Here’s a quick look back at some important Kochava updates from April.  

In this post, we’ll unpack more detail on the following: 

• SKAdNetwork 4.0 support 
• Reminder for SKAN integrated partners
• Samsung Install Referrer
• Human-readable keywords for Apple Search Ads 
• New and updated partner integrations

In April, Kochava launched full support for the 4th generation of SKAN. Check out our official announcement and the SKAdNetwork 4.0 Prep Checklist that will walk you through the necessary implementation steps. We encourage all clients with iOS apps measured via Kochava to consult the checklist and connect with their client success manager, or support@kochava.com with any questions.  

To learn more about Kochava’s SKAN solutions, visit https://www.kochava.com/skadnetwork-solutions/.

The Kochava Integrations team continues proactive outreach to networks in the Kochava SKAdNetwork Certification Partner Program regarding required updates to send the new source identifier. Please contact Integrations@Kochava.com with any questions. 

If you’re an ad network, DSP, or publisher supporting SKAdNetwork and have not yet joined our SKAdNetwork Certification Partner Program, please visit this support documentation or reach out to Integrations@Kochava.com.

Please see the ‘Samsung Galaxy Store’ section in this support document for instructions on implementing support in your app(s). Install referrer data can be leveraged to more accurately attribute conversions on app installs where the installer package originates from the Samsung Galaxy Store, as opposed to the Google Play Store. 

For more information, please contact your client success manager or email support@kochava.com.

In our March update, we touched on the release of a significant update to our Apple Search Ads (ASA) integration that supports the retrieval of human-readable keywords from Apple’s ASA Campaign Management API. While many other MMPs charge incrementally for this feature, it’s included out-of-the-box for clients on our Advanced or Enterprise tiers. To enable this feature today for any iOS apps you measure with Kochava, please follow the steps outlined in this support document. Once activated, you will begin to see keyword names alongside the keyword IDs.

NOTE: If you use Free App Analytics® or our Foundation plan and would like to learn more about this feature, please contact Support@Kochava.com for upgrade options.

Below is a list of new partners that completed a first-time integration with Kochava in the month of April, as well as current partners that deployed updates to their existing integrations. 

New integrated partners:

Integrated partner updates:

If you’re an ad network, DSP, or other partner looking to integrate with Kochava, please contact Integrations@Kochava.com. 

For a list of all integrated networks and publishers, click here.

If you have any questions regarding these updates, please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com. 

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As Kochava kicks off Q2, let’s take a look back at some important product updates to round out the last month of Q1.  

In this post, we’ll unpack more detail on the following: 

• Human-readable keywords for Apple Search Ads 
• SKAdNetwork 4.0 prep checklist
• SKAdNetwork 4.0 updates for integrated network partners
• View-through reengagement update
• New and updated partner integrations

Do you spend on Apple Search Ads (ASA)? 

Kochava is excited to release a significant update to our ASA integration support that now retrieves and populates human-readable keywords from Apple’s ASA Campaign Management API. 

The shift from human-readable keywords to numerical IDs started when ASA began migrating from the longstanding iAd framework to the newer AdServices framework for ASA attribution, starting with iOS 14.3. The granular transparency of keyword detail marketers had been accustomed to within their MMP reporting for ASA became limited on the new AdServices framework. This left marketers performing spreadsheet Olympics trying to cross-check keyword IDs against their actual meanings. While attribution still continued under the iAd framework for some time after the AdServices framework was introduced, the iAd framework was formally deprecated on February 7th, 2023, leaving all ASA attribution flowing solely through the AdServices framework. 

The result of our ASA integration update is performance reporting that’s more approachable and streamlined – giving you back the human-readable keyword intel that saves you the time and headache of trying to match numerical IDs to their meanings. 

Keyword name will also be visible in Kochava Analytics for filtering, splitting, and/or grouping data visualizations. To leverage these data points in Analytics, simply look for ‘Partner Keyword’ under the ‘Attribution’ category.

To unlock human-readable keywords for the iOS apps you measure with Kochava, please follow the steps outlined in this support documentation. 

NOTE: This new feature is available for all clients on Advanced or Enterprise tiers. If you use Free App Analytics® or are on our Foundation plan, please contact Support@Kochava.com for upgrade options.

In our last post, we announced the launch of Kochava iOS SDK v7, which has built-in support for the SKAdNetwork 4.0 updates we will release later in April across the platform. We have now released a SKAdNetwork 4.0 Prep Checklist that walks you through the necessary implementation steps, as well as what to expect once our new SKAdNetwork 4.0 features are live in the dashboard. We encourage all clients with iOS apps measured with Kochava to consult this checklist and connect with their client success manager or support@kochava.com for any questions. 

