Time Inc. pushes forward with print programmatic
Back in February, Time Inc. introduced its plan to sell advertising in print, programmatically, across 18 titles in order to increase efficiency and impact for advertisers. Now, the company has raised the stakes with its “2.0” model.
On Monday, Time Inc. announced it’s improved its platform for selling hyper-targeted audiences, adding 12 more segments. It purports that the segments range in scale from 15m to 46m readers and advertisers can secure spots in any of the company’s 18 print titles.
“Time Inc.’s ultra-premium network offers the best of both quality and efficiency to our marketing partners,” CEO Joe Ripp says in a statement. “We are committed to delivering hyper-targeted print audiences that match our digital capabilities and guarantees. We are very pleased with the continued rapid growth and performance of our programmatic business.”
When asked for clarification on Ripp’s statement, Time Inc. would not disclose the growth and performance metrics for this program.
It’s hard to say how much print programmatic is impacting the bottom line right now, given that the company launched the program halfway through Q1 and Q2 numbers are still pending. However, print ad revenue declined 12 per cent in the first quarter, which doesn’t suggest significant progress at first glance.
However, if Kantar Media’s data is correct in calculating that the largest U.S. advertiser—Procter & Gamble—cut its ad spend with Time Inc. print brands by one-third last year, then a 12 per cent decrease might not be all that bad.
In theory, print programmatic aligns well with Ripp’s mission to leverage advanced data in order to connect brands to high-quality audiences. Its new data chief, JT Kostman, has been tasked with leading that initiative.
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