Commerce data unlocks rich insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and purchase patterns, meaning brands can now craft programmatic strategies with more precision than ever before. The integration of commerce data with programmatic represents a new inflection point for digital advertising, arming brands with a competitive advantage that drives more personalized campaigns and better results. For media companies, this means partnering with the right DSP so that you can access and leverage these data signals to help your advertising partners reach their goals.
Why traditional data providers are falling behind
The first question you might be asking is: Why does the industry need commerce data at all? Don’t we already have plenty of data providers in market right now?
In short, yes. But not all data is created equal.
Traditional data providers have historically faced significant challenges which, over time, have undermined the quality and effectiveness of their insights.
Incomplete data. Modeled data often leans on partial information, leading to inaccurate insights.
Outdated data. In fast-changing markets, stale data can lead to ineffective targeting.
Data silos. Data often lives in silos, making it hard to create a cohesive model that works across platforms.
Algorithmic bias and transparency
Biases in data. If the data used to build models is biased, it can lead to skewed targeting that reinforces biases.
Discrimination. There’s a risk of unintentionally excluding or targeting specific groups, leading to unfair practices.
Transparency. A lack of transparency around how models operate can erode trust from consumers and regulators.
Introducing commerce data—a new approach to data-drive marketing
In today’s digital world, commerce is everywhere.
Shoppers generate a wealth of information at every touchpoint, from their first product search to their final purchase. This rich data reveals not just what people buy but how and why they make decisions.
Commerce data combines consented purchase and intent signals, built on real-world consumer behaviors. It covers everything from demographics and location to product views, last purchases, offline sales, and ad clicks. Layer in some AI, and patterns begin to emerge which can supercharge audience targeting and ad strategies.
In the context of programmatic, commerce data is made up of various events and signals based on consumer behavior, including:
Product views and cart additions
Purchases and ad clicks
Contextual data like URLs, categories, and keywords
Product details like categories, SKUs, prices, and descriptions
Identifiers like hashed emails and visitor IDs
Offline sales
Putting commerce data to work
When combined with commerce-focused AI, commerce data powers some of the most effective advertising strategies for today’s modern marketer. That includes:
Identifying in-market consumers: Knowing who’s ready to buy and the best time and place to reach them.
Product recommendations: Suggesting products and bidding based on the value-to-cost ratio of each impression.
Audience building: Creating lookalike audiences to find new prospects and zero in on people actively shopping for specific products.
How to get the most out of commerce data
When you’re evaluating a commerce data provider, asking the right questions is essential to getting the best results. You’ll want to dig into a few key areas to make sure you’re making the right choice.
First, consider data collection and sources. It’s important to understand where the provider’s data comes from and how it’s gathered. Is it collected directly, such as onsite, or inferred through modeling? Knowing this helps gauge the reliability of the data you’re working with.
Next, think about data quality and accuracy. You’ll want to ask how they ensure their data is accurate and complete. Are they refreshing it in real-time, daily, or on another schedule? Consistency here can make or break the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Then, there’s data segmentation and customization. How is the data broken down, and what criteria are used for segmentation? Can the provider integrate data across multiple devices and channels? Flexibility here can be a big win when you’re targeting your audience across platforms.
Of course, data privacy and security is the cornerstone of any digital activation. You need to know how your provider protects the data they handle. Is personal data anonymized or pseudonymized, and can they offer you transparency into how they’re collecting and processing that data?
Time to leverage the commerce data opportunity
There’s no doubt that commerce data presents a huge opportunity for brands to enhance targeting, personalize messages, and drive better results. By working with the right DSP, you can quickly and effectively leverage these new data signals in order to help your advertising partners more effectively achieve their objectives.
Are the time-consuming, error-prone manual processes of traditional ad operations a thing of the past? The answer is simple – they can be. Because there’s a paradigm shift happening in the fast-paced world of digital publishing. The catalyst behind this shift is automation. And it’s not just transforming ad operations, it’s also driving growth and unlocking new revenue channels for media companies.
By automating repetitive and labor-intensive tasks, media organizations can streamline workflows, reduce errors, and free up resources for more strategic initiatives. But automation isn’t simply streamlining processes; it’s fundamentally reimagining the roles within ad operations. No longer confined to being mere ‘doers’ burdened with high stress and constant fire drills, ad operations teams are evolving into vital contributors to revenue growth. The result is a work environment once steeped in friction and burnout, shifting to one where productivity and motivation thrive.
New revenue streams unlocked by ad operations automation
To help media companies understand the impact automation of ad operations can have on long-term success, let’s explore the specific ways it’s opening new doors to revenue growth.
Maximizing ad inventory utilization
Automation optimizes the use of ad inventory, which significantly increases fill rates and revenue. By continuously analyzing real-time data, automated systems allow ad operations teams to make intelligent adjustments to ad placements. This ensures that every available slot is used efficiently, reducing wasted inventory. Automated platforms can help identify demand trends and dynamically allocate inventory to the highest-paying ads, maximizing potential revenue.
For example, during peak times, automation provides key insights that enable the prioritization of high-value ads, ensuring premium inventory is filled first. Conversely, during off-peak times, teams can quickly adjust their strategy to fill available slots with lower-paying ads, ensuring no space is left unused.
Real-time bidding and dynamic pricing
Dynamic pricing strategies supported by automated, real-time bidding allow media companies to instantly adjust prices based on demand. Automated systems continuously monitor market conditions, competitor pricing, and user engagement metrics. As a result, ad professionals gain instant insights, allowing them to optimize campaigns, adjust prices, and maximize ad inventory sales. For instance, during high-demand periods, such as seasonal events, automated systems can help teams increase interest or prices. On the other hand, in low-demand situations, prices can be lowered to attract more buyers, ensuring that inventory is still utilized efficiently. This flexibility helps media companies capitalize on market fluctuations and maximize revenue.
Personalized ad experiences
Personalized advertising, enabled by advanced data analytics, significantly enhances engagement and conversion rates. Automated systems analyze user data, including browsing history, purchase behavior, and demographic information, to create detailed user profiles and accurately segment audiences. This allows for highly relevant ads tailored to individual interests, increasing the likelihood of user interaction. Users are more inclined to click on ads that resonate with their current needs, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Automation doesn’t just unlock new revenue channels; it also enhances operational efficiency. These efficiency gains play a critical role in boosting profitability. These efficiency gains play a critical role in boosting profitability.
Enhancing operational efficiency for revenue growth
Automation in ad operations takes care of routine tasks, freeing up teams to focus on strategic initiatives and explore new revenue opportunities. It reduces errors and makegoods with more accurate ad placements, improving client satisfaction and boosting revenue. It also significantly accelerates complex order-to-cash processes, enabling media companies to capitalize on time-sensitive opportunities and expedite revenue realization.
Creating additional revenue channels is just one aspect of how automation contributes to revenue growth.
Strategic revenue optimization with automation
Data-driven decision making
Data analytics enabled by automation can process vast amounts of data to identify trends and insights that would be near impossible to detect manually. This data-driven approach allows media executives to make strategic decisions that maximize revenue by understanding patterns in user behavior, market demand, and ad performance.
