Your Mobile SDK & App Tracking Questions, Answered

Rakuten Marketing offers mobile app tracking capabilities allow advertisers to track mobile app installations and in-app conversions using our proprietary SDK or through third-party SDK platforms. We sat down with our product manager, Aaron Contawe, to learn more about the latest tracking enhancements and improved functionality available to advertisers.

Q: Can you tell me about the newest updates to our mobile app tracking capabilities?
A: Through our own proprietary SDK platform an advertiser can monitor and pay publishers to promote products through their mobile site or app and award them for driving new installs to an advertiser’s app using any affiliate link. Advertisers can alternatively extend their affiliate programs to include their mobile app by integrating their third-party SDK platform which is easily supported by our platform.

Q: Sounds like a win-win for advertisers. What are the benefits of Rakuten Marketing’s proprietary SDK?
A: Our SDK platform allows advertisers to track app installs and in-app conversion events using any affiliate link promoted within a publisher’s mobile app or on a mobile web page. We support comprehensive reporting fields that help advertisers understand what was purchased at a line item detail.  Advertisers will be able to create new partnerships with publishers excelling through apps and mobile and reward them with appropriate commissions, at line item level if they choose. The platform also allows for brands to deeplink into their apps for a seamless customer experience. We have just recently extended this to support deeplinking after app installation as well.

Q: Are there any limitations using a third-party integrated SDK?
A: Yes and no. Our platform fully supports most SDK platforms, but all data fields and parameters will be provided by the third party. This also requires an advertiser to use a specific link to track mobile activity instead of any affiliate link that can be done in our proprietary SDK platform.

Q: How is it implemented?
A: It’s pretty easy! Advertisers will need to either add the Rakuten Marketing mobile SDK to their mobile apps for both Android and iOS or work with our tech team to integrate their third-party SDK to begin tracking.

Thanks, Aaron, for answering these questions for us. Our mobile SDK enhancements sounds very easy and convenient for the advertiser. If you have any further mobile app tracking questions or are interested in learning more, reach out to your account team.