Putting privacy first with AppsFlyer and Snap’s Advanced SRN measurement solution

The evolving privacy landscape has reshaped the digital ad industry. The loss of signals that advertisers had relied upon led to unprecedented changes across the industry and meant advertisers no longer had a complete view of their marketing campaign performance and results. As a result, marketers have struggled to generate the same return on ad spend (ROAS) for their iOS campaigns, leading to reduced revenue and rising media costs.

Enter AppsFlyer and Snap, who joined forces to develop the Advanced SRN measurement solution. This innovative solution enables accurate attribution measurement, empowering advertisers to make optimal marketing decisions that drive profit in the privacy era. 

Let’s take a closer look at how Advanced SRN measurement transforms Snapchat campaign performance. 

Completing the iOS attribution puzzle with Advanced SRN  measurement 

Before we dive into Advanced SRN measurement and how it works, let’s quickly review the different types of media partner integrations and how AppsFlyer measures attribution for each

• A click network provides ad exposure data, such as clicks and impressions, contained in a URL for AppsFlyer to attribute conversions.      

• A traditional SRN, or Self-Reporting Network, is an ad network that advertises on its own platform. SRNs act as both publishers and ad networks and can, therefore, report their conversions internally. AppsFlyer then confirms the conversion data using a dedicated API. 
• An Advanced SRN is an enhancement of the standard SRN integration that offers increased measurement capabilities, in response to changing privacy updates such as the ATT framework. 

What about SKAdNetwork (SKAN)? While SKAN offers an alternative for iOS measurement, it’s important to consider the ecosystem’s needs for real-time signals to drive optimization and measure lifetime value (LTV). SKAN’s design, which includes delayed signals, presents challenges for advertisers seeking timely, actionable attribution data and granular campaign insights.

That’s where Advanced SRN measurement comes into play. Emerging as a complete solution, it provides advertisers with real-time signals to accurately attribute conversions to partners like Snap and fully measure LTV in a privacy-preserving manner.

Leveling up privacy-preserving measurement with AppsFlyer and Snap 

At AppsFlyer, we are dedicated to continually pushing the boundaries of data accuracy and privacy enhancement. Building on the foundation of our Advanced SRN solution, we’ve dedicated the past six months to further researching, testing, and implementing the perfect combination of our Advanced SRN solution with our proprietary Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), such as Data Clean Rooms and cryptographic solutions.

And Snap, since its inception, has fostered genuine connections between people, encouraging users to express themselves authentically with loved ones. This dedication resonates with AppsFlyer’s core mission, where achieving marketing excellence is inseparable from upholding user privacy.

Recognizing our shared values, Snap was quickly identified as the ideal candidate to pioneer the adoption of our unique Advanced SRN integration based on PETs.

“We’re thrilled to elevate our partnership with Snap and launch this cutting-edge Advanced SRN measurement solution that reflects our joint commitment to privacy and measurement innovation. This collaboration exemplifies how customer privacy and powerful marketing insights can coexist, marrying the best of technology with the most stringent privacy standards.”

– Benjamin Cole, Senior Director of Global Partnerships, AppsFlyer

So how does it work? AppsFlyer and Snap’s Advanced SRN measurement solution involves two methods of attribution, depending on the end-user circumstances.

1. When a mobile advertising ID is present, conversions are attributed via the same method as the traditional SRN integration: AppsFlyer initiates a launch to Snap, and Snap in return, delivers attribution details via a dedicated API back to AppsFlyer.

2. Conversely, when devices lack a mobile advertising ID, attribution is performed based on Snap’s ad exposures and sent to AppsFlyer in an encrypted manner through a click URL. This unique blend of the advantages of Advanced SRN integrations combined with PETs provides advertisers with the best of both worlds, resulting in real-time attribution data, detailed data granularity, and enhanced long-term LTV measurement.

Once the attribution is done, advertisers can choose to enhance their optimization and reporting capabilities with the AppsFlyer Data Clean Room (DCR) solution.

How does Advanced SRN measurement help you as an advertiser? 

By incorporating cutting-edge Privacy-Enhancing Technologies, Advanced SRN measurement provides you with: 

• Real time attribution: More robust and accurate attribution in real time enables advertisers to make better, and timely budgeting decisions, to boost ROAS and reduce cost per install (CPI). 

• Stronger signals: Allowing for better optimization on Advanced SRN ad platforms like Snap. 
• Better iOS performance: Given iOS’s dominant 57% market share in North America and iPhone users’ higher spending habits, optimizing iOS campaigns is vital, even in markets where Android prevails.
• Highest standards of privacy: The standout benefit of our solution is, above all, user privacy. By leveraging advanced technologies such as Data Clean Rooms and encryption, we ensure that your data always remains secure and protected from unauthorized access, alteration, or compromise.

“Snap has always taken a privacy-centric approach to building performant solutions for advertisers. Our joint investment with AppsFlyer on Advanced SRN measurement builds on this philosophy where using privacy-enhancing technologies like Data Clean Rooms and advanced encryption has enabled advertisers to gain a better understanding of Snap’s performance within MMP attribution for their iOS campaigns.”

– Colin Yu, Product Manager, Snap Inc

The tangible impact of Advanced SRN measurement 

Let’s explore a hypothetical scenario to see how Advanced SRN measurement with Snap is able to provide complete measurement for advertisers in a privacy-preserving way.

