A groundbreaking new INMA Advertising Initiative master class will focus on how news companies can build a sustainable advantage in the evolving privacy-first ad economy.

INMA’s First-Party Data Activation for Advertising Master Class will include three modules, September 11-18, and will deliver practical frameworks for transforming audience relationships into sustainable competitive advantages. The virtual class will address the news media advertising’s top priority, with 71% of publishers now prioritising first-party data as their most significant revenue driver. 

Led by INMA Advertising Initiative Lead Gabriel Dorosz, the three-module virtual master class will dive deep into:

• Accelerating adoption of first-party data foundations.
• Data-powered sales and activation strategies.
• AI targeting and commerce signal integration.

Designed to appeal both to advanced practitioners and those new to navigating first-party data activation, the master class will feature detailed case study presentations from product, data, insights, ad operations, and business leaders representing The New York Times, CNN, Times Internet, The Globe and Mail, HT Digital, Schibsted, The New York Post, Mediahuis, The Washington Post, Business Insider, Ekstra Bladet, and more.  

According to Dorosz, the comprehensive three-module programme “addresses the full spectrum of first-party data activation, from foundational strategies for publishers just beginning their journey to advanced AI targeting implementations that combine content engagement with commerce signals.” Adding, “participants will learn from organisations that have successfully transformed from having ‘very little first-party data’ to building millions of authenticated users that power both advertising deals and subscription growth.”  

The master class will leverage the learnings from INMA’s newly launched Advertising Initiative, which focuses on helping INMA members navigate the “post-traffic era” for news media advertising, bridging innovation and business realities with practical guidance, real-world examples, and clear action plans to simplify an often opaque and unnecessarily complex digital advertising ecosystem.

“We’ll go beyond theory to provide actionable frameworks for build-versus-partner decisions, vendor selection, clean room implementation, lessons learned, and organisational alignment,” Dorosz said.  

First-Party Data Activation for Advertising Master Class is open to INMA members and non-members, who may register here. The discounted early registration rate ends September 5 and includes livestreaming for all modules, all video recordings, and all presentations.

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