Blake Talarico, Head of Commercial Data, Are Media
Marketers don’t have a data problem. They have a signal quality problem.
For years, the industry has optimised for scale, with more impressions, more identifiers and more signals. That model worked in a world where data was abundant and easily accessible. But it is increasingly out of step with the reality we are now operating in.
Privacy regulations are tightening. Identifiers are fragmenting. AI is accelerating the volume of data without necessarily improving its value. More data no longer equals better understanding.
In response, the industry has invested heavily in connection. Connecting platforms, unifying customer journeys and building a single view of the customer. That work has been necessary as it has addressed real fragmentation and created a level of visibility that did not exist before.
The risk of more
But as we know, visibility is not the same as clarity. Connecting systems without improving the underlying signals doesn’t lead to better decisions. It adds complexity. More dashboards, more overlap, more noise and ultimately, harder choices.
Our instinct has been to add more. More data, more enrichment, more inputs. But more doesn’t equal better. It dilutes what actually matters.
This is where many data strategies start to break down, not because there isn’t enough data, but because the underlying signals aren’t strong enough to guide decisions. Which is where the focus needs to shift.
Why signal quality matters
The opportunity isn’t to collect more data or even connect it more effectively. It’s to improve the quality of the signals that underpin it.
The most valuable signals are grounded in observed behaviour, what people engage with, what they actively explore and what they return to over time. These are signals of intent, not just identity. And intent is what drives outcomes.
A different opportunity
One of the reasons I joined Are Media is that the business is at a point where it can take a different approach.
A significant amount of work has already gone into building the right foundations – bringing together fragmented data sources, progressing towards a privacy-by-design framework and creating a more unified view of audience behaviour.
But what makes Are Media different isn’t just the infrastructure. It’s the nature of the signals within it. Across its portfolio of trusted brands, Are Media isn’t simply capturing audience identity at scale. It is capturing behaviour. What people choose to read, watch, save and return to. What they actively seek out and spend time with.
In that sense, Are Media is not just a data ecosystem. It is a house of intent signals, from one of the most powerful consumers, Australian women.
The transformation underway, particularly the ability to unify identity and enable 1:1 addressable targeting across more than 8 million authenticated users, creates a powerful opportunity not just to reach audiences, but to understand them through the lens of intent.
That means using this infrastructure to identify patterns of engagement, influence and intent over time, not to replicate legacy approaches to scale and targeting, but to move beyond them. It requires a more deliberate approach to what data is prioritised, how it is interpreted and how it is ultimately applied.
Where it shows up in practice
This shift is already evident in how brands approach partnerships. In a recent campaign with Strand, the focus was not on broad reach, but on engaging audiences already demonstrating strong fashion and shopping intent.
Through content-led integrations across marie claire, ELLE and WHO, the brand appeared in moments of active consideration, supported by environments where those signals were already present.
The result was an 89 per cent uplift in average order value, alongside strong revenue growth and a measurable shift in brand perception.
It is a clear example of how aligning with intent, rather than scale, can deliver more meaningful outcomes.
From signals to decisions
Even with higher-quality signals and better-connected systems, there is still a gap. Data can show what is happening and help explain why, but it cannot determine what matters most, and that ultimately requires judgment.
This is where the next phase of advantage will emerge. Not from access to more data, but from the ability to interpret it effectively, prioritise what matters rather than measure everything, and make clear, confident decisions with this knowledge.
The future of marketing will not be defined by who has the most data, or even who connects it best. It will be shaped by those who can identify the right signals and truly understand what matters within them. That’s where premium publishing still plays a key role in helping brands navigate this.