The Kochava Integrations team continues proactive outreach to networks in the Kochava SKAdNetwork Certification Partner Program regarding required updates to send the new source identifier. We will need to receive this value in the parameter skad_source_identifier on all clicks and impressions. This can be manually added, or if partners have a macro for this, we can formally add it to your template. Please contact Integrations@Kochava.com with questions. 

If you’re an ad network, DSP, or publisher supporting SKAdNetwork and have not yet joined our SKAdNetwork Certification Partner Program, please visit this support documentation or reach out to Integrations@Kochava.com.

Impression-based reengagement has undergone live testing over the last month with clients who agreed to participate in our beta testing program. As the beta testing phase ends, expect more communication via email, dashboard alerts, and our blog on the steps you can take to activate this capability across any of your pre-existing apps, where it will be disabled by default on launch. After launch, all newly created apps will have view-through/impression-based reengagement enabled by default.

The Kochava Integrations team successfully processed 35 new partner integrations in March and deployed requested updates across a host of others. A highlight list is below. 

New integrated partners:

Integrated partner updates:

If you’re an ad network, demand-side platform, or other partner looking to integrate with Kochava, please contact Integrations@Kochava.com. 

For a list of all integrated networks and publishers, click here.

If you have any questions regarding these updates, please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com. 

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February witnessed the long-awaited return of the in-person Kochava Summit in beautiful Sandpoint, ID from February 14-16. We want to extend a special thanks to all guests in attendance  as well as our sponsors. 

Please visit Kochava.com/Summit/ to view the full agenda, access session content, read the Kochava Summit 2023 Trends Report, and/or join the waitlist for 2024.

Here are other big milestones from February that we’re excited to unpack in this update: 

• New iOS SDK with SKAdNetwork v4.0 support
• SKAdNetwork 4.0 updates for integrated network partners
• Machine Advertising acquisition and Always-On Incremental Measurement
• Android SDK updates related to the Samsung Galaxy Store
• Reminder on required Android SDK updates
• Reminder on iAd deprecation as of February 7th
• New and updated partner integrations

The march of progress continues on our roll-out of support for SKAdNetwork 4.0. In our last post, we touched on our updates to support the ingestion and reporting of postbacks sent for ads signed with SKAdNetwork 4.0 signatures encompassing the new source identifier with related partner campaign mapping. 

Now, we’re excited to announce the launch of Kochava iOS SDK v7 which has support built-in for the SKAdNetwork 4.0 updates we will be releasing later in April across the platform. Please coordinate with your app developers to review the iOS SDK documentation and schedule integration updates for your iOS apps ahead of our full production support roll-out. Having this updated iOS SDK in place will be a prerequisite to take advantage of SKAd 4.0’s new features and configurations in your Kochava account dashboard once they’re made available (e.g., coarse grained conversion values, multiple postbacks, lock window handling, etc.). The new SDK is fully backward compatible with prior versions of SKAdNetwork and early integration will not impact existing SKAdNetwork functionality.

Please keep in mind that your ad network partner(s) will need to first support signing ads with v4.0, as the ad signature is the catalyst for 4.0 postbacks. Contact your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com for questions.

To stay in-the-know on other upcoming SKAdNetwork support updates, please subscribe to our newsletter.

The Kochava Integrations team has initiated proactive outreach to networks in the Kochava SKAdNetwork Certification Partner Program regarding required updates to send the new source identifier. We will need to receive this value in the parameter skad_source_identifier on all clicks and impressions. This can be manually added, or if partners have a macro for this, we can formally add it to your template. Please contact Integrations@Kochava.com with questions. 

If you’re an ad network, DSP, or publisher supporting SKAdNetwork and have not yet joined our SKAdNetwork Certification Partner Program, please visit this support documentation or reach out to Integrations@Kochava.com.

Do you have interest in integrating incrementality and marketing mix modeling (MMM) into your media strategy planning? You’re not alone, but like most other marketers you’ve probably found it’s too cumbersome and complicated. Kochava sees that barrier to entry as one of THE problems in the ad tech industry today. We believe incrementality and MMM should be simple and approachable.

In February, Kochava acquired Machine Advertising. You can read the exclusive on VentureBeat here. Founder & CEO, Gary Danks, spoke at the Kochava Summit, highlighting the shifting landscape of advertising in this privacy-first age and why their Always-On Incremental Measurement (AIM) platform is a next-generation approach to MMM.

