Commentary

Upfront 2017: Where Is Your Data Coming From?

Looking to launder some information, perhaps some marketing data? Or just your dirty laundry? For the all the discussion of real news, fake news, substandard news -- now we have laundered news. And maybe other information.

Reports now suggest Russians laundered all their presidential campaign-related email information through WikiLeaks. Why? Because the perception that WikiLeaks is a better source of information for the public to digest than say... Russian digital platforms. (Many in the U.S. Intelligence community also consider WikiLeaks an arm for Russian disinformation.)

Other reports say Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, got intelligence information while making an impromptu visit to the White House — only to go back to the next day to deliver that same information to White House.

The thinking here: Delivery of that information through an impartial source is important.

We don’t know if any of these stories are true. However, we understand the value of where data/information comes.

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For marketers, highly valuable data-driven marketing information is coming in big waves and much of it can be confusing. This includes first-party sources (marketers’ own CRM data), third party (syndicated research companies), and party (such as set top TV boxes) and other party data.

Is any of this laundered information? We hope not. But it begs the question -- now more than ever -- where does data/information comes from?

For marketers this is especially true going into this year’s TV upfront market where fractionalization of the linear TV marketplace continues. All this comes on top of marketers’ increasing concerns about fraud and viewability of the digital media platforms.

Some years ago at one of MediaPost’s Outfront events, a major cable network research executive stood up and asked a question regarding a presentation of a digital video provider, regarding a specific data point on a presentation chart.

After some mumbling by the presenter, the research network executive interrupted and said, in an incriminating way:  “I’ll tell you! You don’t know where you got it from!”

So it's fair to wonder about data being presented this year at the traditional upfront presentations or the newfront presentations by the digital media platforms.

Hope that everyone gets answers -- and can point potential business partners in the right direction.

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