For example, automated systems help media companies track ad performance, revealing specific data insights that improve decision making and optimize ad spend.
Enhanced targeting and retargeting
Automation significantly improves targeting and retargeting, leading to more efficient ad spend and a higher ROI. Automated systems empower ad professionals to analyze user behavior and preferences to deliver ads to the right audience at the right time, increasing campaign effectiveness. This precise targeting ensures that ads are shown to users who are most likely to engage and convert, maximizing ad spend efficiency and boosting revenue.
Embracing automation in ad operations: thrive or fall behind
Purpose-built automation solutions are designed to meet a company’s hyper-specific needs. Unlike off the shelf options, these tailored solutions deliver optimal performance virtually out of the gate, driving rapid adoption and maximum ROI.
Media companies that embrace purpose-ready technology and automation have a distinct competitive advantage and an opportunity to transform ad operations into a revenue driving powerhouse. Companies who fail to evolve and continue to depend on legacy systems risk getting left behind, while the competition scales to new heights.
As the popularity of streaming continues to grow, video content is scattered among many different endpoints. These increasingly include ad-supported offerings in the form of ad tiers or fully free platforms. While this offers consumers choice and flexibility when it comes to the advertising experience, the way ads are executed isn’t always as seamless as it could be. Disruptive breaks, blank screens, and downtime are issues that can have negative repercussions on both media owners and advertisers’ goals; but most importantly they leave viewers frustrated.
In today’s dynamic world of streaming, the onus is on media players to understand not only how audiences perceive the ad, but also react to the ad breaks that surround and often interrupt their programs. Media owners must provide quality viewing experiences for consumers while creating a fertile ground for brand messages.
To this end, I outlined in a previous article that for all parties to benefit, ads should add to the viewer experience – not detract from it. In this follow-up piece, I will explore the factors that cause low-quality ad experiences and explain how content owners and distributors can avoid them.
The importance of quality ad experiences
Content of all types, from blockbuster movies to live sports, drama to documentaries, is increasingly being consumed and distributed via streaming platforms. This is largely a direct response to the evolution of consumer habits, with audiences satiating their huge appetite for premium video content across multiple connected devices.
While subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming services have proved popular, it’s currently the ad-supported tiers that are really capturing the attention of viewers. According to EMARKETER projections, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) sign-ups are increasing in the US, while the picture in the UK is equally promising for FAST, where Digital TV Research showed a 30% increase in viewership in 2023.
Media owners need to be conscious of protecting the viewer experience in their ad-supported tiers, which includes the advertising experience. Platforms also want to create an environment that enables a premium and effective ad experience for advertisers. The generalist assumption that viewers don’t like ads but reluctantly put up with them to access content for free isn’t borne out by the data. FreeWheel Viewers Experience Lab’s report, Improving the Quality of Ad Experiences, shows that it’s not ads that bother viewers, but low-quality ad experiences.
Seeking seamless viewing
Audiences are receptive to the idea of a value exchange, involving watching ads to access quality content for free. With the increasing cost of living affecting European and UK consumers in recent years, many have been cutting down on subscription-based services and are looking for alternatives that offer better value.
Moreover, the FreeWheel study shows that ads don’t impact the level of enjoyment of video content. In fact, a well-designed ad break, with frequency capping and length consistency settings, can give viewers a welcome rest and curb negative emotions, while improving cognitive attention and brand impact.
It is the poor ad experiences that are frustrating for audiences. Data shows that 78% of consumers are bothered by slow-loading or buffering ads, while 71% are upset by ad breaks that unnaturally interrupt the content. One-third were also bothered by seeing a blank screen or screensaver in place of an ad.
There are three areas that need careful attention in order to mitigate these issues:
1. Latency
Latency occurs when ad loading time is delayed by ad decisioning not happening quickly enough. The result is slow-loading or buffering ads, and these can be particularly disruptive for live streaming events, when the process of ad decisioning becomes more complex.
Viewers in FreeWheel’s study rated programming that suffered from latency issues lower than programming that was not affected by latency. This sentiment was carried over into viewer perception of the ads themselves; latency has a direct impact on how a brand is perceived.
Brands that want to avoid dented consumer perception from latency issues should look to suppliers that have technology in place that can optimize video delivery, ensuring delays are minimized. This could involve using ad servers located geographically closer to the end user. It might also mean buying directly from preferred partners to maximize efficiency in the supply chain; and ensuring partners have unified decisioning capabilities across all demand to enable faster ad decisioning.
2. Disruption
Poorly-timed or disruptive ad breaks can harm brand recall, according to FreeWheel’s study. Introducing ads in the middle of a scene, for example, will upset the natural flow of the programming. Respondents said that ad breaks were 16% more intrusive when they appeared at unexpected moments; they were also 14% less likely to remember the ads they saw during a disruptive ad break.
Marketers will need to consider taking steps to mitigate any potential negative impact on their brands arising from this issue. One way to do so is by prioritizing publishers that use innovative and advanced technologies for advertising management, which can intelligently place ad breaks within content.
3. Slate
A slate or blank screen can appear when an ad call is made and the exchange doesn’t reply in time or provides an empty VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) response. According to our research, up to a quarter of ad avails are not filled on FAST channels, which all results in wasted inventory and frustrated viewers.
FreeWheel’s data shows that consumers are more likely to have a positive physiological response to content when they don’t encounter slates. Using facial coding as a measure, viewers were 31% more likely to experience joy when watching a program with no slates.
Brands should focus on supply path optimization and establishing direct connections to publishers and their inventory to limit potential slate issues.
Additionally, from a publisher’s point of view, ad servers that utilize advanced auction capabilities, full pod bidding, and creative pre-approval processes, will help to limit latency and slate issues while improving fill rates.
Fixing the advertising experience is vital to drive streaming innovation
Buyers and sellers have to get to grips with how variations in the advertising experience can impact viewers and brand perception. With the increasing number of ad-supported tiers and growth in the volume of content available, prioritizing the viewer experience is key.
Both brands and media owners have a role to play in this. Brands need certainty that the ad experience will be of the highest quality. Media owners must understand the factors that lead to sub-optimal ad experiences and how to fix them. In this multi-screen landscape, where consumer attention is scarce, it is paramount to come together to deliver an optimum experience that delivers the highest results.
As we approach opening arguments of Google’s landmark AdTech trial on September 9th, it is a good time to reflect on the calendar of events leading to this moment. It is useful to consider the context and critical points at play in the case against Google, particularly given last week’s search antitrust verdict.
To recap, here is the timeline to date of the four major lawsuits alleging Google engaged in monopolistic behavior:
Dec 11, 2023 | A federal jury found that Google’s app store violated antitrust law
So, as we look toward the start of the next phase in the antitrust actions against Google, here are five key considerations for media executives, journalists covering these cases, and for the general public—as this company’s anticompetitive behavior impacts almost every person online.
