An Interdisciplinary Look at the Different Uses of Media Analytics

By: Caroline Harty

A look into how media analytics affects our day to day lives.

Technological advances in data collection have radically changed the way we as consumers interact with the products and services we need. The information businesses gather has become more invasive of our privacy than ever before; so, with this knowledge comes great responsibility. Data collection has now become one of the most valuable and powerful tools for businesses to reach their targeted audiences. 

Some of the industries that have evolved the most due to media analytics include:
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​Travel: Ride sharing firms such as Uber and Lyft have fundamentally changed the way their consumers live. The convenience of calling a car directly to your location, being able to track the car, or have someone else track your ride, and the ability to rate your experience are all attributed to the companies’ uses of media analytics. This innovation has pushed previous car services, like taxis, to the side and taken over the industry.

Healthcare​: ​​Telemedicine, remote monitoring, and patient portals have made healthcare more accessible to a much larger audience. Without the technology we now have that collects information on patients' health, such as Fitbit and Apple Watch, many patients could go undiagnosed with an underlying health condition. This technology is also often used for patients with existing health concerns. In the instance of an emergency, these devices can notice a spike of abnormal activity and send that data to a medical professional. ​

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Education: Platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and WebEx allow students to study from anywhere in the world that has a WiFi connection. But like everything else in the digital world, these platforms also collect and store your information such as: top users by meeting minutes, top geographic locations by users, top devices by users, and more. Media analytics can track the likeability of a teacher or a course through their rating on Rate My Professor. And it can even track how long you’re studying on sites like Quizlet. 

E-Commerce: With more personalized content, consumers are more likely to engage with the advertisements that continually flood their feeds, and advertisers have taken great advantage of this. The data that marketers collect on their audiences drive their strategy. Tools such as artificial intelligence, and robotics are able to predict consumer price sensitivity, product preferences, and the customer journey. Chatbots can even work as customer service agents. 

Social Media: This is where the bulk of media analytics research currently lies. Paid digital advertising is now the fastest track to reaching a more specific, fragmented audience. Advertisers and marketers pay social media brands for the personal data they collect on their consumers because it allows them to better understand the psychological interests of people, and consequently better target their audiences. ​

​In-Store Technology: ​​Even when you’re shopping in person, technology like augmented reality, virtual reality, embodied robots, avatars, and smart displays can track your behavior. This technology helps facilitate the consumer journey by envisioning how you might interact with the product or service you’re considering buying. For example, Sephora has utilized augmented reality to allow customers to try products, take pictures of themselves, and share that content. Rebecca Minkoff stores have installed smart mirrors in dressing rooms, so customers can “try on” various products, accessorize their looks, and even speak with sales associates.​

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The relationship between the consumer and business is at the foundation of everything we, as communicators, do. In the fast-paced environment we’re assimilated to today, audiences expect businesses to make their shopping experience as pleasurable and easy as possible. Regardless of the industry, media analytics has proven to help businesses make strategic consumer insights.