3 new ways to unlock iOS App campaign performance
For app marketers, engaging high-value iOS users presents a critical growth opportunity, especially considering that consumer spending in the App Store is up 24% year-over-year, according to app intelligence firm Appfigures. We’re releasing a series of updates to help marketers make the most of this opportunity, and improve their performance and measurement on iOS.
1. New ad formats to increase reach and engagement
A recent Ipsos survey found that Google and YouTube are used daily by 83% of global consumers. 1 Google’s App campaigns are designed to utilize this broad reach, helping advertisers connect with valuable iOS users on Search, YouTube and the Display Network.
On YouTube, for example, advertising on Shorts offers marketers the opportunity to tap into new audiences they may be missing on other platforms. In the U.S., 45% of YouTube Shorts viewers don't use TikTok and 65% don't use Instagram Reels, according to a recent survey. 2
To drive even greater engagement, we're enhancing our app ad formats across these channels. We’re expanding YouTube’s co-branded partnership ad format to App campaigns, which is now available for YouTube in-feed and Shorts app ads. Co-branded partnership ads offer a more visually engaging and authentic ad experience with YouTube creator partners to improve campaign performance. Additionally, on select AdMob inventory, playable ad formats can now be used as end cards after video ads to encourage increased interaction with viewers.
2. AI-powered bidding and creative tools for better results
Google AI is making App campaigns smarter, from the bidding phase to developing creative content. Fueled by the latest improvements to our AI-powered campaign models, target ROAS (return on ad spend) bidding is now available on iOS. This value-based bidding solution helps marketers more profitably acquire users and is already driving results for advertisers. For example, after adopting tROAS bidding, Uatas, an Indonesia-based lending app, achieved a 7% increase in ROAS compared to its historical iOS campaign performance.
We’ve also expanded our maximize conversion bidding strategy to App campaigns optimizing for in-app actions or a return on ad spend. This strategy uses Google AI to automatically set bids to get the most conversion volume for a campaign within a daily budget.
Beyond bidding, Google AI simplifies refining ad creatives. New video enhancements for App campaigns seamlessly adapt existing videos to fit different screen sizes and placements. Using our most advanced models, this solution can intelligently extend videos beyond their original frames or flip them while preserving key visual content. This helps improve campaign performance across YouTube’s diverse ad formats without any extra work.
3. Drive performance with privacy-centric measurement
In an evolving iOS landscape, reliable, privacy-preserving measurement is essential to maximize results and support smarter, faster decision-making. We've launched new capabilities to support this, including an expanded on-device conversion measurement solution, which uses de-identified app event data for improved campaign optimization and reporting. This unique technology protects user privacy, as user-identifying information never leaves the device. That means data is never disclosed externally, even to Google.
A key benefit of implementing this solution is that it unlocks access to integrated conversion measurement (ICM). This new offering provides more real-time, comprehensive and accurate attribution of iOS App campaign performance directly within third-party App Attribution Partner (AAP) reporting. Codeway, an AI-powered consumer app publisher, used Google’s ICM solution to unlock more precise measurement, observing a 6X increase in installs and an 80% lower cost per install in AAP reporting.
Our Google App campaign updates for iOS, paired with our best practices, give marketers the confidence and capabilities to drive high-value growth and succeed in a dynamic ecosystem.
