Attribution Catches Up: How MMP Integrations and Deep Linking Are Powering OEM User Acquisition in 2025
OEM advertising has moved into the mainstream, and attribution has followed. In 2025, leading mobile measurement partners (MMPs) now provide native support for preloads, on-device placements, and alternative app stores, while deep-linking infrastructure closes the loop from OEM impression to post-install revenue. The result is a more measurable, scalable path to OEM growth for Android app marketers. OEM user acquisition used to be hard to measure. That’s changed. AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular and Branch have shipped capabilities that let marketers track factory and first-boot preloads, attribute installs from AppGallery, GetApps, Galaxy Store, and route new users with deferred deep links to the right in-app destination, so OEM no longer sits outside the performance stack. AppsFlyer formalized OEM measurement with preload referrer attribution, designed specifically for campaigns contracted with OEMs, carriers, and app discovery partners; partners can have installs attributed to preload campaigns at the factory or device activation, with multiple supported methods for accurate crediting. This isn’t limited to generic channels: AppsFlyer also documents configuration for Petal Ads (Huawei) and notes attribution support for AppGallery placements and search ads, making Huawei’s ecosystem measurable alongside standard networks. On the OEM platform side, Huawei’s developer docs explicitly call out MMP integrations. For example, Huawei provides guidance for AppsFlyer, including SDK versioning and referrer parameter requirements—to ensure installs from AppGallery are attributed correctly; there’s parallel guidance for Adjust (SDK v4.28.6+) to support referrer-based attribution as well. These vendor-maintained instructions are a strong signal that OEM storefronts want to be first-class, measurable channels, not just distribution endpoints. For “on-device” inventory aggregated by OEM facilitation layers, attribution is converging too. Singular ships a unified integration for Digital Turbine Media, covering cost aggregation, tracking links, and postbacks; Digital Turbine’s own docs detail attribution windows and event postback setup for Singular. Together, these make installs from device-level placements flow into the same dashboards as Meta, Google, and DSPs. A similar pattern holds for ironSource Aura, Singular’s knowledge base includes a partner configuration, enabling standardized attribution and cost reporting for on-device distribution. Industry glossaries now describe OEM advertising stacks as a blend of device-manufacturer platforms (Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi) and mediators like Digital Turbine and ironSource Aura, reinforcing that these channels are integrated into modern analytics and MMP workflows. Deep linking is the other half of the OEM performance story. Deferred deep linking ensures that users who first encounter an app via an OEM placement (setup flow, smart folder, store feature) and then install are routed to intent-matched content on first open, preserving the user journey and enabling down-funnel attribution. Branch defines and supports deferred deep linking for scenarios where the app isn’t yet installed, taking the user through the appropriate store and then straight to the target screen post-install. That reliability is essential for converting OEM exposure into monetizable actions. Finally, platform guidance from Adjust highlights why alternative stores matter strategically. Adjust points out that multi-platform distribution and OEM partnerships for pre-installs and curated placements can materially boost visibility and performance as app-store policies and regional regulations evolve, another reason advertisers want OEM channels fully wired into their MMPs. What this means for marketers Attribution and deep-linking support have removed the biggest barrier to scaling OEM traffic. Preloads and on-device ads can now be measured like any other UA source (click/view-through windows, postbacks, ROI modeling), Huawei/Xiaomi ecosystems are instrumented for referrer-based credit, and deferred deep links preserve intent and increase conversion after install. If your MMP already supports AppsFlyer/Adjust/Singular partner setups for Petal Ads, AppGallery, Digital Turbine, and ironSource Aura, you can bring OEM into your standard testing, incrementality design, and LTV forecasting, rather than treating it as a black box. Bottom line With OEM attribution (preload referrers, partner integrations) and deep linking now production-ready, OEM placements have become a measurable, optimization-friendly channel in the Android UA mix. The tech is no longer the constraint – your brief, your creative, and your incrementality design are.
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