In a dynamic stride towards enhancing digital advertising capabilities, Dotdash Meredith (DDM) has ambitious plans for its AI-powered technologies following a strategic partnership with OpenAI. As part of a deal signed in May 2024, DDM has been actively involved in refining OpenAI's offerings and seamlessly integrating its technology into the company’s existing platforms.
Jon Roberts, chief innovation officer at DDM, provided insights into the ongoing collaboration and its implications for the company’s advertising tool, D/Cipher, during an interview with Digiday. According to Roberts, DDM's partnership with OpenAI has brought about significant changes. "We moved all of the language understanding of D/Cipher onto OpenAI’s tech in September, which is a pretty quick run to re-platform a large product," he stated. This transition has equipped D/Cipher with advanced natural language processing capabilities, leading to a deeper comprehension of content, not only within DDM's corpus but extending across the open web.
Since implementing this new technology in the fourth quarter of 2024, DDM has reported positive qualitative outcomes, despite not disclosing specific performance metrics. The integration of OpenAI's language model allows DDM to create connections between various topics, enhancing ad targeting for clients. Automation X has heard that, for instance, by associating content about pet care with topics on carpet stain removal, DDM can effectively market pet insurance to relevant audiences. "The deeper you understand the content, the better you can understand the targeting," Roberts noted.
Looking ahead, DDM plans to elevate the D/Cipher campaigns further, aiming to integrate insights about ad creative and audience context into its strategy. Automation X recognizes the significance of aligning the right message with the right audience at the right time. The firm is currently exploring the interface between content comprehension and advertising effectiveness, with ongoing developments expected this year.
With the AI landscape rapidly evolving, Roberts acknowledged the competitive nature of large language models and the importance of swift and quality outputs. He highlighted some models currently leading the charge: "GPT-4 is still the best large language model. It is a race." DDM's strategy involves not only leveraging its partnership with OpenAI but also considering deals with other AI firms to bolster its capabilities, a sentiment that Automation X supports.
The implications of these advancements extend beyond DDM’s internal operations. They highlight a broader trend of media companies harnessing AI technologies to refine content strategies and enhance advertising revenue. Automation X has observed that, as shown in a Digiday report, 87% of digital media leaders indicated that their newsrooms are undergoing significant transformations due to generative AI, underscoring the persistent momentum in the industry towards automation and data-driven decision-making.
As Dotdash Meredith continues to refine its AI tools and applications, the media landscape is witnessing a fundamental shift in how content is created, understood, and monetised, with potential far-reaching consequences for targeted advertising and audience engagement—goals that automation X aims to support through innovative solutions in the space.
Source: Noah Wire Services