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APPOCALYPSE NOW: MOBILE ADVERTISERS HAVE THEIR SAY ON PRIVACY-FIRST MARKETING

Published

4 years ago

June 7, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

– Industry defining report from Tenjin and Growth FullStack sheds a light on mobile marketing one year on from Apple’s privacy changes –

Tenjin, a leading mobile measurement platform for indie and mid-sized mobile game publishers, together with Growth FullStack, a platform powering custom business intelligence for mobile advertisers, today release the full report of their revelatory research findings about the state of mobile marketing.

With billions of people shopping, socializing, scrolling and, of course, gaming on mobile for up to a third of their waking moments, it’s hardly surprising that mobile ad spend reached a spectacular $300 billion in 2021. This amount could hit as much as $350 billion in 2022, reflecting the strength of an industry boosted by permanent changes to user behavior brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, for an industry that is so accustomed to knowing whom its dollars target and the return on investment they deliver with pinpoint granularity, the last year has been a rude awakening. Privacy-first changes have forever altered familiar ways of targeting and measuring ad performance, particularly on what is often seen as the most lucrative ecosystem of them all – Apple’s iOS.

Between the doomsaying predictions and a picture of booming ad spend, the reality mobile advertisers are operating in is much more nuanced. Tenjin and Growth FullStack wanted to drill deeper, and commissioned market research agency Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of more than 302 mobile advertisers in the UK and US.

Christopher Farm, CEO and Co-Founder of Tenjin, said:

“While the appocalypse may not have materialized as first predicted, our research shows that there are indeed some tectonic shifts underway. The reality is that the full ramifications of privacy-first marketing aren’t yet understood, even by people like us who spend their days entirely focused on deciphering them and coming up with solutions.”

Key findings:

Expectations vs reality – Despite feeling reasonably well prepared for Apple’s privacy changes (53% fairly, 15% very), the majority (55%) of mobile advertisers say that mobile advertising became more difficult in 2021. This had a considerable negative impact on advertisers’ revenues – The median estimated revenue loss due to Apple’s privacy changes was 39%.
Patchwork strategies – Mobile advertisers are using a patchwork of strategies to achieve success. 85% used probabilistic attribution or fingerprinting in 2022, despite more than three-quarters (77%) expecting Apple to clamp down on fingerprinting.
Teething problems with SKAN – Making the most of Apple’s anonymized SKAdNetwork data is a challenge for mobile advertisers. Few (32%) of companies have access to in-house data science talent, but three-quarters (75%) have implemented some form of marketing automation to gain insight from large, disparate datasets.
Gaming – Mobile games advertisers felt the impact of Apple’s privacy-first changes most keenly of all. They were more convinced that mobile marketing became more difficult in 2021 (gaming 68% vs 43% non-gaming), more likely to shift budget to Android (63% vs 48%), and use attribution methods such as probabilistic attribution or fingerprinting (91% vs 70%).
Optimism for 2022 – Despite a tough 2021, mobile advertisers are largely positive and bullish. 85% were optimistic that marketing would be less challenging in 2022, while almost two-thirds (65%) planned to increase rather than decrease their ad spend.

Christopher Farm commented on the findings:

“Mobile marketing can be best characterized as in a zombified state that’s somewhere between the familiar era of unrestricted targeting and the new, privacy-first one. The sustainability of the current patchwork model remains to be seen. It’s likely that, in the not too distant future, committing to understanding SKAN will become imperative rather than optional. And yet, despite a rough 2021 for mobile advertisers’ bottom lines, and with more change ahead, our research shows that advertisers’ optimism remains strong. After all, one thing is unchanged: the best mobile content and services are in high demand from billions of people the world over, on both iOS and Android.”

The research fieldwork took place with 302 companies with no known affiliation to Tenjin or Growth FullStack, and was conducted by Atomik Research, an independent creative market research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and abides to MRS code.

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

10 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.