and is therefore able to evaluate a wider range of channels, both traditional and digital. It will help you understand the true impact of your [spend in different advertising channels](https://www.financedigest.com/gamers-spend-twice-as-long-viewing-intrinsic-in-game-ads-compared-to-other-digital-channels-reveals-new-research-from-lumen-and-anzu.html "Gamers Spend Twice As Long Viewing Intrinsic In-Game Ads Compared To Other Digital Channels, Reveals New Research From Lumen and Anzu"). - Establish a new performance framework based on the new conversion window. Creating a performance matrix using existing data that measures both a 28-day and a 7-day window, you can calculate a [‘new normal’](https://www.financedigest.com/how-banks-can-triumph-in-the-new-normal.html "HOW BANKS CAN TRIUMPH IN THE ‘NEW NORMAL’") as to what a ‘good’ Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) should be – post iOS14. - Understand your [customer base better by using your first-party data](https://www.financedigest.com/solving-the-customer-experience-conundrum-how-fs-organisations-can-use-data-to-level-up.html "Solving the customer experience conundrum: How FS organisations can use data to level up") to create in depth, contextual profiles. In doing so, you will be able to share these profiles with both app and web publishers. These publishers collect data themselves and can therefore target the relevant [consumer groups](https://www.financedigest.com/ant-group-starts-to-differentiate-consumer-loan-business-jiebei-from-bank-loans.html "Ant Group starts to differentiate consumer loan business Jiebei from bank loans"). Although it’s still early days, we have found that scaling horizontally, through multiple adverts at a lower daily spend, has been more consistent from a performance perspective while the Facebook algorithm begins to re-learn, as it has less data-points to work from. The true impact of the impending launch of the iOS 14 system on digital marketing is yet to be felt, but it is worth getting your head around it if you want to ensure that you can keep your strategies in-line with the [changes and build them around more reliable first-party data](https://www.financedigest.com/data-centres-and-the-changing-financial-trading-landscape.html "Data centres and the changing financial trading landscape") so that you can keep delivering personal and effective experiences which are specific to a segmented audience. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---