TRAFFIC
“If after a mobile web
product relaunch there is
a spike in cross-device
conversions, this may
indicate that users are
aborting the mobile web
experience due to product
failures. Insights such
as these can be hugely
beneficial to operators.”
Clearly, the viewpoints expressed above
rest on the principle of, at the minimum,
unified ad serving and thus reporting and
attribution. However, it is increasingly the
case that not all ad technology is made
equal, and in today’s market, only a few
obvious choices exist. Broadly speaking,
cross-device attribution is achieved in two
ways. Via mapped UID data, typically in
the possession of large global networks
commanding login access such as
Facebook, allowing Facebook to assign
multiple devices to singular users based on
their login behavior, essentially allowing
for conversion reporting that is interlinked
to a UID only. Alternatively, other global
ad technology and online utility providers,
primarily Google and associated entities,
can cross-device-map based on scaled
deterministic datasets with high probability,
using elements such as login, behaviour,
and location etc. to form a rich data-led
understanding of user behaviour. Far from
coincidentally, the aforementioned Google
and Facebook both own ad technology
products, DoubleClick and Atlas, that
power cross-device attribution based on
the huge datasets respectively available to
them. Google and Facebook are now the
dominant ad technology vendors globally,
Facebook being of particular interest based
42
iGB Affiliate Issue 55 FEB/MAR 2016
on how quickly they were able to translate
their data into ad technolog y value via the
acquisition of Microsoft’s Atlas.
Although both formidable data giants,
Facebook likely lags in terms of available
data, whereas Google, via its virtually
universal online reach, is probably a
more robust core solution. That said, it’s
plausible that large operators would use
both in parallel, however aiming to rely on
“One might argue that in
less competitive times the
need for media optimization
coupled with heavy
reliance on affiliates was
unnecessary. This is no
longer the case.”
DoubleClick to overlay Atlas’s data depth.
Of course this may change over time,
depending on the data richness of assets on
Facebook’s acquisition horizon.
Of course, apart from media
optimization and efficiency, cross-device
attribution also has an important part to
play in product optimization. By way of
example, if after a mobile web product
relaunch there is a spike in cross-device
conversions, this may indicate that users
are aborting the mobile web experience
due to product failures. Again, and in an
increasingly competitive iGaming sector,
insights such as these can be hugely
beneficial to operators looking to secure a
high as possible percentage share of wallet.
Broadly speaking, the opportunity for
iGaming operators to adopt best-in-class ad
technology, and specifically device agnostic
customer data, is significant. Consequently,
operators preparing for the next phase in
development with antiquated technology
and practices are doomed to fail.
ALISTAIR ALBERS is
Head of Trading and
Partnerships for The
Media Image. Alistair’s
background stretches nearly
10 years in display media,
across ad technology, sales and ad
operations, for organizations including
ad networks, agencies and
trading desks.