We have long believed that the New York Times needs to explain to readers and users the range of digital marketing technologies and strategies it deploys. The Times (and its Times Digital) uses behavioral targeting and is currently working with Revenue Science. Revenue Science proudly proclaims that the “behaviors of more than 120 million individuals are tracked and aggregated from across the Internet.” Claiming it relies on “powerful Boolean logic” to propel its tracking and targeting effort, Revenue Science explains that it places users into discrete targeting segments “… based on multiple criteria that demonstrate interest or intent to buy. For example, to qualify for our automotive audience, users might read multiple articles and take specific actions such as filling out a loan calculator. Revenue Science uses Boolean logic to find and segment multilayered behaviors to reach the right audience…Revenue Science Targeting Marketplace connects people to engaging advertising with the most advanced behavioral and targeting capabilities available, and the marketers that choose Revenue Science benefit from advanced data intelligence to reach the right people, at the right time, every time.”
The Times Co. has been a leader in the online marketing arena for almost two decades now (as we explain in our book). Online is an important revenue segment for the Times Co. (as it must and should be for all newspapers). The Times “web analytics group” is looking for a “senior web analytics manager.” We think what such a person and the group does raises privacy and related issues. Here is an excerpt from the job announcement: “The New York Times web analytics group is responsible for measuring and understanding the largest and most influential online newspaper audience in the world… As a senior web analytics manager, you will be expected to:
• Deeply understand the NYTimes.com audience and their behavior
• Support the analytic needs of the company by using WebTrends and other analytical tools to understand trends in web traffic…
Work with the NYT customer insight group to coordinate and focus quantitative and qualitative analysis related to audience behavior…”
Ultimately, web analytics, tracking and targeting techniques will have an impact on journalism-some good, others not-so-good. When an online publication understands exactly what the most desirable demographic–or even individual–wants in terms of news, it will have an impact on news budgets, we believe. So think more entertainment and less serious journalism down the road. Not at places like the Times, we hope, but certainly at many other publications. But for newspapers to remain a credible source of information during this crucial transition phase for journalism, they must address the privacy and online marketing “ecosystem” they have embraced.
