As a media company, Time Inc. remains committed to backing those covers with hard-hitting stories. Moreover, how do we target the consumer based on everything we know about them? When we look at the consumption of content from the publisher side, we can tell a lot in terms of what readers are interested in—what drives them or what they may have a social affinity towards. If you are just an ad tech player, you don’t necessarily have all of that behavioral and affinity data you can get from content. Persistency is important because what we know about digital behavior is that behind it are cookies and cookies expire. The goal is also to make all forms of data accessible to editorial folks so it’s not just the data people who are able to use it. You want editorial data to be self-serving and easy to access so that people can actually use it. The Foundry, for example, uses a natural language discovery platform that captures social signals so that the content development starts with data. How important is data to the future of Time Inc. and other publishers? Unlocking it looks like what we are talking about—when insights, activation, and measurement are operating at a very high level.
Time Inc., the publisher of the most iconic magazine covers of the 20th Century, is in the business of sending shockwaves throughout the media. From Ellen Degeneres coming out to detailed images of the 9/11 attack to the 2017 anointment of President Trump as “Person of the Year,” Time has slapped some of history’s most controversial issues on its cover.
As a media company, Time Inc. remains committed to backing those covers with hard-hitting stories. In the last decade, it has also developed a substantial advertising arm. It’s content studio, The Foundry, offers brands access to the same kind of talent and tools that power the newsroom. And all of The Foundry’s efforts are supported by vast troves of consumer data that help the creative process.
I recently spoke with Judith Hammerman, VP of global data commercialization at Time Inc., to learn more about the relationship between data and content inside the company. During our interview, Hammerman touched on the impact of targeting, why artificial intelligence could help publishers, and what advantage Time has over Facebook and Google.
Why is data critical for advertisers?
Data is a tool that allows advertisers to pinpoint consumers not only at an audience level, but also at a people-based level. The real question is how do we bring data to life in a way that makes it actionable? Moreover, how do we target the consumer based on everything we know about them?
How would you describe terms like ‘data economy’ or ‘commercialization of data’ to people who are not familiar with ad tech?
Data isn’t something we can physically see, which is why it is so hard for people to grasp its value. It’s not tangible yet its information that informs us, allows us to compete, to activate users, and measure success. Data gives us a roadmap to navigate through the content creation and consumer journey.
I often think about data in the form of Muhammed Ali’s quote: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Your hands can’t hit what your eyes don’t see.” This gets at the idea that data is not just a tool, it’s a competitive advantage we bring to commercialization.
What advantages do publishers have over tech companies like Facebook or Google when it comes to collecting and using data?
When we look at the consumption of content from the publisher side, we can tell a lot in terms of what readers are interested in—what drives them or what they may have…
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