Google is working toward its enforcement deadline relating to the updated Google Play policy that prohibits collection of both the ADID and Android ID in tandem. If you’re measuring Android apps with Kochava and have any apps leveraging an Android SDK version that’s less than v3.11, please update your integration ASAP to use version 3.11 or higher.

As always, we recommend being on the most recent SDK version to include all of the latest features and capabilities.

If you have an app in distribution using an SDK version older than 3.11, you may receive, or have already received, messaging from Google Play on this matter. Feel free to contact your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com if you need help running a check across your Android apps. 

In addition, you may read this prior blog post related to Google’s update policy.

In late December, Apple advised that it was going to deprecate the iAd framework for Apple Search Ads (ASA) on February 7th, 2023. If you have not already upgraded your Kochava iOS SDK to a version that enables ASA attribution via the new AdServices framework, then you’re no longer compatible to receive attribution on your ASA campaigns. Please make required SDK updates ASAP. The minimum Kochava iOS SDK version with AdServices support is v4.4.0. 

Please see this prior post for more information related to Kochava support for the AdServices framework.

The Kochava Integrations team successfully processed 32 new partner integrations in January and deployed requested updates across a host of others. A highlight list is below. 

New integrated partners:

Integrated partner updates:

If you’re an ad network, demand-side platform, or other partner looking to integrate with Kochava, please contact Integrations@Kochava.com. 

For a list of all integrated networks and publishers, click here.

If you have any questions regarding these updates, please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com. 

Stay up-to-date with the latest news by subscribing to our newsletter.

Welcome to 2023! The new year has started off strong with exciting updates and advancements. We’re thrilled to continue building upon what we accomplished last year. If you need a refresher on where we ended 2022, check out the EOY product updates here. Stay tuned for more improvements in the year ahead!

In this product update, we will touch on the following: 

• SKAdNetwork v4.0 postback support
• Google App campaigns for pre-registration 
• Necessary Android SDK updates
• View-through re-engagement support coming soon
• iAd deprecation coming February 7th
• Leveraging your MMP data with Search Ads Maven’s Scripted Automation
• New and updated partner integrations

Let’s unpack further details on each item below.

Kochava now supports data ingestion of SKAdNetwork 4.0 postbacks with data being accessible in Kochava Query. If you’re sprinting for early adoption of SKAdNetwork 4.0 and will be using a server-to-server integration approach where you’re mapping your own conversion models, lock windows, etc., Kochava will receive and surface all of the new data fields – ensuring no data loss. Please keep in mind that your ad network partner(s) will need to first support signing ads with v4.0, as the ad signature is the catalyst for 4.0 postbacks. Contact your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com for questions.

To stay in-the-know on other upcoming SKAdNetwork support updates, please subscribe to our newsletter. 

Kochava now supports Google’s App Campaigns for pre-registration. App campaigns for pre-registration enable marketers to drive proactive excitement for an app or game before its official launch – generating an early install base that gives user acquisition for new titles an immediate bump. Once your app or game is live and installs begin, Kochava’s integration with Google allows for install attribution back to these pre-registration ads. You can find the results from this new Google Ads campaign type in both Kochava Query and Reporting (when “include SAN claim data” is  part of the requested report).

Please note that this is a newer campaign type that’s not yet available to all advertisers, so be sure to ask your Google account representative about your options for early access. To learn more about the requirements, benefits, and best practices for this campaign type, visit this Google help article. 

For any questions, reach out to your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com.

Google is working toward its enforcement deadline relating to the updated Google Play policy that prohibits collection of both the ADID and Android ID in tandem. If you’re measuring Android apps with Kochava and have any apps leveraging an Android SDK version less than v3.11, please update your integration ASAP to use version 3.11 or higher.

As always, we recommend being on the most up-to-date SDK version to include all of the latest features and capabilities.

If you have an app in distribution using an SDK version older than 3.11, you may receive, or have already received, messaging from Google Play on this matter. Feel free to contact your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com if you need help running a check across your Android apps. 

In addition, you may read this prior blog post related to Google’s update policy.

Kochava product and engineering teams are in the final stages of testing and rolling out support for view-through attribution on re-engagement campaigns. Kochava has long supported click-through attribution for re-engagement campaigns, but this marks a major expansion of performance visibility where impressions can now be attributed to any post-install event designated as a conversion on your re-engagement trackers. 

