Bolstering Hero One’s targeting ability is cultural insights data from Hero Media around various lifestyle interests to further inform targeting, which can then be used in AdTheorent’s machine learning models.
“You can’t have great qualitative insights without professionals that are from the culture,” Anthony said.
Publisher-centric versus audience-centric
Low-quality audience segments have led some advertisers to prefer finding diverse audiences by buying diverse-owned media either through PMPs or working with specialized SSPs like Colossus.
“Understanding the context and the purpose of that [media] property is the best way to identify certain audiences without always defaulting to race and creed and sexuality,” said Mark Walker, CEO of Colossus owner Direct Digital Holdings.
Hero One believes it has a different value proposition than sell-side solutions.
“We’re not in the where business, but the how and the who business,” Anthony said.
Encouraging cautious media agencies to use solutions like Hero One can be tricky, said Iesha White, a consultant on diverse and multicultural media who has worked at brands and agencies.
“When Google comes out with new products, no one needs case studies,” White said, noting multicultural solutions are often held to a higher standard. “When it comes to a new challenger in the [multicultural] space, they need a case study.”
“Programmatic media buyers are going to need to be brave,” White added. “We owe it to ourselves to give it a try. If it doesn’t work, we can always turn it off.”
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