A Conversation on Precision, Scale, and the Future of Audience Intelligence 

This interview between Linda Vetter, SVP of Marketing at Allant, and Martin Smith, Head of Strategic Sales at Choozle, highlights the evolving landscape of audience intelligence and the need for marketers to rethink how they approach precision, scale, and measurement.

Linda Vetter: Let’s start by talking about the importance of storytelling in data. Why do you think it’s crucial for teams to convey their story effectively?

Martin Smith: I believe storytelling is essential because when people hear information once, it might not resonate. But when they hear it repeatedly from different perspectives, it starts to capture their imagination. This is particularly true in data-driven industries where understanding nuances is critical.

Linda: When you look at the changes in data and the state of audience intelligence today, would you describe it as disruptive or evolutionary?

Martin: That depends on how you look at it. A lot has changed, both in terms of data accessibility and how consumers are opting out of visibility. The real challenge for advertisers, planners, and insights teams is that there are now sizable pockets of the market that aren’t as visible as they once were. That has real implications for targeting and conversion. What’s interesting is that when brands market to these ‘invisible’ audiences through the right channels, they see a disproportionate lift in performance because no one else is reaching them.

Linda: So, what’s broken in today’s market?

Martin: One of the biggest issues is the false choice between precision and scale. Historically, the industry has forced marketers to choose one or the other. What Allant is doing, what makes this truly different, is showing that you can have both. The composability of Allant’s data means you’re not relying on any single source, which is key because no single data source is fully representative of a market.

Linda: That makes sense, but we still face a major challenge in educating marketers and agencies about this shift. How do we get them to rethink audience targeting?

Martin: Before we can sell the benefits of an iterative model of precision, we need to explain the foundation: why traditional data approaches are flawed. It’s about touching a nerve. Marketers know there are gaps in their approach, but they often default to what feels familiar. The best analogy is media measurement. For years, advertisers knew Nielsen wasn’t fully accurate, but they built discounting and normalization strategies around it because no viable alternative existed. What you’re doing with Allant is giving marketers an alternative, a better way to find and activate their true audience.

Linda: One of the things we often hear is resistance to moving away from broad audiences of, say, three million people to a hyper-targeted audience of 385,000. While just example numbers here, how do we change that mindset?

Martin: The challenge is shifting the conversation from sheer volume to the quality of engagement. Many marketers operate under the assumption that bigger audiences equate to better results, but refined targeting delivers a higher return. Educating them with real-world examples helps. It starts with demonstrating that smaller, well-defined audiences convert better. But before you even get to that, you need to explain the problem with traditional data assumptions. Many marketers believe a single dataset gives them a full picture of their market. That’s simply not true. When you start shaving down overlaps and inaccuracies, you realize that underrepresented segments, like certain Hispanic age groups, don’t show up correctly in most datasets. Allant’s composability approach corrects for that. It’s not just about precision; it’s about getting the most accurate market representation.

Linda: What’s the reception been like among the brands and agencies you work with?

Martin: It’s like pitching a movie script: you need a compelling hook. One of the best ways to frame the conversation is to ask, ‘Are you satisfied with what’s visible, or do you want to explore what’s possible?’ Many brands focus on what they can see, click-through rates, for example, but that doesn’t always align with actual conversion drivers. The real opportunity is in helping them find their next sources of growth.

Linda: That brings up another challenge: who should be responsible for evolving data expectations? The data provider, the agency, or the marketer?

Martin: At the brand level, this needs to be an enterprise-wide shift, but senior leadership must buy into it. The only way that happens is through proven results. Allant is in a great position to lead here because your approach isn’t just about providing data; it’s about showing marketers how to prioritize and act on that data.

Linda: Another point of friction is measurement and pricing. Agencies and media buyers are used to pricing based on impressions, not conversions. Are they ready for that shift?

Martin: Some are, but many still operate on legacy models that prioritize volume over precision. The real shift is in helping agencies see that while they might serve fewer impressions, they’ll deliver significantly higher conversions. It’s not about reducing spend; it’s about shifting it to where it drives real results.

Linda: You mentioned that many CMOs struggle with fragmented marketing structures. How do we get them to rethink measurement holistically?

Martin: It comes down to leadership and integration. Many organizations silo their marketing tactics, i.e. direct mail is one team, SMS is another, digital is separate. That needs to change. The best marketers are bringing these channels together under a common measurement framework that prioritizes outcomes over tactics.

Linda: Final thoughts: where do you see this industry going in the next five years?

Martin: The next big shift is going to be in decision intelligence. Right now, many business leaders suffer from ‘decision distress’, they have access to more data than ever, but they don’t always trust it. The real winners in the next five years will be those who move beyond just collecting data to actually applying it in a way that’s predictive, actionable, and scalable. And that’s exactly where Allant is headed.

Would you like to learn more? Contact US to discuss how we can help find your entire addressable audience at both precision and scale.