TVSquared measures the effectiveness of TV and digital advertising on a global scale. It processes billions of ad impressions to generate data including reach, frequency, online and offline outcomes, and audience insights. Recently acquired by Innovid, the organisation provides a comprehensive view of audiences across all devices and platforms worldwide.
TVSquared first participated in MSc Placement Programme in 2019, bringing in two students. The organisation is currently reviewing internal needs to welcome further students in the near future.
The Background
TVSquared is the world’s largest measurement platform for television and digital advertising, and has access to an enormous amount of data. While the team hadn’t worked with many graduate students previously, the company founders had their roots in data science and engineering, and so had a deep level of understanding around the importance of data science education.
The company had an idea for a project which, unlike many of its projects, had clear boundaries and constraints. The team identified this as an ideal assignment for a junior role in the data space and sought a data engineering graduate to take on the task at hand.
As TVSquared is always looking to grow its team if it finds the right talent, this was also an opportunity to assess whether a graduate could be a good fit at the organisation with a view to making a permanent hire.
There is no downside to participating in The Data Lab’s MSc graduate programme. Everyone – companies, graduates, and the data and technology sector as a whole – sees real and tangible benefits from it. For Scottish businesses, it’s a fantastic opportunity to better understand how they can use data science internally while also giving students and recent graduates practical experience.
We are extremely impressed at the calibre of The Data Lab MSc graduate students we’ve met so far and participating in the programme has exceeded our expectations. The students are proactive and very excited to take on responsibility; their enthusiasm spreads throughout the team and brings an influx of positivity into the workplace
Regina Berengolts, Director of Research, Analytics and Data, TVSquared
The Graduate Experience
As TVSquared viewed participation in the graduate placement scheme as an opportunity to gauge whether someone was a good fit for the organisation, they treat their graduates similarly to new hires.
Employees are typically given ownership of a project, with the option to get involved in other projects based on interest and workload. Graduates have the same opportunity, though only offered lead position on an assignment where there are clear boundaries and goals already identified, to ease their transition from school into a professional work environment. Line managers are briefed beforehand to provide additional support as required.
While there is not a formalised process for line management of students versus entry level employees, increased support and guidance is available for them as is needed . Students can also participate in weekly reviews with their team in the office; and gain access to the senior team at TVSquared to have them read and comment on dissertation drafts.
The Impact
Bringing in The Data Lab MSc students to TVSquared created a growth opportunity for full-time employees to expand their roles: the organisation saw those who were interested in taking on managerial roles volunteer their time to support junior members of the team.
Student Spotlight: Tommaso Ricco, MSc Big Data, University of Stirling
Tommaso joined The Data Lab’s MSc graduate placement programme in 2019 with experience in quality assurance for a cloud services company, where he was first introduced to data analytics. At TVSquared, he was assigned to lead a project investigating the possibility of creating a device graph – a tool linking together anonymous IDs into a specific entity such as a household. Tommaso’s investigation and prototype were critical in allowing the company to understand the feasibility, cost, and data requirements in implementing a device graph in-house.
He has gone on to secure a full-time position at TVSquared, where he has contributed to several projects including the development of new software enabling clients to understand customer demographics allowing them to target their advertising more effectively. Currently, he is implementing new tools, data pipelines, and automation to support data scientists and analysts by providing them with an easy to access, high quality data lake.
When I first learned about data analytics, my initial career goal was to become a data scientist. Having gained a more in-depth understanding of the industry during my time in The Data Lab’s MSc programme, I switched to data engineering. I’d urge anyone planning to work in data to consider which of the various career paths in the industry are right for them. The support I received from The Data Lab and TVSquared was fantastic; the teams provided a great introduction to data analytics and helped me find the right internship and, eventually, full-time position.
Tommaso Ricci, Data Engineer, TVSquared
