Reattribution refers to the attribution of a re-install or opening event to a user who has been inactive on an app for an extended period. A reattribution signal denotes that the user has returned to the app as a result of a retargeting campaign.
It is common for users to permanently discontinue the use of an app by either uninstalling it or not opening it again. However, these users represent potential targets for re-engagement campaigns, given their prior indication of interest in the app. Reattribution distinguishes these re-engaged users from new users who are unfamiliar with the app.
Reattribution pertains to the process of attributing app installs to users who had previously installed the app, but subsequently removed it. The reattribution signal arises when a user, who had deleted the app but remained inactive for a certain duration, is targeted with an advertisement and then reinstalls the app. This new installation or usage phase can be credited to a different ad partner than the initial installation.
Following the removal of an app, there exists a reattribution window that denotes a specific time frame during which the user can reinstall the app. Typically, a user is considered inactive after seven days of uninstallation, and the reattribution window exists for another seven days. However, these time frames are adjustable according to the requirements of the app.
The primary reason for reattribution is that there was already an established attribution source. For instance, if a user initially installed an app through a particular advertising campaign but subsequently deleted it, and then reinstalls the app within the reattribution window via another retargeting campaign, the current installation must be attributed to the secondary source that caused the user to return to the app.
Reattribution provides app marketers with valuable insights into the campaign or creative that prompted a user’s return to the app. This data can be used to fine-tune re-engagement campaigns and effectively recapture users who have been inactive for an extended period.
In addition to its usefulness for re-engagement efforts, reattribution plays a crucial role in evaluating the efficacy of retargeting campaigns for marketers. By tracking user activity against industry benchmarks and ideal user journeys, marketers can determine when users are not as active as expected and launch targeted retargeting campaigns to re-engage them.
Reattribution windows function as a predetermined period during which a conversion event cannot be regarded as a new install. Reattribution occurs when a user, who had previously uninstalled an app, reinstalls the app after engaging with a re-engagement campaign.
This re-installation event falls under the re-attribution window, which commences when the user downloads the app and can be customized to suit the advertiser’s requirements.
Re-installs that occur within this window do not trigger new install postbacks, which are responsible for attributing credit to an ad network when a user clicks or views an ad before downloading. Instead, the installation is not attributed, and no install postback is transmitted to any media source. Furthermore, all subsequent in-app events are counted as organic.