1. Ending Google’s innocence narratives: The abusive monopoly is confirmed
The first significant outcome of the search case is the formal acknowledgment of Google’s monopolistic status. It’s no longer a matter of debate whether Google is a monopoly. Given that the court has ruled definitively on this point, I have no idea why The Information is sending out polls asking its subscribers if Google is a monopoly. This is no longer a subject of debate.
A unanimous jury of Northern Californians last December, and now a D.C. district court judge last week, have decisively found that Google monopolizes four critical markets: general search services, search text ads, Android app distribution, and Android in-app billing. More importantly, the verdicts also found that Google engaged in anticompetitive conduct to maintain these monopolies. The wider Search verdict—a fabulous read—effectively ends any narrative of Google’s innocence and sets the stage for a broader reckoning within the tech industry.
2. Illuminating Google’s tactics: The truth shines through
The trial last Fall exposed the extent of Google’s market power and its aggressive, if not illegal, tactics. Under oath, former Google employees (often referred to as “Xooglers”), partners, and even current employees provided testimony that has shed light on the company’s practices.
Discovery in these cases has revealed much about Google’s internal operations, with documents and testimony uncovering the strategies Google used to maintain its dominance to maximize its benefits. These revelations are crucial not only for the legal proceedings but also for broader public understanding of how big tech companies operate behind closed doors.
3. A matter of public interest: The stakes for media and society
The implications of these cases extend far beyond Google’s corporate interests. Google is not just a search company. It is not just a tech giant. Google is the single largest distributor of news and entertainment—as well as the advertising dollars that sustain these industries. With annual revenues nearing $300 billion, the company’s influence over the media landscape is immense.
Taken together—Google AdTech case, along with the Search verdict—arguably mark the most significant antitrust action affecting the media industry in a half-century. The outcome will have profound implications for how information and advertising are distributed in the digital age. Yet, despite the critical nature of this case, there has been a surprising lack of press coverage and public awareness about the evidence presented.
Let me try to illustrate not only why the AdTech trial matters, but why it is a story the public needs to hear:
What if I told you the heads of Chrome, Android, and AdTech divisions collaborated via email to maximize ad revenues to hit their quarterly targets?
What if I told you Google’s advertising auctions weren’t always second-price auctions, but that publishers were at times secretly paid the third price while Google pocketed the difference?
And what if the auction bids included another arbitrary, secretive variable determined unilaterally by Google?
What if I told you Google exerted its outsized influence on the very shape of the media ecosystem based on the position that subscription news sites were a threat to the open web?
What if I told you Google’s notorious “Jedi Blue” deal with Facebook is still a part of the evidence in this case and that the key Meta employee who briefed Mark Zuckerberg ahead of his meeting with Sundar Pichai will be testifying this September?
These cases impact almost every searcher’s ability to access news, entertainment and information. If those stakes aren’t high enough, the cast of players and the Machiavellian twists make for compelling storytelling. The public needs to know.
4. Converging lawsuits: A unified attack on anticompetitive practices
The lawsuits against Google, though focusing on different aspects of the company’s operations— app store, search and AdTech—share common themes. Judges have noted that Google allowed employee messages to be purged by default, despite ongoing litigation holds, and manipulated auctions to impact revenues. These findings indicate a pattern of behavior that transcends individual cases. It points to a systematic approach to maintaining its monopoly power.
The convergence of these lawsuits highlights the interconnected nature of Google’s business practices and the data and queries at scale serving as the core of its business model. It’s becoming increasingly clear that any meaningful remedy must address the chokepoints of Google’s operations that feed the data and query scale. Doing so should also open opportunities for new entrants in the emerging field of generative AI.
5. Remedies on the horizon: structural changes loom large
The future of the media industry will be on display in federal court rooms on both sides of the Potomac next month. As the separate remedies trial for the search case gets underway in the DC district court and the AdTech trial starts in the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria), discussions about potential remedies have begun to surface.
While short-term solutions, such as prohibiting Google’s commercial deals to serve as the default search engine on browsers and operating systems, are being considered, it’s evident that more substantial structural remedies will be necessary. The prosecuting teams, under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, seem to understand the intricacies of Google’s business model just as well as industry insiders. Without structural changes—such as breaking up Google’s control over key gatekeeping assets like Chrome, Android, YouTube, and its AdTech supply chain and data. it will be impossible to mitigate Google’s monopolistic practices in the long term.
The idea of “Baby Googles,” or the division of Google into smaller, independent entities, is not just a hypothetical scenario; it’s a very real possibility that could reshape the tech and media industry.
The future of Big Tech and the free market
The second verdict against Google marks a turning point in the battle against monopolistic practices in the tech industry. The outcomes of these legal battles will not only impact Google but will also set precedents for how other tech giants like Apple, Amazon, and Meta—all currently being sued by either the Department of Justice or Federal Trade Commission or both—are regulated in the future.
But it is important to remember that this isn’t just about setting the tone for Big Tech regulation. It is about the underlying motivation behind these cases; the very reason America has antitrust laws in place and a framework to enforce them. As DOJ antitrust chief Kanter framed it in an interview on CNBC, actions like these are particularly critical during times of technological change. As AI is poised to reshape search—and impact industries of all kinds—ensuring that the marketplace is a healthy one, where competition and innovation flourish, takes on paramount importance.
“As we sit here at the next technological inflection point,” Kanter said, “it’s extremely important that we protect the competitive process to make sure that the benefits of technological innovation, the excitement that we’re all feeling from AI… can reach consumers in a fully competitive way.”
It looks like the era of unchecked dominance by a few tech behemoths may be coming to an end, with far-reaching consequences for the entire digital economy.
On August 5, US District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google “is a monopolist and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly” in search and in text ads. The trial will now move to the “remedies” stage where the judge will hear arguments about what fixes should be imposed going forward including impact on the developing GAI market as captured here.
Google has already announced it will appeal the ruling but this represents a significant milestone in our years long effort to call attention to Google’s anticompetitive behavior. Indeed, DCN first met with officials at the Department of Justice in 2017 on this matter before ramping up in late 2018. It also comes at a sensitive time for Google with the Department of Justice’s second trial (adtech) set for opening arguments on September 9th with many relevant findings from this decision carrying over to that case.
We will conduct an analysis of the ruling, which we plan to share with our membership in the coming days.
If you find it challenging to keep up with changes in privacy standards and regulation, you’re not alone. Twenty states have passed comprehensive consumer privacy laws, and more are expected to follow. Since a national privacy law does not yet exist, media companies must navigate a patchwork of state and international regulations.
With the privacy landscape seemingly always in flux, where do media companies begin? Here’s an overview of what publishers need to know to plan for a compliant future.
Background: Where to start understanding privacy issues
As the digital advertising landscape has evolved, consumers have become increasingly concerned with how their data is collected, used and stored. These concerns led to calls for legislation and industry standards to protect their data and guide businesses on best practices.
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was the first state law passed to address this. Key provisions included consumers’ right to know how their data is being used, and the choice to delete or opt out of data collection.
CCPA became a blueprint for other states to follow. But without national legislation, the result has been an assortment of laws that differ across jurisdictions. As advertisers and media companies attempt to navigate these regulations, the industry has recognized the need for solutions.
