How the NYT is using first-party data for better advertising

This year, the New York Times launched an advertising data program for direct-sold ads using just its own first-party data.

Why it matters

“This first-party program is our answer to the shifting landscape of online advertising data and part of our move to better protect our readers’ privacy,” Pranay Prabhat, senior director of digital ad technology at the organization explained in a blog post.

“Our program doesn’t rely on third-party data or cookies, but instead focuses only on what readers do on our site and mobile apps.”

In short, the system attempts to replace a data management platform (DMP) that would integrate the client, publisher, and third-party data. This new system from the Times allows the organization to be much more flexible.

How it works

Three streams form the work:

• Data science – machine-learning models based on reader-survey responses determine what ads are sent to the system.
• Add to this a suite of further behavioural data points.
• When users visit the Times, a microservice will be activated on the server-side, delivering an ad at low latency.

The NYT says the system is working. “Campaigns targeted on the first-party data perform equally well as campaigns targeted on third-party data.”

Sourced from The New York Times