Black-Owned Hero Media Launches New ML-Powered Platform To Revolutionize Advertising

Media and ad tech company Hero Media has launched the first-ever machine learning-powered, Black-owned demand-side platform (DSP).

DSPs are automated ad-buying platforms where advertisers and agencies go to purchase digital ad inventory.

Hero One, powered by AdTheorent, enables advertisers to leverage AI and machine learning to put brand messages in front of the right consumer at the right time in a contextually relevant way.

Is Advertising Representative?

While 2021 witnessed a surge in diversity and inclusion efforts, momentum seemingly dwindled the following year. In 2022, the advertising sector remained largely white-dominated, comprising 64.63% white professionals.

Platforms such as Hero One aim to change that.

“Black and diverse-owned media companies still only get a fraction of the $300 billion spent every year on advertising in the US, and as more brands move to audience and data-driven targeting approaches,” said Joe Anthony, Founder and Chairman of Hero Media.

“There is little to no diverse ownership in AdTech, and with more investment going to programmatic advertising, it’s imperative that we have greater equity in the platforms that will dictate where and how money is allocated to Black and diverse-owned media brands.”

Hero One

Hero One is an AI-powered managed service programmatic marketing platform that leverages machine learning and the industry’s first Cultural ID Graph to deliver contextually relevant advertising.

It is designed to reach diverse audiences at scale and includes features like predictive targeting and location-based data.

“AdTheorant is thrilled to partner with Hero Media to power the first ML-powered Black-owned DSP that will enable advertisers to target and reach diverse audiences at scale like never before,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of AdTheorent.

“Combining Hero Media’s Black-owned media network and data with AdTheorent’s award-winning machine learning media buying platform and algorithmic audience creation solutions will elevate multicultural programmatic advertising beyond assumptions-based retargeting.”