In March, the IAB released its State of Data 2024 report, which shares feedback from brands, agencies and publishers about current data practices and where the industry is headed. In the study, 95% of respondents expected continued legislation and signal loss this year and beyond. Because of these challenges, companies must significantly change their practices.
Most publishers are taking a state-by-state approach. Brand marketers are opting for a one-size-fits-all strategy aimed at the highest common denominator. Angelina Eng, IAB’s vice president of measurement, addressability, and data center, explained that as organizations navigate a world with greater signal loss, they need to think holistically about the data they’re collecting.
“Companies need to ask themselves who they’re sharing data with, how to activate and whether they have consumer consent. Our research found that nearly 70% of consumers are willing to share their personal data to support advertising overall, and nearly three in four consumers understand that sharing their data enables websites/apps to know more about them in order to serve personalized ads,” Eng said. “We need to provide consumers with guidance and education around the value of allowing advertisers to leverage some data points and provide ads relevant to consumers, which would in turn allow us to measure performance.”
Media industry compliance solutions are in the works
Several industry initiatives are being developed to streamline compliance and make it easier for businesses to implement industry standards.
The IAB Multi-State Privacy Agreement (MSPA) is a framework designed to help companies from all corners of the industry comply with various state-level privacy regulations. It ensures that companies can efficiently manage compliance across jurisdictions.
The Global Privacy Platform works with the MSPA to transmit consumer preferences across jurisdictions, ensuring compliance with privacy laws such as GDPR and state regulations.
Another element of the IAB’s privacy solutions portfolio is its Diligence Platform. This data privacy platform includes standardized privacy diligence questions for different segments of the advertising industry to help streamline the evaluation process and improve compliance efficiency.
Media companies need a roadmap to navigate privacy
As the industry experiences changes including signal loss and new privacy regulations, organizations must build strategies that allows them to continue to leverage first-party data while remaining privacy compliant.
There are new tools to help publishers better understand and navigate these challenges. ThinkMedium, a consulting firm founded by ad tech veteran Dennis Buchheim, recently released its Publisher Readiness Playbook. It Outlines the context, questions and steps for publishers to understand their preparedness for ongoing data- and identity-related shifts.
“Part of the challenge with privacy regulations is that they go beyond laws. It’s the platform policies that in many ways are having a huge impact on the industry,” Buchheim said.
Buchheim added that the number of policies publishers must be aware of can be overwhelming.
“The breadth of regulations and policies is tremendous. You really must understand what applies to you and what doesn’t. You can comply with the strictest interpretation, have a more bespoke plan, or take a blanket approach. Making very conscious decisions like these requires having a good understanding of what’s happening in the industry. We believe the Playbook can help provide some of that understanding.”
Media companies also can gain a better understanding of their level of compliance by participating in an industry certification program. These programs measure companies against current industry standards and can reveal gaps in compliance that may lead to process improvements to ensure they meet industry standards. While keeping up with privacy changes can seem daunting, solutions and guidance exist to help media companies navigate these complexities. Devising a plan and seeking help from industry resources can help media companies remain in good standing with advertisers, consumers and the law.
Oracle’s announcement that they are shutting down their ad tech division came as a surprise to their clients as well the industry at large. For media companies heavily reliant on Oracle’s data solutions, it served as a stark reminder: the ability to adapt to unforeseen changes is paramount in today’s data-driven landscape.
This isn’t just a concern for large enterprise companies. Media companies of all sizes need to prioritize data agility. But what exactly is data agility, and why is it so crucial for success in the media world?
Data agility: adaptability in the face of change
Data agility goes beyond simply having a lot of data. It’s about the ability to access, analyze, and leverage your data quickly and efficiently in a constantly changing environment. It’s the freedom to pivot strategies, swap data sources, and adjust workflows with minimal disruption when faced with unexpected challenges.
Since media businesses rely on their data as the backbone of their revenue generation strategy, it’s even more important for them to think about the agility of their data. Agile data can bring many benefits, including:
Enhanced Transparency: With readily available, accurate data, media companies gain a clearer picture of audiences, campaign performance, and overall business health.
Informed Decision Making: Agile data empowers media companies to react swiftly to market trends and audience preferences. Accessing and gaining real-time insights from trusted data across the organization can inform campaign optimization, content strategy, and resource allocation.
Competitive Advantage: Data agility enables media companies to adapt to changing trends and audience behaviors, respond effectively to competitor moves, and maintain a competitive edge.
Streamlined Collaboration: When data is readily accessible and easily shared across departments, collaboration flourishes. Agile data fosters better communication between marketing, sales, and finance teams, leading to a more unified approach.
Resource Allocation: Even the most efficient data operations and engineering teams often struggle to field dozens of daily requests from across the company. Executives that prioritize data agility as part of their budgeting and staffing process can help relieve the burden placed on their teams.
Future-Proofing Your Business: Data agility allows media companies to be prepared for the unexpected – whether it’s a new technology disruption, a regulatory shift, or a change in audience preferences. Companies that can adapt their data strategy and infrastructure to navigate these changes can avoid derailing their plans.
Building a foundation of data agility
So, how can media companies cultivate data agility? The first step is to invest in a flexible data platform that scales with your needs and offers seamless integration from all the sources that are important to run the business. Choose a data platform that allows non-technical teams to ingest and customize their data with proprietary business rules so they can perform independent analysis. Also consider cloud-based solutions for scalability and flexibility.
Next, make data governance a top priority. Establish clear policies and procedures around data collection, access, and security. This helps maintain data integrity and compliance with internal and external regulations.
When strong systems are in place, work on developing a data-driven culture where data is readily available across the organization. Provide training and resources to empower even non-engineering members of the team with the skills to understand, analyze, and utilize data effectively.
When both your data platform and teams are up and running, don’t give in to the temptation to “set it and forget it.” Embrace continuous improvement by regularly evaluating the data strategy and infrastructure. Be prepared to adapt your approach as your needs and the media landscape evolve.
A proactive approach always wins
The Oracle situation demonstrates that even established giants can make decisions that disrupt their partners. That’s why taking a proactive approach to data management is essential. Here are few things to look for and some questions to ask when when selecting a data operations platform:
Data Source Agnostic: Can the platform easily integrate with data sources across different parts of the business to avoid creating silos? Can it swap in alternative sources, if needed, to minimize workflow disruption?
Streamlined Data Management: How does the platform reduce complexity for your team? What is the process for data ingestion, transformation, and analysis?
Domain Expertise: Are they the right strategic partner? Do they bring relevant domain expertise and best practices into your organization? Can they provide the proper levels of support?
Modular Solutions: Does the platform have modules that are tailored to your specific use case such as campaign analytics, inventory forecasting, and revenue insights?
Change is inevitable, but preparation is a choice
Thousands of years ago, an ancient Greek philosopher observed that change is the only constant. But change doesn’t have to derail your business. No matter which platform you choose, be sure to plan for the unexpected. By prioritizing data agility, media companies can build a resilient foundation that is adaptable, responsive, and empowers data-driven decision-making in the face of any future change.
