We’re thrilled to announce the arrival of our Q2 2024 SDK Badges! Awarded to the top mobile SDKs, the 42matters SDK Badges recognize leaders from each of the 32 SDK categories that comprise the 42matters SDK taxonomy.

To kick things off this quarter, we spoke with Kochava, whose SDK earned our most coveted award: the Category Leader Badge. We discussed what sets their solutions apart, the value they provide app developers, their innovation process, and much more.

With that, let’s get started!

42matters Chats With Kochava, Winner of the Category Leader Badge for the Attribution SDK Category

42matters: First off, thanks for chatting with us! Can you briefly describe Kochava and the core solutions the Kochava SDK provides to developers and marketers?

Kochava: Sure thing! Kochava was founded in 2011 and was one of the first mobile measurement partners (MMP), providing app attribution and analytics across connected devices for brands worldwide. 

Today, app developers and marketers rely on the Kochava SDK to measure all user engagement with their apps, attribute app installs and events to marketing campaigns, and optimize growth and retention efforts across channels.

Our library of Kochava SDKs provides out-of-the-box measurement support for mobile, web, connected TV (CTV), gaming consoles, virtual reality (VR), smart home, and other connected devices and platforms.

As for our core solutions, the SDK offers: app analytics, omni-channel media attribution, in-app purchase and ad revenue measurement, cost aggregation across media players, data management, reporting and ETL support; deep linking and web-to-app journeys, ad fraud detection and prevention, and privacy-first measurement with Apple SKAdNetwork and Google Privacy Sandbox for Android.

42matters: How does the Kochava SDK enhance user experience or the performance of the integrated apps?

Kochava: All of our SDKs are lightweight and developer oriented, with zero impact on app performance and ease of integration top of mind. Additionally, unnecessary app bloat is a non-issue as SDK components may be integrated modularly, only as needed.

The Kochava SDK features deep linking and deferred deep linking support that delivers friction-free user experience and maximizes conversion rates. Dynamic and contextual deep linking ensures that users can be met with personalized onboarding and content experiences.

Holistic measurement of in-app event data enables marketers and developers to better understand their users to steer product development, omni-channel marketing initiatives, and personalized content.

42matters: What sets the Kochava SDK apart from other solutions on the market? Can you highlight any unique features or capabilities?

Kochava: There are a few things that set our solutions apart.

First, our SDK library includes measurement support for more connected devices and platforms than any other provider in the market. As noted previously, developers and marketers can measure apps across mobile, CTV, gaming consoles, VR, and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This provides truly holistic measurement of user engagement across all device touchpoints where a brand’s app may be available. 

Second, built-in fraud prevention tooling and SDK spoofing protection authenticates traffic, ensuring that fake install and event payloads do not degrade data integrity. 

Third, our SDKs are connected to a global, always-on network of cloud-based inboarders with geo-redundancy and disaster recovery fail-safes that ensure 99.9% uptime for uninterrupted measurement and real-time data syndication.

Finally, all of our SDKs feature Kochava IdentityLink^®, which enables effective identity resolution of distinct users and/or accounts across multiple devices.

42matters: Can you share any case studies or examples of the Kochava SDK contributing to an app’s success or solving a complex problem for a client?

Kochava: Certainly. There are three in particular that come to mind: The North Face, Focus Brands, and ADT.

We helped The North Face, an outdoor recreation apparel company, consolidate all paid and owned media channel measurement onto a single, unified platform. This enhanced data integrity and provided valuable insight into the origins of their clientele. In addition, within 60 days, we helped them improve new user acquisition by 41% and app users who joined the XPLR pass program through their owned media channels by 60%.

Focus Brands, which owns Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Jamba, and numerous other fast-casual restaurant brands, used our SDK to gain visibility into how in-store and digital QR code placements drive mobile app adoption and increase customer stickiness. Their distribution strategy for QR codes is now much more data driven and generating more engagement.

Last, we helped ADT, a security company that provides residential and small business alarm monitoring services, understand what features consumers engaged with most and when. We also enabled them to identify drop-off points and friction within the engagement funnel. Their team used this data to optimize user experience and focus development resources where they mattered most.

42matters: Alright, let’s turn towards the future. What new features or innovations can clients expect from the Kochava SDK in the coming quarters?

Kochava: AI is definitely the big one. In particular, the incorporation of generative AI to streamline workflows and insights for both developers and marketers.

We also have a number of ongoing innovations to support privacy-enhancing technologies, like Apple SKAdNetwork and Google Privacy Sandbox. 

Aside from that, we’re constantly expanding our SDK to support all connected devices and IoT and growing our footprint of supported media partners for campaign activation and measurement.

42matters: Can you share some insights into the innovation process at Kochava? How do you stay ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape?

Kochava: Kochava’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) is dedicated to assessing the latest industry trends and coordinating product roadmaps to evolve the Kochava platform and SDK functionality. This helps us stay ahead of the needs of our customers. Since 2011, Kochava has evolved from a mobile-centric MMP solution to a full-fledged, omnichannel and cross-device measurement platform.

42matters: How does Kochava stay responsive to industry trends, and in what ways have recent trends influenced the development of your SDK?

Kochava: Industry trends are consistently monitored by our Product Management Team and OCTO. In recent years, the strong focus on user privacy and data use has led to significant evolution of the Kochava SDK to support Apple SKAdNetwork on iOS, prepare for Google Privacy Sandbox on Android, and incorporate new privacy enhancing technologies. Furthermore, continued proliferation of connected devices has necessitated continued growth of our SDK library to support out-of-the-box measurement for additional platforms, operating systems, and devices.

42matters: What advice would you give to developers considering integrating the Kochava SDK into their projects?

Kochava: Collaborate with your marketing team to ensure measurement of meaningful in-app events and metadata. This will help inform your growth and engagement initiatives. 

Establish a thoughtful event naming schema that’s intuitive and easy to understand across both developer and marketing teams. 

Be sure to include helpful event metadata with in-app events. For example, when measuring an in-app purchase, be sure to include price, SKU, quantity, and other helpful data points that give more context to the purchase event. Similarly, for a content view event, you can include content ID, show or movie name, and so forth. 

Pay close attention to detailed support documentation when implementing our SDK. Support is included across all Kochava plans, so be sure to leverage this and reach out to our team with any questions!

42matters: What does winning the Category Leader Badge from 42matters mean to Kochava, and how do you believe it reflects on your SDK's performance and reliability?

Kochava: Our innovation has been, is, and always will be driven by the needs of our customers. It is an honor to serve the countless brands that entrust us with their app analytics and attribution needs, embedding our SDK into their apps across platforms and connected devices. We understand that the tools we provide empower brands to make data-driven decisions that impact growth, customer engagement, and overall business success. Winning this category leader badge is a testament to the ongoing dedication, hard work, and innovative spirit of every Kochava team member. 

42matters: Would you like to share anything else with our readers, perhaps a sneak peek into upcoming projects or a message from the Kochava team?

Kochava: Our passion is helping app marketers and developers see and understand their customers. The name Kochava comes from a Hebrew word meaning “star.” Our company vision formed from observing stars in the night sky, only about 5,000 of which can be seen with the naked eye at any given time. In reality, scientists know that there are millions of galaxies, each of which may contain over 200 billion stars, each of which may contain entire systems of planets—all hidden from our view. With the right tools, we gain visibility of these stars and more fully understand the bigger picture.In the same way, Kochava enables visibility and management of billions of data points, millions of users, and hundreds of millions of dollars in lifetime value (LTV) and marketing ad spend. Our analytics and attribution platform gives our customers the tools they need to see and manage their data—empowering them to understand their business better and make informed decisions.