Brand protection is a core component of every marketer\u2019s strategy. As companies expand their digital presence, safeguarding a brand\u2019s visibility and reputation becomes increasingly important. To explore concepts, approaches, and recent developments in brand protection, Search Ads Maven, an advanced campaign management and automation tool for optimizing on Apple Search Ads, hosted a webinar<\/a> featuring a panel of industry experts.<\/p>\n Jeffrey Richardson, Director of Product Marketing at Kochava, led the informative session. Ken Macdonald<\/a>, Programmatic and Mobile Specialist at Realtime Agency, and Hamilton Radcliffe<\/a>, General Manager of Search Ads Maven by Kochava, shared valuable insights into strategies and tactics for brand protection on Apple Search Ads.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1730325397572{padding-top: 30px !important;}” text_direction=”default”]\n Macdonald defined brand protection as the strategies and tactics aimed at safeguarding a company\u2019s brand presence, reputation, and visibility in App Store search results when a user searches for the brand. Radcliffe and Macdonald discussed the importance of brand protection, noting that its efficacy depends significantly upon the brand\u2019s unique aspirations and marketing challenges.<\/p>\n The speakers highlighted examples of divergent approaches taken by different brands. Some sought to monopolize searches associated with their brand names, while others aimed at curtailing expenditures on brand keywords. Hamilton also discussed a shift from brand defense to wielding your brand as a weapon\u2014a strategic shift in brand protection.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1730325412443{padding-top: 30px !important;}” text_direction=”default” max_width=”400″]\n Radcliffe and Macdonald laid out four core brand protection traps to avoid:[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”2700″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”custom” max_width_custom=”90%”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n Setting the maximum bid amount to $999 for your brand keywords is excessive. This approach would certainly help maintain the leading position in the bidding pool and achieve a high volume of impressions. However, your daily budget would face significant pressure anytime another brand or competitor placed a bid on that same term, driving up your cost per tap to whatever that advertiser is willing to pay. Much more strategic is an optimal balance where lowering the maximum bid considerably changes the bidding dynamics, substantially decreasing overall expenses while still securing a dominant share of voice.<\/p>\n Macdonald gave the example of a leading entertainment brand that tried to maintain 100% impression share, never wanting to see another brand win on their branded terms. With the max bid consistently set too high, however, the costs of that strategy were crippling. Under the guidance of Macdonald\u2019s team, the brand made incremental reductions to their max bids over the course of one to two weeks, with a focus on optimizing CPT rather than winning all bids. While some competitors with higher bids won impressions momentarily, they often exhausted their daily spend, after which the brand would quickly resume winning at their ideal CPT. Leveraging this tactical shift, the brand was able to maintain nearly identical impression share while reducing their average brand CPT by 85%.[\/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”2705″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default” margin_bottom=”25″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1730322176473{margin-top: 50px !important;}” text_direction=”default”]\n In recent years, Apple made changes to their exact match<\/strong> logic to more comprehensively surface variations of targeted keywords. While intended to ease campaign management, this has created unintended consequences for some advertisers.<\/p>\n For instance, let\u2019s say an app named Mooda, which measures mood and health indicators, finds that exact match for their brand keyword Mooda<\/em> also triggers ads when consumers search a close variant like moody<\/em>. While this gives Mooda additional discoverability, the overly expansive matching (not exactly exact) has Mooda spending on a more generic keyword they didn’t intend to bid on. An advertiser may not expect this outcome from exact match, but they must be aware of this potential scenario and work to avoid it. In this case, moody<\/em> would need to be set as a negative keyword.<\/p>\n As another example, a brand campaign targeting the keyword moods<\/em> may find ads served against searches for common words like mood<\/em>. This can undermine precisely crafted exact match strategies and unintentionally drive up spending on closely related terms.