Bridges instead of walls: Companies overcome data silos

‍This article shows how publishers and media companies can overcome their data silos and thus increase their competitiveness. It is part of our series of articles on data-driven transformation in the media industry.

The problem of data silos in media companies

When the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - this saying aptly describes the situation in many media houses. Data is abundant, but it exists in isolation across different departments and systems. This fragmentation prevents a holistic view of user behavior, content performance, and business processes.

Typical examples of data silos in the media industry include:

• Separated CRM systems for various customer groups (subscribers, advertisers, individual buyers)
• Isolated analysis systems for different channels (print, digital, audio, video)
• Unconnected platforms for various processes (editing, sales, marketing, advertising sales)

A chief editor of a leading news portal recently put it in a nutshell: “We don't know whether a subscriber who receives our newsletter is also listening to our podcast or reading our print edition. Each department has their own image of the customer — but no one sees the full picture.”

Why do data silos arise?

The causes of fragmentation are manifold:

• ‍Historically developed structures: Many media companies have introduced various systems over decades, often as a quick response to new technologies.
• Media convergence: The increasing fusion of different forms of media has often led to parallel structures instead of integrated solutions.
• Department-specific software: Editorial, marketing, sales and controlling use specialized tools that are rarely designed for interoperability.
• Corporate mergers: Acquisitions and mergers result in a variety of incompatible systems.
• Quick digitization: The high transformation pressure in the media sector often leads to ad-hoc solutions without strategic integration.

The true cost of fragmented data

The effects go far beyond technical challenges:

• Distorted basis for decision-making: Strategic decisions are made on the basis of incomplete information
• Inefficient processes: Employees spend valuable time manually merging data
• Suboptimal user experience: Without a holistic user profile, personalization remains superficial
• Limited monetization: Advertising and subscription models cannot be optimally designed
• Inhibition of innovation: Data-based business models fail due to the lack of an integrated database

A digital director from a medium-sized publishing house told us: “We had five different reports with five different user numbers. Each department struggled with their 'correct' numbers. Meetings became battlefields instead of places for strategic decisions.”

Case Study: From data silos to an integrated data platform

A regional media group with three daily newspapers and corresponding digital offerings faced precisely these challenges. Each publication operated its own subscription management systems, CMS solutions, and analytics tools. This fragmentation caused massive problems:

• No comprehensive understanding of user behavior
• Inefficient regional advertising
• Lack of synergies in content production
• High IT costs due to system pluralism

The solution: The media group implemented a central data platform with a cloud-based data lake. As a first step, user data from all source systems was brought together to create a “single customer view.” This was followed by content performance data and finally economic data.

The result: After 12 months, the media group was able to:

• The conversion rate increase digital subscriptions by 35%
• Manage cross-media campaigns more efficiently
• Allocate editorial resources better
• Reduce IT costs by 22%

The group's transformation director summarized: “The key was not technology alone, but the associated cultural change. We needed to bring together departments that had barely communicated with each other before.”

Solutions: How to overcome data silos

Based on our experience with numerous media companies, we recommend the following steps:

1. Establish a “single customer view”

The highest priority is creating a uniform customer view across all channels and publications. This forms the basis for personalization and monetization.

Practical tip: Start by unifying user IDs and customer journey tracking across all touchpoints.

2. Implement a centralized data platform

A data lake or data warehouse serves as a technological foundation that brings together data from all source systems.

Practical tip: Cloud-based solutions (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) offer fast deployment times and scalability without large upfront investments.

3. Develop an API Strategy

An API management platform enables flexible integration of data sources and systems.

Practical tip: Define standards for APIs and require API capability as a selection criterion for new systems.

4. Establish data governance

Clear responsibilities, processes, and quality standards for data management are crucial.

Practical tip: Appoint “data owners” for the most important data areas and define binding data quality standards.

5. Encourage skill development

Train your employees and build data teams with specialized knowledge.

Practical tip: Start with “data literacy” workshops for leaders to support cultural change from above.

Data protection as a foundation, not as an obstacle

An important note: Data protection must always be at the forefront of all integration efforts. The merging of customer data is subject to strict legal requirements. But data protection and data integration are not contradictory — quite the opposite:

• Transparent data processes strengthen user trust
• Uniform data storage makes it easier to implement data subject rights
• Clear documentation supports proof of compliance

Conclusion: Data integration as a competitive advantage

Overcoming data silos is not a technical gimmick, but a strategic imperative for media companies. At a time when data-driven decisions make the difference between success and failure, publishers and media companies cannot afford to do without an integrated data view.

The good news: The technological barriers to data integration are lower today than ever before. Cloud-based solutions, flexible APIs and modern integration platforms make it possible even for medium-sized media companies to overcome their data silos — and thus gain a decisive competitive advantage.

Related articles in our data literacy series

This article is part of a comprehensive series on data-driven strategies for media companies:

• Data as a strategic compass: Learn how to effectively use data as a navigation aid for strategic decisions. With practical tips and success stories from the media industry.
• Garbage In, Garbage Out: Why data quality and integration are the key foundations of any digital strategy — and how you can ensure them in your media company.
• Data protection as a competitive advantage: How you can balance data protection and personalization and develop a strategic advantage for your publishing house or media company.

The authors are founders of The Data Institute, which supports media companies in data-driven transformation. This article is based on a chapter of her upcoming book “Data as a Compass: Challenges and Opportunities for Media Companies in the Digital Age,” which will be published in fall 2025.

Would you like to know more about this topic? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more articles from our data literacy series. Contact us at contact @datainstitute.io or arrange one Appointment for individual consultation to overcome data silos in your media company.

Photo Waldemarbrandt67w on Unsplash

‍