A number of clients are about to begin testing this new functionality in beta phase, with a full production release and general availability set for March. Please be on the lookout for additional email communications related to updated control settings at the app level within your account. Due to the potential for view-through attribution on re-engagement campaigns to greatly increase attributed conversion volumes, this feature will be auto-defaulted to ‘off’ on any existing app within your account. This means you will have full control of whether or not to activate impression-based re-engagement on each of your existing apps. After the full production release, newly created apps will have the app-level feature auto-defaulted to “on”.

In late December, Apple advised that it will be deprecating the iAd framework for Apple Search Ads (ASA) on February 7th, 2023. If you have not already upgraded your Kochava iOS SDK to a version that enables ASA attribution via the new AdServices framework, please do so ASAP. The minimum Kochava iOS SDK version with AdServices support is v4.4.0. 

Please see this prior post for more information related to Kochava support for the AdServices framework.

You can now tap into your MMP data and drive unlimited potential for ASA campaign automation. Remember that ASA, unlike most other super publishers, does not support post-install event postbacks to be used for app event optimization. As such, any optimization you may want to do based on how certain keywords drive lower funnel performance outcomes, is a manual and painstaking process – UNLESS you have a way to automate it. 

In January, the Search Ads Maven team added Scripted Automation. It’s a breakthrough tool that puts marketers in the driver’s seat to create tailored automation rules for the optimization of ASA keyword bidding. Unlike basic automation rules, Scripted Automation has no limits or barriers based on predefined triggers, filters, or action types. The sky is literally the limit.

While a keyword may seem to perform well based on total taps and installs, it may severely underperform in driving a brand’s main key performance indicators, which happens after an install. As an example, a major fintech company built a trigger around their max tap-to-action cost where the desired action is a registration as measured through Kochava (not just an app install). When the tap-to-action cost exceeds a specified amount, let’s say, $15.00, they can auto-decrease the keyword spend and re-allocate it to keywords where the tap-to-action cost is within their desired range. Previously, the marketing team had to do this manually. Now, this process can be fully automated and always-on. 

If you’re spending at any volume on ASA and would like a quick consultation to understand the time-savings and spend optimization Scripted Automation could provide, contact your Client Success Manager, email Support@Kochava.com, or directly request a demo.

The Kochava Integrations team successfully processed 76 new partner integrations in January and deployed requested updates across a host of others. A highlight list is below.

New integrated partners:

Integrated partner updates:

If you’re an ad network, demand-side platform, or other partner looking to integrate with Kochava, please contact Integrations@Kochava.com. 

For a list of all integrated networks and publishers, click here.

If you have any questions regarding these updates, please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com. 

Stay up-to-date with the latest news by subscribing to our newsletter.

As we wrap up 2022, the holidays are on everyone’s mind and freezing temperatures are ushering in the year-end code freeze.

In this final product update post for 2022, we will touch on the following: 

• Announcing Kochava’s SKAdNetwork 4.0 support roadmap
• Measure your Criteo spend with Kochava Cost 
• Miscellaneous platform updates
• New and updated partner integrations

Let’s unpack further details on each item below.

Here at Kochava, we’re excited to support the next generation of Apple’s SKAdNetwork. Due to the changes Apple introduced in v4.0, we sit at an opportune moment to reimagine and reinvigorate how advertisers integrate and capitalize on what SKAdNetwork has to offer. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to watch our webinar series on SKAdNetwork 4.0 featuring our CTO and Head of Product. The webinars cover key themes and concepts that will factor prominently into our support approach. You can access and watch both webinars on demand here. 

Adoption curves of prior SKAdNetwork versions, particularly the roll-out of v2.0 and later v3.0, make it clear that it will take the key supply-side players more time to adapt and begin signing ads with 4.0. As the graph below illustrates, adoption typically takes between 4-6 months before we see critical mass.

Additionally, the lion’s share of all SKAdNetwork-attributed conversion volume sits among a handful of key players. See the graph below, which shows over 85% of all volume is shared among four major super publishers.

We are in constant communication with both our supply-side partners and demand-side clients. From our early conversations with these primary partners on their planned timing for beginning to sign ads with v4.0, we intend to stage our support rollout accordingly. This balances the need to observe how the industry is using these additional data points (e.g., how source ID is behind defined) with ensuring our clients have the opportunity to leverage SKAdNetwork v4.0 functionality at the earliest practical application.

