UA Digest #7: What’s new this month?

Discover our User Acquisition Digest, your monthly update on the latest trends and news in mobile marketing and user acquisition!  

Integrated Conversion Measurement : A New Step Forward for iOS Campaign Tracking?

Google has launched Integrated Conversion Measurement (ICM), a new feature aimed at improving conversion tracking on iOS in a post-ATT environment, where visibility into performance remains partial.

ICM is based on the use of de-identified in-app events, processed directly on the user’s device (on-device conversion measurement). These events are then passed on to MMPs and integrated into their dashboards in real time. This setup allows advertisers to work around some of SKAdNetwork’s limitations, while staying fully compliant with privacy requirements.

Who is affected?

ICM is designed for two specific user segments whose tracking is currently highly restricted:

• iOS 14.5+ users who have declined ATT consent
• Android users located in the European Economic Area (EEA), where GDPR regulations also limit the use of personal data for advertising purposes

What does this mean for advertisers?

• Faster conversion tracking compared to SKAN, with better integration into existing attribution tools
• Finer analysis granularity, with the potential to break down performance by campaign, source, creative, or geographic area, depending on the technical setup
• More consistent performance insights across Android and iOS, helping unify campaign analysis

That said, ICM is not a return to post-ATT attribution as it existed before: data remains aggregated, post-view is still not available, and technical constraints continue to apply. However, it marks a significant improvement in visibility over a critical portion of iOS traffic.

Worth noting: activation is quick for advertisers already integrated with a compatible MMP (such as Singular, Adjust, Airbridge etc.)

More info here

Creative Strategy: 2025 Key Trends According to AppsFlyer

The 2025 edition of AppsFlyer’s State of Creative Optimization report is out. It analyzes the creative strategies of over 25,000 apps to identify what actually performs, amid rising ad fatigue, massive creative production, and a growing focus on long-term value.

Key takeaways:

• Just 2% of creatives still account for 53% of ad spend in gaming and 43% in non-gaming. However, their dominance is declining, showing that advertisers are shifting toward greater visual diversity.

• The number of creatives is skyrocketing, especially in non-gaming apps (+18% YoY), with an average of 2,365 creatives produced per quarter. Gaming still leads with 2,743 creatives (+8%).

• UGCs keep growing, but performance varies by format: testimonials work well for casual apps, while reviews and demos are more relevant for complex verticals.

• Platform type strongly impacts creative efficiency: short hooks perform better on ad networks, while emotional and narrative-driven formats stand out on social and search.

• Performance is no longer just about IPM: advertisers now cross-analyze IPM, retention, and ROAS to identify truly profitable creatives, even at low volumes.

A must-read report to refine your creative strategy, streamline testing, and boost performance in 2025. Read the full report.

Meta @ NewFronts 2025: Reels, AI, and Creators at the Core of New Ad Formats

At the IAB NewFronts, Meta unveiled several updates across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, aiming to boost ad effectiveness through short-form video, creators, and generative AI.

Key highlights:

• Reels Trending Ads

Meta is testing a new ad format that appears right after trending Reels, or within popular categories like beauty or sports. The model is inspired by TikTok Pulse and includes default brand safety filters.

• “Trends” Feature in Creator Marketplace

Meta is rolling out an AI-powered tool to identify trending Reels and recommend relevant creators. Trends can be filtered by topic, region, or time frame (24h, 7d, 30d).

• New API to Scale Creator Collaborations

Brands will soon be able to connect their tools directly to the Creator Marketplace API to search, filter, and activate creators at scale.

• More Flexible Partnership Ads

Brands can now choose to display the creator’s identity, the brand’s identity, or both. Meta is also testing Facebook Live Partnership Ads to promote sponsored live streams between brands and creators.

• Video Ads on Threads

Meta is beginning to test immersive video ad formats (16:9 or 1:1) with integrated CTAs on Threads. These ads will appear between organic posts.

• Generative AI for Video Creatives

With “Video Expansion”, Meta enables automatic adaptation of video ratios on Reels by filling in borders, making cross-format distribution easier without manual editing.

More info here

Snapchat @ NewFronts 2025: Automation, Native Formats, and Performance at the Core of the Strategy

At the IAB NewFronts, Snapchat unveiled several major updates to its advertising offer, with a strong focus on automation, conversion-driven formats, and creator integration. A clear move toward performance-oriented solutions.

Key highlights:

Smart Campaign Solutions (in alpha)

Snap is introducing a suite of automated tools powered by machine learning:

• Smart Bidding lets advertisers set a target CPA, which the algorithm aims to meet through real-time dynamic bid adjustments.
• Smart Budget automatically reallocates budget to the best-performing ad sets within a campaign.

A significant step toward scalable and automated UA campaign management.

Sponsored Snaps: Enhanced and Auction-Ready

 Snap’s existing Sponsored Snaps are evolving with three major updates:

• First Snap: a takeover format that appears for a full day at the top of the Chat Feed, the app’s most visited section.
• Ads auction integration: Sponsored Snaps can now be bought and optimized like any programmatic placement.
• Open to creators: influencers can now run Sponsored Snaps directly from their own accounts, adding more authenticity to the format.

Snap is continuing to strengthen its offering to meet key UA challenges: efficiency, automation, and scalable creative activation.

More info here