Last year, the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication founded the Insights and Analytics Lab to offer its students something undergrads rarely get access to: real-world big data. Through partnerships with media analytics industry leaders comScore and Shareablee and self-service analytics platform Alteryx Inc., the UO SOJC became the first school in the nation to teach undergraduate students to do hands-on media analytics research on live media usage data using professional, state-of-the-art statistics and analysis tools.
Over the past decade, the importance of self-service data analysis has increased dramatically. In response to these changes in the industry, the UO SOJC found a way to offer its students experiential learning in these new, highly sought-after skills. Assistant Professor Heather Shoenberger, who directs the Insights and Analytics Lab and teaches its accompanying class, reached out to comScore Shareablee and Alteryx to ask for student access to their proprietary databases and software.
“This venture lets us offer our students vital tools that will prepare them for the rapidly changing job market,” Shoenberger said. “And it produces research that will inform the future of advertising and journalism.”
Students in the Insights and Analytics Lab use cutting-edge, self-service analytics software from Alteryx to analyze comScore’s live TV ratings. The combination allows them to derive insights about television watching habits, a skill that gives them a front-line advantage in an evolving strategic communication and journalism landscape.
“We at Alteryx feel strongly about giving back to worthy causes, which is why we started Alteryx for Good and partner with organizations, like UO SOJC, that are shaping the future of the workforce,” said Seth Greenberg, chief marketing officer at Alteryx, Inc. “Analytical skills have become a necessity across industries, but particularly in the ever-changing world of media. We could not be more proud to encourage these students to accelerate their careers by harnessing the power of data.”
comScore executives share this interest in helping students learn the skills they will need in their future careers.
“We’re thrilled to be part of an initiative that gives students real-world opportunities to help them understand the complexity of today’s media and advertising environment,” said Chris Wilson, executive vice president of national TV at comScore. “Opportunities like this one that’s offered by the UO School of Journalism go a long way in equipping students with the critical skills they need — like analyzing and understanding big data — to secure a job in a related industry post-graduation.”
Another partner, Shareablee, offers access to metrics on brand performance on social media. Students use the Shareablee database to assess hypothetical client questions about social content performance, which encourages students to think critically about what types of social media engagement may be useful for a specific client.
“We are thrilled to offer the SOJC’s students access to the wealth of Shareablee’s social media data. With our proprietary metrics we are delighted students will be able to uncover critical insights into this new knowledge pool,” said Shareablee’s Founder and CEO, Tania Yuki.
After only a year, the UO SOJC’s investment in its unique Insights and Analytics Lab is already paying off for students. According to Shoenberger, many graduates who took her class in its inaugural year were able to secure jobs soon after graduation based on experience they gained with its tools.
“The media analytics class is a perfect introduction to basic data work for advertising students,” said Madeleine McNally, a recent SOJC grad who is now an assistant media planner on the PlayStation account at MediaCom. “The class gives students unique access to industry leaders, robust datasets and hands-on experience with analytics software. It equipped me with the skills and knowledge to accept a media analytics position, where I am expected to work with large datasets — cleansing, transforming and pulling insights for clients.”
To learn more about the UO SOJC’s Insights and Analytics Lab and its partners or to set up an interview with Assistant Professor Heather Shoenberger, contact her at hshoenbe@uoregon.edu.
About the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication
The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication — one of the first journalism schools in the country — is an international leader in scholarship and education in advertising, journalism, media studies and public relations. With a student enrollment of more than 2,200, the SOJC offers doctoral, graduate and undergraduate degree programs that challenge students to become productive scholars, ethical communicators, critical thinkers and responsible citizens in a global society. The school fosters innovative research and prepares students and professionals to navigate the terrain of an evolving media landscape.
About Alteryx, Inc.
Alteryx (NYSE: AYX) is a leader in self-service analytics software. Alteryx Analytics provides analysts with the unique ability to easily prep, blend and analyze all of their data using a repeatable workflow, then deploy and share analytics at scale for deeper insights in hours, not weeks. Analysts love the Alteryx Analytics platform because they can connect to and cleanse data from data warehouses, cloud applications, spreadsheets and other sources, easily join this data together, then perform analytics — predictive, statistical and spatial — using the same intuitive user interface, without writing any code. Visit www.alteryx.com or call 1-888-836-4274. Alteryx is a registered trademark of Alteryx, Inc.
About comScore
comScore is a leading cross-platform measurement company that measures audiences, brands and consumer behavior everywhere. comScore completed its merger with Rentrak Corporation in January 2016, to create the new model for a dynamic, cross-platform world. Built on precision and innovation, our data footprint combines proprietary digital, TV and movie intelligence with vast demographic details to quantify consumers’ multiscreen behavior at massive scale. This approach helps media companies monetize their complete audiences and allows marketers to reach these audiences more effectively. With more than 3,200 clients and global footprint in more than 75 countries, comScore is delivering the future of measurement. Shares of comScore stock are currently traded on the OTC Market (OTC:SCOR). For more information on comScore, please visit comscore.com.
About Shareablee
Founded in 2013, Shareablee is the first and only industry-level measurement solution for media companies and brands wanting to understand the impact and effectiveness of their cross-platform social media campaigns. The platform is now available globally, with clients in 15 countries worldwide.Shareablee's roster of platform clients consists of many industry leading media companies and brands, including the NBA, WWE, Warner Bros, P&G, NBC, AOL and Luxottica. The platform also includes subscribers from leading advertising agencies represented by Publicis, WPP, Maxus and Interpublic Group (IPG). In September 2016, Shareablee was named an official Facebook Media Solutions Partner. The company is a Unilever Foundry Award winner and was listed among EContent's Trendsetting Products of 2015. For additional information, please visit www.shareablee.com.