Penske Media uses CDP for advertisers to reach digital users //

Penske Media Corporation (PMC), began using a customer profile (CDP), from Treasure Data, less than two years ago to unify data across large-name titles such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, and Variety. PMG boasts 130 million unique monthly visitors across all of their digital properties.

Users authenticated on one digital property can then be identified on the other using the first-party data that is unified in the CDP. This allows PMC to deliver more relevant experiences for visitors and creates more opportunities for advertisers.

There are three types of first-party data

Before the implementation of the CDP, 95% visitors to PMC’s digital websites were anonymous and unauthenticated. The publisher was able to create a profile for each user and maintain continuity as they return to the site or visit another PMC touchpoint.

Users could be authenticated and more first-party information could be created around them in their unified profile. There are three main categories that contain the first-party data from the CDP.

Declared Data. This data is what individuals share with publishers when they sign up for events, newsletters, or take surveys. This data is also called zero-party data.

Behavioral data. These are the actions that users take when they interact with PMC’s digital property. This includes the pages they visit, how long they stay on each page, and other metrics.

“We can gather these types of metrics real-time to help us understand which type of content or user engages with our content,” stated Brett Goverman (PMC’s associate vice President, data strategy, ), at The MarTech Conference. “That’s what really helps us reach lower-funnel audiences.”

Contextual information. This data is based upon the types of content that users interact with on PMC sites. Publishers can provide relevant ads and promotions to users based on their interests.

Get deeper: Extracting value from zero-party

Activating customer data for improved experiences and relevant ads

To improve the customer experience, the publisher uses contextual data. Visitors who are interested in entertainment will likely be directed to content within that category or one related.

Sponsored experiences and ads can also be made possible by contextual targeting. A user might be offered a newsletter sign-up if they visit the site for the first times. If a returning visitor or someone who has signed up for the newsletter previously, they might be offered a poll or other newsletter that may be of interest to them. They might be invited to sign-up for an event. It is important to not repeat yourself and to let users know the options that are most appropriate based on their context and behavior.

Get deeper: How companies leverage clean rooms and first party data

Once enough data has been collected from individuals, advertisers can target them as a segment or targeted audience.

Brett stated that this is where first party data thrives and creates an extremely unique and proprietary solution you won’t find anywhere else. “Because of our ability to collect all data signals across declared contextual or behavioral data, we can package it up to ensure that not only users who are reading or streaming content see your message but also users who have interacted previously with the content [in future].”

He said, “We are able make sure that premium brands can continue that conversation beyond that one page.” This really helps us to connect brands with the right people at the right moment.

How Penske Media uses CDP for advertisers to reach digital users was first published on MarTech.