About the Author
Ju-kay Kwek is a leader in creating enterprise-scale data analytics products. Before co-founding Switchboard Software, Ju-kay launched Google BigQuery and was a founding product executive for Google Cloud Platform. Ju-kay uses his expertise in media and audience data to help companies like Spotify, Target, DISH, and Dotdash Meredith.
For years, June’s Pride Month has been a beacon for brands to demonstrate their support for the LGBTQA+ community, often translating into vibrant advertising campaigns across various media outlets focused on these demographics. Historically, these initiatives have served as a celebration of diversity and inclusivity. They’ve also provided a lucrative opportunity for LGBTQA+-themed publishers who saw significant increases in advertising spend during this period.
However, recent trends indicated a significant shift in Pride Month advertising. Brands have increasingly and unfortunately retreated from public LGBTQA+ supportive ad campaigns, influenced by last year’s Bud Light backlash and growing anti-LGBTQA+ legislation. This pullback did not just take the form of a reduction in rainbow-themed products but was deeply reflected in advertising spend. Major players like Target and Starbucks scaled back their Pride-themed offerings and the ripple effect dampened the financial outlook for LGBTQA+-focused advertising this past Pride Month.
Trend analysis: beyond pride month
This retreat hasn’t been confined to June alone. While our data for this period is still pending – a more comprehensive analysis will be available by mid-July – we analyzed advertising spend across 18 LGBTQA+-themed media outlets including national TV, print publications, and online channels, revealing a broader trend that predates Pride Month. In the first four months of 2024 alone, there was a noticeable decrease in advertising commitment. Here’s a detailed data breakdown:
2023 overview
In 2023, the landscape appeared strong, with more than $63 million spent on advertising across selected LGBTQA+ media outlets, marking a 38% increase from the $45.5 million recorded in 2022. Top advertisers such as pharmaceutical brands Biktarby, Spravato, Dovato, Cabenuva, and Apretude significantly contributed, each investing more than $1.8 million.
Early 2024 trends
The momentum shifted in 2024. From January to April, these outlets witnessed a fairly massive 10% decrease in advertising spend compared to the same period in 2023, with $17.9 million spent down from $19.9 million. However, this still represented a 40% increase from the $12.8 million noted between January and April of 2022. Yes, this is better than 2022. But the numbers suggest a volatile advertising environment for these publishers.
Notable declines
Prominent advertisers like Spravato, My Pillow (surprise!), Vitamin Water, and Harlem (an Amazon Prime Video series) slashed budgets almost entirely. This contributed to a collective $2.2 million drop year-over-year. Similarly, Cabenuva and Virgin Voyages cut expenditures by at least 60%, tallying up to a $929K reduction.
Impact on LGBTQA+ publishers
This decrease in advertising spend could be dire for LGBTQA+-focused media outlets that rely on these revenues. These publishers undoubtedly faced a tough loss this year. As brands retreat, the onus falls on LGBTQA+-focused publishers to find new ways to attract and retain advertisers, ensuring they can continue to serve their audiences effectively.
A strategic reassessment
For brands and advertisers, this LGBTQA+ advertising pullback calls for a strategic reassessment. It is crucial to recognize that while immediate reactions to socio-political pressures might seem necessary, they can also undermine long-term brand loyalty and consumer trust, especially within the LGBTQA+ community.
To navigate this complex landscape, brands should consider more sustainable and genuine engagement strategies that extend beyond the confines of Pride Month. This could involve year-round support through consistent representation in advertising, sponsorship of LGBTQA+ events, and partnerships with LGBTQA+ organizations. By integrating inclusivity into the core of their brand ethos, advertisers can build deeper, more authentic connections with their entire customer base.
The road ahead
These advertising insights underscore a cautious approach taken by brands, reflecting a broader hesitation across industries to engage in what has become a politically-charged atmosphere. For LGBTQA+-focused publishers, the challenge will be to navigate this new landscape where traditional peaks in advertising spend are no longer guaranteed. Depending on the 2024 election, we could see even more volatility.
Publishers in this space must now innovate and perhaps look to diversify their brand customer base. With Pride Month shouldering less of the annual revenue, it may be helpful to consider higher impact media types like video and native advertising to help mitigate losses. Above all, media companies should focus on fostering year-round partnerships with brands willing to commit to diversity, equity and inclusion, regardless of the prevailing political climate.
This data not only sheds light on the challenges facing LGBTQA+-focused publishers but also signals a conservative shift across the entire brand landscape, especially during an election year. Heightened scrutiny and polarization have made advertisers more cautious about brand safety– focusing on where and how their ads are displayed. Publishers that provide content with universally appealing themes, such as family, lifestyle, and travel could attract more advertisers, as a result.
Regardless of how many times Google delays its cookie phase out, publishers need to understand what’s at stake for them in the advertising ecosystem post third-party cookies. Media companies also need to be aware of the various data operations strategies then can experiment with to position themselves for success as first-party data moves to the fore.
ArcSpan Technologies analyzed the extent to which the looming deprecation of third-party cookies in digital advertising requires publishers to revamp their audience data operations in order to maintain and grow their sales results. Through quantifying the expected data monetization disruption that digital media companies face over the coming 12-18 months, we found that there are proactive solutions that offer ways publishers can mitigate material revenue losses.
What’s at stake for media companies
CPMs on Google Chrome will decrease 42%: Based on the value of programmatic advertising over the past eight months based on the presence of third-party cookies (“3PC”) across browsers.
Google Chrome 3PC deprecation puts 25% of publisher’s total revenue at risk: The impact of a 42% decrease in Google Chrome CPMs translates to a 25% overall revenue loss for median publishers in the study.
ArcSpan’s study to measure the impact of cookie deprecation
To measure the potential impact of impending third-party cookie deprecation, ArcSpan analyzed data across a number of top-tier and mid-tier publishers. By dissecting publisher revenue according to channel, browser and cookie presence, we were able to identify the portion of revenue most vulnerable to cookie deprecation.
The analysis looked at the revenue distribution between Direct Sold and Programmatic channels, of which Programmatic is expected to experience the most pronounced revenue impact. ArcSpan observed an average distribution of 20% of revenue stemming from Direct Sales, while 80% was sourced through the programmatic channel.
Next, we analyzed the percent of programmatic impressions and revenue in which third party cookies were present. While these impressions comprised 68% of total programmatic impressions, they accounted for 80% of programmatic revenue. Finally, we isolated the revenue attributable to Chrome browsers in which third-party cookies were present.
Among the publishers analyzed, a median of 60% percent of total revenue was associated with programmatic impressions delivered via the Chrome browser where third-party cookies were present. This portion of revenue will thus be the most impacted by CPM decreases in the event that third-party cookie deprecation occurs without viable and scalable alternatives.
The analysis further quantified the potential revenue impact by observing CPM differences based on whether third-party cookies were present or absent. According to our research, impressions lacking third-party cookies cleared at 42% lower CPMs. To summarize, ArcSpan identified a potential scenario in which 60% of publisher revenue could decrease by 42%, netting a 25% decrease in overall revenue.
