News and Insights
MEDIA PULSE: JANUARY 2025
January 22, 2025
This month’s issue of Media Pulse is all about the evolution of precision marketing in unexpected places. From empowering consumers with zero-party data to leveraging bioinformatics for perfectly timed ads, and even AI-driven product placements that feel like they were always meant to be there — we’re exploring how brands are rethinking the rules of engagement to connect with audiences in smarter, more personal ways.
tl;dr:
Zero-party data is empowering consumers to profit from their own information, bioinformatics is changing the game for ad timing, and AI is giving product placement a futuristic, seamless makeover.
#1 Zero-Party Data Marketplaces: Power to the People
The constant ebb & flow in our industry’s cookieless future has left us wondering: is there a better way to access data? Imagine a world where consumers get paid every time a brand asks about their coffee order, vacation preferences, or even B2B insights like tech stack information. This future is here. Last quarter, over 2 million consumers joined blockchain-verified data marketplaces, sharing preferences with brands and earning cash or tokens in return.
Welcome to the era of zero-party data — where consumers are in direct control of their information, revolutionizing the traditional data economy.
💓 The Pulse
- The Infrastructure: Blockchain platforms enable consumers to share detailed profiles, from shopping preferences to sustainability values, using smart contracts to securely manage and monetize their data.
- Fair Exchange: Consumers earn direct compensation (crypto, tokens, or cash) while brands receive high-quality, verified data straight from their target audience.
- It’s Paying Off: Major retailers are investing heavily in verified data, with luxury brands offering up to $50 per detailed profile — and seeing strong ROI.
Real-Life Win: A premium running brand used a zero-party data marketplace for its Fall launch, tapping into verified athlete profiles. By accessing data on running habits, gear rotation, and training goals, they eliminated guesswork. Results included a 45% spike in first-week sales, 70% less ad waste, and a 50% higher average order value.
OUR TAKE
This isn’t just personalization 2.0 – it’s precision marketing. Zero-party data empowers consumers to become active partners in the advertising ecosystem, reshaping the way brands connect with their audience.
#2 The Human Side of Engagement
Let’s take targeting to a deeper level — literally. Welcome to the era of bioinformatics, where brands are leveraging consumers’ biological patterns streamed directly from wearables. Your smartwatch isn’t just tracking steps anymore; it’s unlocking insights into your unique daily energy cycles and cognitive states.
Brands are using this data to identify optimal moments of engagement, aligning messaging with when you’re most receptive. Early adopters are already seeing results, reporting engagement rates up to 3x higher when messaging sync with personal circadian rhythms.
Take Oura Ring’s 2020 partnership with Gucci as an example: luxury consumers willingly shared sleep patterns and stress levels with a trusted brand. Now, imagine that same biological data driving tailored interactions. Instead of generic mindfulness notifications, your meditation app could prompt calming exercises when your cortisol peaks or deliver focus exercise right when your attention naturally dips. It’s powerful — and yes, a little creepy. But the technology is here, so why not use it?
💓 The Pulse
- Beyond the Clock: AI analyzes wearable data to pinpoint “cognitive receptivity windows,” or the moments when users are most likely to engage meaningfully with specific content.
- Ethics First: Operating on an explicit opt-in, the system emphasizes transparency and user control. Early data shows that 72% of consumers are willing to share biological data in exchange for more timely, relevant content.
- Products First: While many brands are already using bio-rhythm data to enhance product experiences, its use in advertising is just beginning to gain traction. Expect more brands to explore this frontier in 2025.
OUR TAKE
This isn’t just another targeting layer – it’s a paradigm shift in ad delivery. By aligning engagement with biological patterns, brands can create more meaningful connections and reduce ad fatigue. The future of advertising isn’t just about reaching the right person; it’s about reaching them at the right time.
#3 Product Placement’s AI Makeover
Remember when product placement meant an actor awkwardly holding a soda or betting your entire budget on a single scene? Those days are over. AI is revolutionizing product placement, enabling real-time, personalized integration of products into streaming content.
Here’s a standout example: A luxury auto manufacturer discovered that potential car buyers frequently browse real estate listings — after all, a new home often leads to a new car. Using AI-powered placement technology, they digitally inserted their latest models into property listing photos, perfectly parked in driveways. The placements were geotargeted to key markets, ensuring the right audience saw their vehicles in relevant moments, driving users to landing pages.
💓 The Pulse
- Contextual Intelligence: AI analyzes scene context, viewer demographics, and brand requirements to identify ideal placement opportunities in real-time.
- Dynamic Adaptation: Products can be seamlessly inserted, swapped, or updated across content without reshoots or complex post-production.
- Performance Tracking: Brands can now measure engagement with placed products across different audiences and contexts, allowing real-time optimization.
OUR TAKE
This is the start of truly personalized content integration, offering brands an efficient way to create seamless connections with their audience. As platforms gather more consumer data and AI capabilities grow, expect even more sophisticated placements that blur the line between content and commerce. The future isn’t just about placing products — it’s about making them feel like they’ve always belonged.