<\/p>\n When approaching exact match, advertisers should recognize that they don\u2019t have as much control with exact match as they\u2019d think. One solution is to use a more simplified keyword list focused on exact matches of their most important terms, allowing for cleaner attribution and optimization versus attempting to preempt every conceivable variant search. Check out this related post<\/a> to learn best practices on approaching exact match with caution and avoiding potential bidding wars against yourself.<\/p>\n Some brands have abandoned brand protection on Apple Search Ads entirely, finding it too costly. However, think about how your exit gives competitors open season on your brand keywords. If you\u2019re not bidding at all, your brand terms are far more incremental for your competitors, since they\u2019re not battling you at all in the auction.<\/p>\n Even if you want to spend very little daily budget, it is imperative that you bid on your own brand terms. Simply by actively participating in the auction for your brand keywords, you artificially increase the costs for your rivals. Aim to submit a bid for each relevant term, recognizing that you can set a max bid where you win very few impressions\u2014but still enough to pressure the budgets of your competitors.<\/p>\n Hamilton touched on strategy templates within Search Ads Maven\u2019s Automation Studio that automate this process so you don\u2019t have to monitor your campaigns constantly and adjust bids manually.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1730325456438{padding-top: 30px !important;}” text_direction=”default”]\n Responding to a question from the audience about Apple\u2019s guidelines for competitors bidding on other brand terms, Hamilton outlined Apple\u2019s policies designed to safeguard brands and also ensure a favorable user experience on the App Store. Key tenets include:<\/p>\n During the question and answer session, the audience and speakers discussed the incremental impact of branding expenditures in search advertising campaigns. One point raised was that when allocating budget to brand, some of that spend will cannibalize conversions that would have naturally occurred anyway, as those users were already searching for the brand. On the other hand, per trap 4 above, remember to ask yourself, if I don\u2019t bid on my brand terms at all, how much more incremental is it for my competitors? Hamilton suggested testing the incremental value of spending on own-brand terms between paid and organic search channel approaches. Using tools that analyze attribution and incrementality, such as AIM by Kochava<\/a>, was recommended to ensure that branding investments in search deliver efficient returns.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”top” column_margin=”50px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1730390333370{padding-top: 30px !important;}” text_direction=”default”]\n During the webinar, the audience was asked about their biggest challenges in brand protection on Apple Search Ads. Nearly half of respondents (47%) cited high customer acquisition costs and strong competitor bids. 16% said their brand terms were too close to generic keywords, while 11% cited challenges with exact match complications. What are your biggest challenges with brand protection?<\/p>\n As you navigate Apple Search Ads, remain vigilant against the common brand protection pitfalls unpacked herein. By implementing robust automation and crafting thoughtful brand keyword strategies, you\u2019ll safeguard your brand\u2019s integrity while maximizing advertising ROI.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”2701″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default” margin_top=”25″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]The Kochava webinar provided valuable insights into the importance of brand protection on Apple Search Ads, with a key focus on optimization tactics for increased profitability. The expert panelists shared actionable recommendations for brands to refine their campaign approaches in areas such as constructive bidding, impression share management, and leveraging advanced automation. Marketers seeking to take full control of their brand protection efforts will find this webinar a worthwhile investment of time.<\/p>\n You can watch the free on-demand webinar in full here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For additional information, visit our blog<\/a> and case studies<\/a> for great resources on all things Apple Search Ads.<\/p>\nWhat Is Brand Protection on Apple Search Ads?<\/h2>\n
4 Brand Protection Traps to Avoid<\/h2>\n
1. Setting Your Max Bid Too High<\/h3>\n
2. Seeking 100% Impression Share<\/h3>\n
3. Being Too Specific With Exact Match<\/a><\/h3>\n
4. Completely Abandoning Brand Protection<\/h3>\n
Proactively Safeguarding Brand Reputation<\/h2>\n
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Incrementality Testing on Apple Search Ads<\/h2>\n
Charting the Course for Your Brand Protection Program<\/h2>\n