Here are the key waypoints in Kochava’s planned support roadmap for SKAdNetwork 4.0:

• PHASE 1 – EARLY Q1 2023
  • Update data ingestion to capture new v4.0-specific values (e.g., source identifier, coarse value [for early adopters using server-to-server (S2S) integration])

• PHASE 2 – Q1 2023
  • Updated iOS SDK available for early developer access to plan implementation and perform testing

• PHASE 3 – May 2023
  • Release of updated server-side controls to production
  • Official release of iOS SDK for use in production
  • New dashboard configuration controls for: conversion models, lock windows, coarse value mappings, etc.

• PHASE 4 – Remaining 2023
  • Fast-follow enhancements
    • Introduction of additional conversion models
    • New analytics visualizations
    • New iOS reporting layers
    • etc.

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know on important SKAdNetwork-related releases and updates. 

Kochava Cost has continued to expand its roster of supported partners since its release in Q1 2022. Criteo became the latest partner to be added in November.

Marketers running campaigns with Criteo can now measure and attribute conversions to those campaigns with Kochava and connect with Criteo’s cost API to pull in highly detailed spend data. This provides the most seamless data flow for calculating an accurate return on ad spend in one dashboard.

To leverage Kochava Cost for Criteo or many other ad networks and super publishers, including Facebook, Google, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, Liftoff, Apple Search Ads, and more, reach out to your Client Success Manager or email Support@Kochava.com. 

A number of updates and enhancements were deployed throughout the dashboard, including: 

• Optimization of the Event Detail view within analytics to address occasional discrepancies between the figures in data visualizations versus analytics data exports.
• Updates to Kochava Audiences to refine how analytics event-based filters impact audiences that are saved or exported from analytics views.
• New exception handling for Snapchat’s audience API when logging in from Kochava Audience’s tool to authenticate an account for audience syndication and activation.

The Kochava Integrations team successfully processed 53 new partner integrations and deployed requested updates across a host of others. A highlight list is below. 

New integrated partners:

Integrated partner updates:

If you’re an ad network, demand-side platform, or other partner looking to integrate with Kochava, please contact Integrations@Kochava.com. 

For a list of all integrated networks and publishers, click here.

Do you have any questions regarding these updates? Please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com. 

Stay up-to-date with the latest news by subscribing to our newsletter.

In the upper Pacific Northwest at Kochava’s HQ in the beautiful resort town of Sandpoint, the cold and snow came almost as suddenly as Apple’s release of iOS 16.1 and SKAdNetwork 4.0. Thankfully, though, neither the snow nor Apple’s news was unwelcome, and we can begin to prepare for more updates that will undoubtedly materialize in the near future.

In this product update, we will touch on the following: 

• iOS 16.1 and SKAdNetwork 4.0
• General platform updates
• Google Marketing Platform integration
• New and updated partner integrations

Let’s unpack further details on each item below.

On October 24th, Apple’s release of iOS 16.1 brought  forth SKAdNetwork 4.0 with new updates and details related to:

• Restrictions on attribution support for web ads
• Conversion postback configurability and delays
• Crowd anonymity tiers
• And more

With Xcode 14.1 released in early November, our developers are working on an updated iOS software development kit (SDK) to fully support advertisers on the next iteration of SKAdNetwork. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on SDK releases and guidance on any next steps you need to take.

If you are looking for more information on SKAdNetwork 4.0, read our recently published blog.

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed with the latest iOS and SKAdNetwork updates.

Kochava Cost continues to support more media partners each month. In October, Tapjoy joined the list of integrations with our cost aggregation tool. Learn more about Cost and all of its integrations on our support documentation.

You may have noticed the streamlined left-hand navigation with spacing minimization allowing more area for our ever-expanding menu of platform tools.

Lastly, there have been numerous updates and various enhancements to our library of SDKs. Find the latest SDKs HERE. If you have any questions about your current integrated SDK version and whether you need to upgrade, reach out to your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com.

In October, we rolled out a big update to the GMP DV360 and CM360 integration and are now passing dynamic uVars or custom floodlight variables that advertisers can use across over-the-top (OTT) and mobile campaigns to pass meta data, such as show and episode titles, custom IDs and more. uVars can be populated dynamically and will surface in the GMP dashboard for reporting purposes and applications for remarketing segmentation. Learn more from our related support documentation here.

The Kochava Integrations team successfully processed 40 new partner integrations in October and deployed requested updates across a host of others. A highlight list is below.

If you’re an ad network, demand-side platform, or other partner looking to integrate with Kochava, please contact Integrations@Kochava.com. 

For a list of all integrated networks and publishers, click here.

If you have any questions regarding these updates, please contact your Client Success Manager or email support@kochava.com. 

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