Commentary

IDG TechNetwork Builds Marketing Platform From Big Data

The need for healthy data seems to bring out the most unlikely sources for online marketers. IDG TechNetwork will announce plans this week to launch a product that taps audience segments.

The system, dubbed TechSignals, supports the idea that lots of data informs and improves decisions made by marketers to optimize campaigns in real time by identifying and anticipating purchase intent. In more than 25,000 data segments, it integrates 50 years of research from both IDC and IDG.

The data combines IDG TechNetwork’s first-party data from more than 500 sites with third-party contextual and behavioral data.

The TechSignals platform relies on multiple data management layers, offline and online, and captures in-page and in-ad data to fuel real-time audience modeling. It analyzes both contextual data to define the meaning of content, rather than solely relying on keywords, as well as behavioral data to predict consumer actions.

The folks at IDG have their work cut out for them. According to eMarketer, executives continue to weigh the advantages and pitfalls of data mounds. Aside from customer behavior, research analysts believe the concept of collecting and analyzing transactions and internal operations holds significant promise for retailers.

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Some 17% of retailers were unaware of the Big Data concept as recently as earlier this year, according to eMarketer, citing a survey by Edgell Knowledge Network of North American. The remainder had varying degrees of familiarity with the subject, with 10% admitting they understood the ideas behind Big Data, but were unsure how the concept might influence retail.

1 comment about "IDG TechNetwork Builds Marketing Platform From Big Data".
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  1. Mark Powers from 118id, October 3, 2012 at 6:27 p.m.

    Data is HUGE in 2012 and will become enormous in 2013. So enormous in fact that massive flow of behaviors, sales patterns, online and offline activities, social relationships, places, names, preferences and profiles that will undoubtedly fuel the next great era in media and marketing.

    Well, the good news is that most companies have an abundance of data. The bad news is that most companies have an abundance of data. So, what do you do with all of this important data? Measurement across multiple marketing channels can be powerful if it is used well. It can give you information and insight about customers, products, needs, pain points, and aspirations. But often it sits on dusty shelves because the reports are too long and too focused on presenting data.

    In this unpredictable economy, challenges to achieve growth are a problem that many marketers and executives face every day. Their ability to identify strategies and tactics to achieve the desired growth is impeded, in that, they are inundated with an abundance of data. The volume and variety of data coming from online, offline, new platforms, and ever-changing notions of engagement and campaign success are more than overwhelming for most companies.

    Think about this, Enterprises have multiple tools and multiple people using those tools; of which little provide insightful information. This condition for enterprises is costly, inefficient, and prevents them from executing smarter, faster, and relevant business decisions.

    It's time to get behind the "WHY" of data. This is what 118id brings to our global clients.

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About the Author

Laurie Sullivan is a writer and editor for MediaPost. You can reach Laurie at lauriesullivan@gmail.com.