What does Apple’s rumored DSP mean for performance marketers?

Apple has been making waves in the digital advertising ecosystem over the last few years. First, the company ended IDFA app tracking last year. In September, Apple announced new ad placements in the app store, which could be available as soon as the Q4 holiday season.

Over the summer, Ronan Shields from Digiday wrote that Apple plans on rolling out a Demand-Side Platform (DSP). This is based on a job listing ad for a ‘senior manager’ ‘with ‘8+ years experience’ for the alleged DSP.

Apple digital advertising, part 1

At Creative Clicks, we remember Apple’s first digital ad solution, an in-app advertising platform launched in 2010 called iAd. Announcing the company’s mobile advertising efforts, co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs said that Apple would make mobile advertising better. Apple would serve interactive ads inside iPhone and iPad apps without forcing users to leave the app. The company invested in this ad offering by signing premium partners and offering 400+ targeting options. Ultimately, Apple only achieved a 5% share of the mobile ad market, according to eMarketer. In 2016, Apple closed its ad sales team selling in-app ads. The company continued with its self-service app store advertising… until now.

Apple digital advertising, part 2

Nowadays, based on the aforementioned rumors and announcements, it looks as if we’ve entered the second phase of Apple’s digital advertising (even though the company has offered app store ads for years).

One reason many have suggested for Apple’s re-entry into the ad market is the changing privacy environment. When Meta and Google could rely on tracking signals from app events, it would have been more difficult for Apple to challenge the market leaders. But currently, the leading platforms no longer have access to nearly unlimited user data (on Apple devices and later on Android devices).

But this might just be the tip of Apple’s advertising iceberg. From Apple TV to the Apple Car, the company has many advertising avenues. This could provide performance marketers with opportunities to engage, and convert users in the coming years.

So what does this mean for performance marketers?

A DSP enables Apple to offer advertisers an opportunity to programmatically bid on ad placements. With the new ad placements mentioned above, advertisers have more reasons to bid via Apple’s alleged DSP. 

In addition, following Apple’s end of app tracking, advertising performance on other platforms became more challenging due to the limited data. But within Apple’s platform,  the company can offer first-party data targeting. With Apple soon offering more ad units within the App store, there is more reason for the company to roll out a DSP, and enable marketers to beneit from Apple’s ad offering and first-party data.

First-party data through owned and operated sites

Creative Clicks has always understood the value of first-party data. That’s one of the reasons we run Owned and Operated sites in a range of verticals including Insurance and Health and Fitness. Through our owned and operated sites, we enable our marketing clients to benefit from all of the value of first-party data in intent-based content.

While we’re talking about Apple… Are you looking for ways to reach Apple device owners following the privacy changes implemented by the company? If so, reach out to Creative Clicks and let our Apple marketing experts enable you to achieve your iOS KPIs in 2022 and beyond.