Imagine you are a mobile fashion retailer who has just launched a targeted ad campaign on Snapchat to promote your new summer collection. In anticipation of a surge in in-app purchases, you’ve crafted a set of vibrant, enticing ads to draw in style-savvy Snapchatters using an iOS device. Your efforts pay off, with a dozen purchases made directly through engaging with your ads. 

However, looking closer at the analytics, you observe that only five out of these 12 in-app purchases appear in the AppsFlyer dashboard as attributed to Snapchat. Those five purchases were made by Snapchatters who “consented to be tracked” via ATT both in your mobile app and in Snapchat while the missing seven were made by Snapchatters who did not provide their consent in both. This gap prevents you from understanding campaign performance, as you lack data on the number of converters from your Snapchat campaign. Consequently, you cannot accurately calculate your true ROAS.

Now, imagine you are launching your next major campaign on Snapchat to promote your chic fall collection, only this time, Advanced SRN measurement is in full effect. Once again, your creative prowess pays off and 12 purchases are made as a direct result of your ads on Snapchat. 

Finally, AppsFlyer’s measurement analytics tell the full story as all 12 purchases are properly attributed to Snapchat. The Advanced SRN measurement solution allowed AppsFlyer to measure attribution for purchases without the need for measuring opt-ins, using sophisticated models based on broader engagement indicators to properly credit Snapchat. All 12 purchases, including those made by Snapchatters who did not opt into Apple’s ATT, emerged clearly in the dashboard to enable more robust ROAS reporting. 

Let’s move beyond the hypothetical and talk about real numbers.

An early comparison of pre and post-launch periods showcases the significant impact of Advanced SRN measurement on key metrics for advertisers. According to AppsFlyer data, iOS apps advertising on Snapchat saw a 158% increase in measured Snapchat iOS conversions and a 41% decrease in CPI.

The impact of Advanced SRN measurement strengthens over time. When analyzing performance data comparing Q4 2022 and Q4 2023, AppsFlyer observed a 50% reduction in CPI and a 300% increase in the proportion of Snapchat iOS installs relative to total AppsFlyer installs. These results capture the tangible benefits of Advanced SRN measurement, equipping advertisers with an accurate and comprehensive view of their marketing campaigns while prioritizing privacy.

Advanced SRN measurement in the real world

Let’s take a look at some real-world examples of advertisers who have experienced significant improvement in their campaign performance as a result of Advanced SRN measurement.   

inDrive: 

With Advanced SRN measurement, ride-sharing app inDrive saw major improvements in its performance on Snapchat, observing CPI drop by 86% and a massive 273% increase in installs on iOS.  

Ladbrokes:

When compared with previous iOS campaigns, AppsFlyer and Snap’s Advanced SRN measurement solution resulted in significant improvements for eSports betting company Ladbrokes. Cost Per Deposit (CPA) has reduced by 66% compared to pre-Advanced SRN measurement, making it 30% more cost-effective than Android and 86% more affordable than Web. ROI on iOS is now 348% higher than web and 572% higher than on Android and CPMs have witnessed a notable decrease of 57%.

“Our partnership with Snapchat and AppsFlyer has been a journey of shared success. Their commitment and expertise in strategy, measurement, and campaign management have been instrumental, not only in restoring our iOS app activity but also in gaining a competitive advantage. We look forward to continuing working together and delivering exceptional experiences to our customers on Snapchat.”

– Teresa Rebelo, Head of Paid Media, Entain

A major, multinational fast-food chain:  

With Advanced SRN measurement, the brand saw CPI efficiency improve by 93% and the install rate increase by 20X within 30 days, according to AppsFlyer data. Initially skeptical that these results seemed too good to be true, the team requested validation from Snap and AppsFlyer, both of which confirmed the data’s accuracy. 

Who is Advanced SRN measurement for? 

All app marketers who utilize AppsFlyer’s robust reporting as their source of truth across platforms and those who combine SKAN and AppsFlyer attribution into their BI systems can capitalize on Advanced SRN measurement for Snapchat. Advertisers integrated with AppsFlyer and advertising on Snapchat automatically benefit from this solution for click-through conversions. 

Advanced SRN measurement is particularly advantageous when combined with SKAN data, as it synergizes with AppsFlyer’s Single Source of Truth (SSOT) solution to deliver a holistic overview of app campaign effectiveness. This synergy is especially transformative for iOS due to the limitations on IDFA imposed by ATT. 

Advanced SRN measurement enhances SSOT, making it the most complete and accurate view available to advertisers. The powerful synergy allows advertisers to harness complete and accurate attribution measurement that respects user privacy while simultaneously delivering granular insights for optimizing campaigns and maximizing ROAS.

Paving the way towards a more transparent and private future  

In today’s digital advertising landscape where privacy is paramount, AppsFlyer’s Advanced SRN measurement solution with Snap is propelling the industry toward a future where accurate attribution, holistic campaign insights, and granular data analysis don’t have to come at the expense of user privacy. 

The collaboration between AppsFlyer and Snap reflects a shared dedication to improving the mobile advertising space for everyone, providing advertisers with comprehensive measurement solutions, enabling ad networks to optimize effectively, and enhancing the overall digital journey for users. As a product of this strategic alliance, Advanced SRN measurement represents a decisive step in assembling the disconnected measurement puzzle, ensuring advertisers have the clarity they need without compromising the privacy that users deserve.