iOS 14 is here. As part of the release, Apple is introducing changes that will impact how platforms receive and process information from tools like the Facebook pixel. While this may have varying impacts on brands who have been advertising on Facebook and Instagram, this release is a reminder of the importance of having and using third-party measurements for brands.*
Pixels, sometimes referred to as marketing pixels or tracking pixels, are tiny snippets of code used in websites and apps to track user behavior. They are often what power capabilities in the digital ecosystem like conversion reporting and audience retargeting. If you are running ads on Facebook, Instagram, Snap, Pinterest, or LinkedIn, then you’re likely using a pixel to obtain information on who is interacting with your ads and how they are doing so.
One particularly important aspect of Apple’s iOS 14 release is their introduction of a new opt-in data prompt to users. The downstream impact to Facebook/Instagram advertisers is that if people do not opt-in to this tracking, it will reduce the amount of data collected from the Facebook pixel.
How does the iOS 14 release impact brands?
Starting sometime in "early Spring," brands who depend on Facebook and Instagram as an advertising platform may begin seeing a decline in audience sizes collected by the Facebook pixel in their Facebook Ad Manager, as a percentage of iPhone users may opt-out to have the Facebook pixel collect data. How much decline and the impact of it for brands will vary on a case by case basis.
Although the data opt-in prompt will only affect Facebook and Instagram users on iOS devices, the changes Facebook is making to their ad platform like having only 8 priority events per domain will impact all users.
A Third-Party Source of Truth
It’s worth noting that the changes in iOS 14, in addition to many changes to come (including a cookieless internet in 2022), highlights the importance of third party measurements as a source of truth.
In other words, while social platforms like Facebook have data sets that rely on pixels to capture data, third-party measurement platforms like MikMak do not. As such, they are not impacted by these changes.
Similar changes will likely roll out to more social and digital platforms. As a result, the most accurate data set will be from third parties. Brands should increasingly lean on and monitor the performance of their campaigns on these dashboards as a source of truth, and to make informed budgeting and optimization decisions for their campaigns.
No matter if it is for iPhone on Facebook/Instagram today or another digital media platform tomorrow, brands should always have access to third-party measurements using data they own as a source of truth.
To learn more about MikMak’s eCommerce acceleration platform and how to capture, own, and leverage first party data, contact us today!
* Starting 2022, all major browsers will block third-party cookies, potentially impacting brands who heavily rely on tracking tools like IDFA and pixels to gather data used in targeting and measurement. This deprecation is part of a greater, ongoing, and worldwide shift toward consumer driven commerce. Check out our white paper on the deprecation of third-party tracking tools, consumer driven commerce, and what brands need to know here.