Revenue risk grows to 35% amongst heaviest programmatic and Chrome-driven publishers
While a potential revenue decrease of 25% represents the median in our research, the range of outcomes can vary greatly across the publisher spectrum. ArcSpan highlighted a quartile of publishers who were most at-risk as a result of cookie deprecation. Publishers in this quartile tend to have greater than 95% of revenue sourced via programmatic, and greater than 85% of programmatic revenue coming from Chrome programmatic impressions with third party cookies. For this quartile of publishers, the total revenue at risk increased from 25% to 35%.
Advertising success without third party cookies
Leading media companies are developing strategies to both prepare for a future without third party cookies and mitigate potential revenue losses under those conditions. These strategies typically take the form of a portfolio management approach and upgrading publishers’ revenue operations tools with a focus on first-party data quality, accuracy and scale.
These options can support both direct and programmatic revenue:
Develop a first party data strategy: Publishers are creating compelling first-party audience segments by processing and organizing contextual, content consumption, engagement, and offline data signals. Publishers are also investing in collecting first party data from their users by offering on-site engagement tools such as surveys and polls, while more premium publishers have been able to acquire registered and even subscription users. They can then develop differentiated data product offerings to both earn data premiums and grow direct sales.
Participate in audience curation opportunities: In this scenario, publishers with and without a direct sales team can feed audiences into curated deals that meet the buy-side needs to target consistent audience definitions at scale across multiple publishers. By partnering with the right platforms, publishers can leverage A.I. and machine learning to automate site content and data processing to create scalable audiences with accuracy and consistency.
Establish an identity framework: Testing different identifiers to determine open auction uplift is critical for publishers. There needs to be a consistent approach to onboard alternative identifiers and measure their incremental impact in programmatic transactions under different scenarios (type of browser, SSP, etc).
Incorporate first-party data signals in the bid stream:While still evolving offerings like Google PPS and Prebid SDA offer an opportunity to push high quality data signals into the bid request and potentially positively influence bidding behavior.
Explore dynamic flooring: Publishers can leverage machine learning in conjunction with their proprietary data signals to optimize programmatic auction prices.
These options have different degrees of impact and different levels of effort to implement. But as a portfolio, they will help drive incremental revenue in a changing environment.
Although Google has (repeatedly) delayed the timeline for Chrome third-party cookie deprecation, leading publishers are keenly aware that they cannot become complacent. ArcSpan’s research highlights the revenue at stake in the event publishers are forced to accept the level of CPMs that are associated with cookieless impressions today. Regardless of a publisher’s level of readiness, it is important that they identify tools and platforms that can comprehensively address the portfolio of strategies that will enable them to protect and grow their revenue.
Video streaming services (SVODs) are entering a new phase of maturity, characterized by moderate growth in an increasingly crowded market. SVODs are shifting their focus from subscriber acquisition to implementing strategies to achieve profitable growth. Marketplace trends show that advertising and bundling services are integral to the next stage in the SVOD landscape.
According to Antenna’s new State of Subscription report, most new SVOD subscribers selected ad-supported tiers in Q4 2023 and Q1 2024. This practice will likely continue, as ad-supported subscriptions account for over half of the gross additions during this period. Notably, 61% of SVOD consumers opted for the ad-supported service, indicating a significant shift toward ad acceptance. Antenna identifies subscribers in four distinct choice groups:
Ad Takers – Always opt for ads.
Ad Avoiders – Never choose ads.
Ad Managers – Mix and match ad-supported and ad-free plans.
Ad Oblivious – Have not encountered an ad choice.
With 38% of subscriptions now ad-supported, reflecting a 7-point increase from 2023, consumers are increasingly open to ad-supported options. This trend is further apparent by the growing segment of Ad Takers, which has increased by 11.2 million since Q1 2022.
Benefits of bundling
Bundling SVOD services proves to be an effective strategy for reducing churn. Disney and Apple observed a 2 to 6-point improvement in churn rates for their bundled services compared to standalone offerings. Bundling Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ helps retain more subscribers than offering each service separately.
Antenna’s Bundle Benefit Ratio (BBR) measures the potential upside of bundling. It suggests that most premium SVODs have more curious customers than committed ones. This indicates the potential for bundled offerings to convert these curious customers into loyal subscribers.
Curious Customers: Users who have either canceled a service or are currently subscribed to a service for 6 months or less.
Committed Customers: Users who have subscribed to a service for over 6 months and have not canceled it before.
All Premium SVODs, except Netflix, have a higher number of Curious Customers compared to Committed Customers. Netflix’s exceptionally low Bundle Benefit Ratio indicates a higher risk of cannibalization from bundled offerings than other services. Notably, Netflix’s bundling strategies have mainly targeted its Ad-Supported tier. Conversely, Starz and Max have the highest ratios of Curious to Committed customers, indicating substantial potential gains from bundling strategies.
Effective acquisition strategies
The method of subscriber acquisition significantly impacts customer lifetime value (CLTV). Users acquired at full price can have CLTVs that are 52% higher than those acquired via free trials. Full-price subscribers tend to have higher retention rates and greater long-term value. In 2022, 65% of SVOD sign-ups came at full price from day one, continuing into 2023 and Q1 2024.
Promotions also play a critical role in driving annual plan uptake. For instance, when discounted in late 2022, the uptake of Max’s (formerly HBO Max) annual plans increased more than fivefold. This demonstrates that well-timed promotions can significantly boost long-term subscriber commitments.
Growth and churn dynamics
The overall growth of SVOD subscriptions has slowed to a more moderate pace, with a 10.2% year-over-year increase compared to 18.8% in 2023. However, specialty SVOD services have outpaced premium ones, growing at 15.8% YoY versus 9.4%. This growth is driven by niche content that appeals to specific audiences, highlighting the importance of content differentiation in the competitive SVOD market.
SVOD services must optimize pricing and packaging strategies to drive healthy performance. Ad-supported tiers will continue to play a crucial role, with increasing consumer acceptance and the potential for significant revenue from advertisements. Bundling and effective acquisition strategies will also be vital in maintaining and growing subscriber bases. The video streaming industry is evolving towards sustainable and profitable growth. As SVOD services navigate the landscape, they must balance subscriber acquisition with retention strategies, leveraging ads, bundles, and pricing tactics to achieve long-term success.
Signal loss makes it increasingly difficult for advertisers to run campaigns across the open web. Traditional methods for prospecting and direct response are particularly impacted, with only 30% of the open web currently being addressable.
This change places advertisers in a challenging position, making it difficult to reach their target audience and maintain brand equity, especially on the open web. However, publishers and broadcasters are uniquely positioned to assist advertisers in navigating these issues, as they have not experienced signal loss.
Media companies have highly engaged audiences and access to a growing variety and volume of behavioral and contextual data points, which are essential for effective audience modeling. Essentially, publishers are the key to achieving 100% addressability and the future of targeting on the open web. However, to maximize the value of these insights, they need tools that foster collaboration and provide advertisers with clarity amidst the chaos.
