• by Wayne Friedman , May 16, 2018

Unlike TV rivals, CBS isn’t joining the crowd in cutting back on advertising inventory this season. Instead, during its upfront presentation, CBS offered a new data product for advertisers.

Called DnA (Data And Audience), CBS' tool intends to offer more specific TV-related data for marketers, no matter what their campaign objectives are.

“DnA allows us to use data to better understand our audience, to activate your campaigns, and provide the analytics and attribution you seek,” said Jo Ann Ross, president/chief advertising revenue officer for CBS Corp., speaking to advertising executives at its upfront presentation.

Ross say DnA will work for all advertisers -- those buying mass-reach demographics, specific optimize audience targets, or “one to one” addressability.

“And we guarantee it,” she said, alluding to other networks' efforts to offer guarantees on new business outcome data metrics.

While NBCUniversal, Fox and Turner networks have touted efforts to trim commercial loads, CBS has no advertising reduction plans.

Says Ross: “Unlike those focused on commercial loads, we do not believe advertising is ruining the television business. We are unapologetic about our support for advertising and the premium environment.”

Ross praised CBS’ ongoing traditional TV reach, adding that CBS' digital expansion -- CBS All Access, CBSN and other digital platforms -- continues to grow. “While others are busy playing catch up, we already have captured a boatload of new subscribers and exclusive first-party data.”