IOL moves closer to the 'segment of one'

Initiated and facilitated by Lotame’s official reseller in Africa, Mark1 Media, IOL’s first-party data, coupled with the third-party data available on the Lotame Data Exchange (LDX), means that they can target audiences beyond their own inventory.

The LDX allows IOL to gain more knowledge about their own users and expand it by seeking out ‘lookalike’ audiences from across the Internet. Through Lotame, IOL’s audience data can also now be bought by advertisers programmatically, or through direct deals.

This development will lead to growth in the South African digital industry, as the industry moves closer to the ‘segment of one’ – a concept which encapsulates the idea that in future, only content that is relevant will be seen.

“We are pleased to be working with a partner with significant international experience and expertise that will benefit Independent and the industry in South Africa. In comparison with other countries, the data available of South African online habits is limited, we are confident that our partnership will add value to the knowledge base within Independent Media and in particular, about our online audiences,” says Walter Madzonga, vice president of Independent Media.

Brands and advertisers will be able to cut down on ad spend and communicate directly with users who are more likely to convert.

"Lotame provides an intuitive solution as a truly independent data management platform, allowing for the strategic activation of our online data collection points. This enables us to provide a richer, more validated experience overall to our loyal audiences, online customers as well as our commercial partners," adds Simon Duvenage, ad operations manager at Independent Media.

All data collected is Non-Personally Identifiable Information (NPII data) – meaning that it cannot be linked to a specific individual. Instead, only statistical information is taken from the user and added to an audience segment.

Sales director of Mark1 Media, Joe Steyn-Begley, concludes, “It’s very exciting to be in digital media right now, with IOL taking a huge leap forward and taking control of their first-party data. They will lead the way for other publishers to do the same, which can only benefit publishers, advertisers, and consumers alike.”

For more information, visit www.mark1.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.