To gain insights into how publishers are strategically addressing these issues, Permutive gathered four customers and publishing leaders who are reimagining data collaboration. We asked them where they see opportunities and how they are solving the challenges that arise.
Our panel included Stephanie Mazzamaro, VP, Addressability & Premium Programmatic at The Arena Group, Michael Nuzzo, SVP Data Solutions at Hearst Magazines, Josh Peters, Global Head of Commercial Data Strategy and Programmatic Operations at The Washington Post, and Bethany Hillman, Vice President, Data and Advertising Operations at TelevisaUnivision.
Here are the four key insights from that discussion:
1. Solving for signal loss: What advertisers want
The panel’s resoundingly indicated that advertisers are looking to publishers to solve signal loss across the open web and the addressability data gap caused by privacy regulations and third-party cookie deprecation. Josh Peters at The Washington Post emphasized the complexity of these advertiser requests. He said they are seeing varied inquiries about data access and standards and noted the challenge of advocating for better solutions beyond standard industry offerings. He said: “They want the IAB standard. We have to make the case that we actually have something better.”
Stephanie Mazzamaro at The Arena Group stressed the need for standardizing signals. She explained that one of the big initiatives and challenges for the publisher this year is making the signals a standard but still unique. “How do we still create that special sauce and still provide differentiators in the marketplace?, she mused. On the issue of creating standardized audiences – and echoing Mazzamaro’s challenge – Michael Nuzzo at Hearst Magazines said: “Having a single person be one thing, at any given time, is kind of an impossible task.”
Publishers know their audience, and, through the right tech, can connect the dots and provide insights into audiences that advertisers might not realize. Nuzzo believes it’s important to understand who users are at the right time in a given contextual space and expand beyond existing user bases.
He said that “it’s something that advertisers and agencies understand really well: If someone’s reading about dog food, I should serve them a dog food ad. But we also know, through a taxonomy, that people who are interested in dog food are often outdoor runners because they run with their dogs. And so we open up new audiences, and we’re not just pitching these people into a single segment.”
2. Metrics for success: Moving away from clicks
The Arena Group has put a lot of resources into launching “as many IDs as possible” to find its North Star, and has started shifting from page views to addressability metrics, focusing on user engagement and “stickiness.” Highlighting the role of Permutive’s new identity hub in streamlining these efforts, Mazzamarro said her team has been busy finding ways to use contextual with addressable audiences. They are also focused on finding ways to make them stickier and have created a scorecard internally to measure them.
Amid the furor of made-for-advertising sites (MFAs) and external companies deciding the premium status of publishers, is a focus on quality and equipping premium publishers to tell their own story through insights, which can be used at every stage of the sales cycle. Washington Post, for example. is moving towards quality over quantity, emphasizing time spent and exposure. They are also using clean room interactions for better post-campaign analytics and insights.
Peters told the audience the publisher is being more precise with its actions and feedback to advertisers. For example, if an advertiser spends money in one area, Washington Post can point out another area with better performance and time on site, suggesting they focus more there. He said: “That’s what the advertisers are looking for and that’s where the dollars are going to end up.”
The challenge here is different for broadcasters, particularly given the proximity to its end users in the app environment and considering both linear and digital buyers. TelevisaUnivision is packaging digital metrics with traditional video and CTV platforms, aiming to provide comprehensive audience insights and drive better market adoption. “I’m pulling those linear buyers through,” explained Bethany Hillman at TelevisaUnivision. “Not just saying you have to purchase video and big-screen, but giving them the full concept of all the digital metrics, we’re not just looking at households. Pulling that market along has been the most important piece for us.
3. Identity management: Connecting disparate data
TelevisaUnivision and The Arena Group both see identity management as an important part of their strategies, particularly the need for consolidation and easier data access to drive forward resource allocation and storytelling. Referencing Permutive’s Collaboration and Connectivity products, Bethany Hillman at TelevisaUnivision said: “We have offline pieces. I’m calling APIs to get data in. I’m trying to find coverage in different places. For me, the consolidation is going to be huge.”
Nuzzo at Hearst stressed the responsibility of managing identity data, including consent management and internal collaboration to maximize data utility.
It’s important to be transparent about that data, too. Hearst integrates identity and data with media activations, determining value through CPM uplift. Washington Post has developed a dashboard to track audience transactions and contextual performance, providing transparent and actionable insights company-wide.
4. Clean room: Scaled activation versus single solution
Washington Post and The Arena Group both discussed the challenges of adopting and implementing clean room technologies, calling for clear next steps and collaboration to fully leverage these tools. Mazzamaro said “it’s a checkbox” for agencies when they ask if publishers can access clean rooms. It’s always a positive reaction when a publisher says yes, but that agency always runs something else that does not require a clean room. “Working through adoption is really hard as an industry,” explained Mazzamaro.
TelevisaUnivision highlighted a partnership with Home Depot to illustrate the potential of clean rooms but said that “it’s an oxymoron that clean rooms equal data collaboration.” She said: “What I’ve seen so far is you load your data in, and you get a match rate… where I am collaborating on data? My big hope for clean rooms as we stand them up, is that we see the activation, not just from a one-to-one match perspective, but really to see that growth scale and to collaborate for the first time. So what data can I bring to the table to help that person expand their consumers.”
The critical role of data collaboration
In the face of signal loss, publishers and broadcasters play a vital role in addressing advertisers’ needs for audience reach on the open web. As our panelists have discussed, advertisers are coming to them with requests because they possess highly engaged audiences and access to a wealth of data points.
By leveraging data collaboration strategies and connectivity tools, publishers can advance the industry by consolidating disparate data for effective identity management and fully realizing the potential of clean rooms for scaled activation and data collaboration. These strategies will enable the media industry to continue providing effective audience targeting and drive greater success in an evolving digital landscape.
Last month, I co-led a week-long journalism program during which we visited 16 newsrooms, media outlets and tech companies in New York. This study tour provided an in-depth snapshot of the biggest issues facing the media today and offered insights into some of the potential solutions publishers are exploring to address them.
We met with everyone from traditional media players – like The New York Times, Associated Press, CBS and Hearst – to digital providers such as Complex Media and ProPublica, as well as conversations with academics and policy experts. Based upon these visits and conversations, here are four key takeaways about the state of media and content publishing today.
1. Hands-on AI experience matters
Not surprisingly, AI dominated many conversations. Although recent research shows the American public is both skeptical and surprisingly unaware of these tools, the emergence of Generative AI – and the discussions around it – are impossible to ignore.
One mantra oft repeated throughout the week was that everyone in the media will need to be conversant with AI. Despite this, research has shown that many newsrooms are hesitant about adopting these technologies. Others, however, are taking a more proactive approach. “I like playing offense, not defense, Aimee Rinehart, Senior Product Manager AI Strategy at the Associated Press, told us. “Figure out how the tools work and your limits.”
With many media companies having to do more with less, AI can help improve workflows, support labor-intensive work like investigative journalism, as well as streamline and diversify content creation and distribution. By harnessing these AI-powered functions, smaller outlets may benefit the most, given the efficiencies these resource-strapped players may be able to unlock.
