When it comes to creating a successful campaign, all roads lead to accurate data. From knowing upcoming programming to understanding audiences and beyond, every detail contributes to an advertiser’s success.

Yet, as audiences consume their content across multiple formats, the ability to reach them continues to grow in complexity. Ad sales teams must utilize multiple platforms and have access to more data, which makes fragmentation inevitable. Furthermore, organizations themselves often face the challenge of getting their own data into the hands of their sales teams. The result? Teams struggle to make sense of data from multiple sources, leading to a slowed workflow and missed revenue opportunities.

What is Data Fragmentation?

Data fragmentation occurs when data is dispersed across systems and applications. Although the data functions as intended, its limited accessibility hinders teams' ability to manage and integrate it effectively.

This fragmentation doesn’t just create friction; it creates blind spots. Certain data types never make it into the systems where decisions are made. Sales teams often know the information is available, but can’t leverage it in real-time. And if the insights can’t be used, then they might as well not exist.

The Impact

The cost of data fragmentation really shows up in three key ways:

Lack of visibility: Siloed data creates inefficiencies across the business. If you can’t see the full picture of audience behavior, campaign performance, or revenue, decisions can be based on incomplete or inconsistent data.

Disjointed Workflows: This one is a given. While we can all agree that data consolidation is much more normalized, there are still instances in which teams are working across platforms and are left to compare and contrast data.

Missed Revenue Opportunities: It’s no secret how competitive the ad sales industry is. Media companies have to be able to deliver campaigns that are actually reaching target audiences with measured data. This is true across TV, CTV, and digital solutions. Further, they need a system that makes it simple and understandable, so they can provide proposals for clients that will work.

The solution? Setting teams up from the start - with access to data before, during, and after campaigns.

Data you need

So what types of information do sales teams need? Data is an essential component for us as an OMS. Our users rely on third-party data sources, such as Nielsen and Comscore, to plan and evaluate their schedules. Our role is to make that data not only available, but reliable and easy to use.

Recent advancements with Comscore’s person-level data within Pilot have already shown how powerful this can be, and we are continuing to expand with future integrations.

Audience measurement, however, is only part of the picture. Pilot also delivers a broad range of programming data from reputable sources. By combining audience insights with programming intelligence, we equip sales teams with the tools to plan and sell with confidence across both linear and digital platforms.

Moving Forward with First-party data

As the industry shifts toward first-party data, this work becomes even more critical. With cookies on the decline and privacy restrictions tightening, first-party data is being positioned as the future of targeting and measurement. Yet it comes with challenges, as sales teams often have little or no access to it within their organizations.

That’s where the next wave of OMS innovation lies. Our vision for Pilot is not just about collecting more data, but about integrating it across our platform and democratizing it in the hands of users like never before. By bringing first-party data from cable operators directly into Pilot, we make it possible for teams to access and apply information that was previously out of reach. For many, this will be the first time they can see and actively use their organization’s data in day-to-day sales efforts.

When first-party data resides within the OMS, it unlocks the door to hyper-granular audience targeting and more effective campaign strategies.

Where ShowSeeker Sits in The Data Ecosystem

When it comes to data, we’re data-agnostic not only by design, but by mission. Users need an unbiased platform that combines data and measurement into one single source of truth. We’re not competing against measurement partners or other MVPDs. Ironically, that competition is what breeds fragmentation in the first place.  

We’re special because our success stems from enabling every service and every partner. If we do our job right, that means all data is made available. It’s united instead of fragmented. That’s why we’ve developed strong partnerships with Comscore and Nielsen, leveraging the cutting-edge capabilities of their platforms as well as first-party data through Pilot, applying the same ethos to our MVPD partners. It’s all born from that principle of no data left behind.

Final Thoughts

Data fragmentation doesn’t have to be the industry norm. As platforms evolve and workflows modernize, the organizations that unify their data will unlock faster, smarter, and more profitable ad sales. You want to work with a platform that allows you to have the data and measurement you need.

The question is no longer if data should be unified; it’s how soon you can get there