Data Masterclass Series

25 May & 15 June, 2022
9.30-11am

In this two-part Data Masterclass series, Magda Woods, data leader and tech entrepreneur, will focus on how to achieve ROI from data and AI. Supported by industry case studies and in-class discussion, you will walk away knowing:

  • How to approach structuring the data and AI investment based on your business model (from advertising to subscriptions) and how to assess if the capital will deliver expected returns.
  • How to approach structuring the data and AI investment to enhance your competitive advantage, through either growing average revenue per user, or reducing content production and delivery cost.
  • What is a framework to assess the ROI.
  • What is the industry doing and where is it going in 2022 - 2025.

This MBA style masterclass series will benefit senior decision makers and budget holders who look after investments in technology across marketing, product and editorial departments.


The masterclass was broken down into 2 sessions:

Session 1: Investing in data

  • Introduction

1. What is the role of data (from reporting to AI) in the value creation at the publishing organisation?
2. What are the areas of operation where data can make a difference? From decision making capabilities, to automation and to direct monetisation.

  • Investment decisions

1. Where is the cost when building the capability (people, infrastructure, vendors, 3rd parties)? Where valuable data can be 'hiding' and how to extract it.
2. Mapping the capabilities to the solutions (e.g. what does it take to deliver personalisation).
3. What considerations would be taken into account when making investment decisions, and when?
4. We will analyse who is doing it well among: Shibsted, Axel Springer, Bauer, Bloomberg, Telegraph, Conde Nast and Hearst, NYT, WashPo.


Session 2: Return from data investment

  • Driving return on investment

1. Mapping the solutions (e.g. personalisation) to the value creation for the audience and for the publishers. How much revenue can be created from those solutions?
2. Mapping how various data enabled sources of revenue can create a bigger ecosystem?
3. Learning how to assess readiness and prioritise the solutions for publisher’s specific audiences.
4. We will analyse who is doing it well among: Shibsted, Axel Springer, Bauer, Bloomberg, Telegraph, Conde Nast and Hearst, NYT, WashPo.
Magda Woods, And the robots
Magda Woods
CEO and Founder
And the robots

Magda Woods is a founder of And the robots, an AI consultancy. She is also a member of a data science committee for the Royal Statistical Society in London. She is a former MD for Data at GlobalData Media and previously managed multi-million investments in AI technologies transforming large scale newsrooms across public and private sectors (BBC, The Telegraph, Channel 4 and most recently New Statesman). She has also built her own AI first start-up, Waive. She is an engineer and computer scientist from trade and most recently graduated executive MBA at the Bayes Business School.