Reporting on AI is also an emerging journalistic beat. This is an area more newsrooms are likely to invest in, given AI’s potential to radically reshape our lives. As Hilke Schellmann, an Emmy‑award winning investigative reporter and journalism professor at NYU, told us “we used to hold powerful people to account, now we have to add holding AI accountable.”
Echoing Schellmann’s sentiments, “every journalist should be experimenting with AI,” one ProPublica journalist said. “We owe it to our audience to know what this is capable of.”
2. Demonstrating distinctiveness and value is imperative
One fear of an AI-driven world is that traffic to publishers will tank as Generative Search, and tools like ChatGPT, remove the need for users to visit the sites of creators and information providers. In that environment, distinctiveness, trustworthy and fresh content becomes more valuable than ever. “You need to produce journalism that gives people a reason to show up,” says Ryan Knutson, co-host of The Wall Street Journal’s daily news podcast, The Journal.
In response, publishers will need to demonstrate their expertise and unique voice. That means leaning more into service journalism, exclusives, and formats like explainers, analysis, newsletters, and podcasts.
Bloomberg’s John Authers, exemplifies this in his daily Points of Return newsletter. With more than three decades of experience covering markets and investments, he brings a longitudinal and distinctive human perspective to his reporting. Alongside this, scoops still matter, Authers suggests. After all, “journalism is about finding out something other people don’t know,” he says.
Media players also need to make a more effective case as to why original content needs to be supported and paid for. As Gaetane Michelle Lewis, SEO leader at the Associated Press, put it, “part of our job is communicating to the audience what we have and that you need it.”
For a non-profit like ProPublica that means demonstrating impact. They publish three impact reports a year, and their Annual Report highlights how their work has led to change at a time when “many newsrooms can no longer afford to take on this kind of deep-dive reporting.”
“Our North Star is the potential to make a positive change through impact,” Communications Director, Alexis Stephens, said. And she emphasized how “this form of journalism is critical to democracy.”
The New York Times’ business model is very different but its publisher, A.G. Sulzberger, has similarly advocated for the need for independent journalism. As he put it, “a fully informed society not only makes better decisions but operates with more trust, more empathy, and greater care.”
Given the competition from AI, streaming services, and other sources of attention, media outlets will increasingly need to advocate more forcefully for support through subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, and advertising. In doing this, they’ll need to address what sets them apart from the competition, and why this matters on a wider societal level.
“This is a perilous time for the free press,” Sulzberger told The New Yorker last year. “That reality should animate anyone who understands its central importance in a healthy democracy.”
3. Analytics and accessibility go hand in hand
Against this backdrop, finding and retaining audiences is more important than ever. However, keeping their attention is a major challenge. Data from Chartbeat revealed that half the audiences visiting outlets in their network stay on a site for fewer than 15 seconds.
This has multiple implications. From a revenue perspective, this may mean users aren’t on a page long enough for ad impressions to count. It also challenges outlets to look at how content is produced and presented.
In a world where media providers continue to emphasize growing reader revenues, getting audiences to dig deeper and stay for longer, is essential. “The longer someone reads, the more likely they are to return,” explained Chartbeat’s CMO Jill Nicolson.
There isn’t a magic wand to fix this. Tools for publishers to explore include compelling headlines, effective formats, layout, and linking strategies. Sometimes, Nicolson said, even small modifications can make all the difference.
These efforts don’t just apply to your website. They apply to every medium you use. Brendan Dunne of Complex Media referred to the need for “spicy titles” for episodes of their podcasts and YouTube videos. Julia D’Apolito, Associate Social Editor at Hearst Magazines, shared how their approach to content might be reversed. “We’ve been starting to do social-first projects… and then turning them into an article,” she said, rather than the other way round.
Staff at The New York Times also spoke about the potential for counter-programing. One way to combat news fatigue and avoidance is to shine a light on your non-news content. The success of NYT verticals such as Cooking, Wirecutter, and Games shows how diversifying content can create a more compelling and immersive proposition, making audiences return more often.
Lastly, language and tone matters. As one ProPublica journalist put it, “My editor always says pretend like you’re writing for Sesame Steet. Make things accurate, but simple.” Reflecting on their podcasts, Dunne also stresses the need for accessibility. “People want to feel like they’re part of a group chat, not a lecture,” he said.
Fundamentally, this also means being more audience-centric in the way that stories are approached and told. “Is the angle that’s interesting to us as editors the same as our audiences?” Nicolson asked us. Too often, the data would suggest, it is not.
4. Continued concern about the state of local news
Finally, the challenges faced by local news media, particularly newspapers, emerged in several discussions. Steven Waldman, the Founder and CEO of Rebuild Local News, reminded us that advertising revenue at local newspapers had dropped 82% in two decades. The issue is not “that the readers left the papers,” he said, “it’s that the advertisers did.”
For Waldman, the current crisis is an opportunity not just to “revive local news,” but also to “make better local news.” This means creating a more equitable landscape with content serving a wider range of audiences and making newsrooms more diverse. “Local news is a service profession,” he noted. “You’re serving the community, not the newsroom.”
According to new analysis, the number of partisan-funded outlets designed to appear like impartial news sources (so-called “pink slime” sites) now surpasses the number of genuine local daily newspapers in the USA. This significantly impacts the news and information communities receive, shaping their worldviews and decision-making.
Into this mix, AI is also rearing its ugly head. While it can be hugely beneficial for some media companies—“AI is the assistant I prayed for,” saysParis Brown, associate editor of The Baltimore Times. However, it can also be used to fuel misinformation, accelerating pink slime efforts.
“AI is supercharging lies,” one journalist at ProPublica told us, pointing to the emergence of “cheap fakes” alongside “deep fakes,” as content which can confirm existing biases. The absence of boots on the ground makes it harder for these efforts to be countered. Yet, as Hilke Schellmann, reminded us “in a world where we are going to be swimming in generative text, fact-checking is more important [than ever].”
This emerging battleground makes it all the more important for increased funding for local news. Legislative efforts, increased support from philanthropy, and other mechanisms can all play a role in helping grow and diversify this sector. Steven Waldman puts it plainly: “We have to solve the business model and the trust model at the same time,” he said.
All eyes on the future
The future of media is being written today, and our visit to New York provided a detailed insight into the principles and mindsets that will shape these next few chapters.
From the transformative potential of AI, to the urgent need to demonstrate distinctiveness and value, it is clear that sustainability has to be rooted in adaptability and innovation.
Using tools like AI and Analytics to inform decisions, while balancing this with a commitment to quality and community engagement is crucial. Media companies who fail to harness these technologies are likely to get left behind.
In an AI-driven world, more than ever, publishers need to stand out or risk fading away. Original content, unique voices, counter-programming, being “audience first,” and other strategies can all play a role in this. Simultaneously, media players must also actively advocate for why their original content needs to be funded and paid for.
Our week-long journey through the heart of New York’s media landscape challenged the narrative that news media and journalism are dying. It isn’t. It’s just evolving. And fast.