Zig Media
{{Short description|American mass media technology company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2018}}
{{multiple|
{{update|date=July 2024|reason=Domain for sale; likely defunct}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2024}}
}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Zig Media
| logo = Zig_publisher_logo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Private
| foundation = 2016
| location = New York, NY
| key_people = Joshua James, Adam Platzner, John Tornow
| industry = Mass media
| products = Mobile apps and news media
| revenue =
| num_employees =
| homepage = {{url|www.zig.com}}
| native_name =
}}
Zig Media is a mobile-media technology company based in Brooklyn, New York owned by Billboard-Hollywood Reporter.{{cite web | url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/billboard-hollywood-reporter-group-acquires-news-app-zig-1217428 | work = The Hollywood Reporter | title = Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Group Acquires News App Zig | date = 11 June 2019 | access-date = 12 June 2019}}{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/14/business/media/graydon-carter-vanity-fair-app-zig.html | newspaper = The New York Times | title = Graydon Carter, Ex-Editor of Vanity Fair, Invests in an App| date = 15 January 2018 | access-date = 30 September 2018 | last1 = Grynbaum | first1 = Michael M. }}{{cite web | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8097628/zig-media-live-nation-graydon-carter-quincy-jones-ron-meyer-investors | magazine = Billboard | title = Live Nation, Graydon Carter, Quincy Jones and Ronald Meyer Invest in News Feed for Millennials: Zig | access-date = 30 September 2018}}{{cite web | url = https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/social-media-entrepreneurs-hope-to-change-the-way-people-read-news.html | publisher = CNBC | title = Social media entrepreneurs with big-name backers hope to change the way people read news | date = 16 January 2018 | access-date = 30 September 2018}} Called an "Instagram of news" by The New York Times, the company's platform distills original and sourced content into images and video, then distributes it through mobile phone and desktop computer applications.{{cite web | url = https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/01/16/start-up-zig-media-seeks-to-shake-up-your-pop-culture-news-feed.html | publisher = CNBC | title = Start-up Zig Media seeks to shake up your pop culture news feed| date = 16 January 2018 | access-date = 30 September 2018}}{{cite web | url = https://cheddar.com/videos/zig-media-the-instagram-of-news | publisher = Cheddar | title = ZIG Media: The "Instagram" of News| access-date = 14 October 2018}} Fast Company reported that Zig had 400,000 users as of June 2018 following investment from Graydon Carter, Ronald Meyer, Quincy Jones, and LiveNation.{{cite web | url = https://www.fastcompany.com/40582657/why-are-old-media-veterans-investing-in-this-small-news-app | magazine = Fast Company | title = Why are media veterans investing in this startup news app?| access-date = 30 September 2018}}
History
In 2016, cofounders Joshua James and Adam Platzner approached Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter to offer a modern, visual solution to changing magazine tastes and consumer news consumption.{{cite web | url = https://www.fastcompany.com/90266447/he-told-bozoma-saint-john-to-work-for-uber-of-course-i-hung-up-on-him | magazine = Fast Company | title = He told Bozoma Saint John to work for Uber. "Of course, I hung up on him."| access-date = 29 November 2018}} The New York Times reported that "at the time, Mr. Carter was mulling the state of news; he recalled an assistant pointing out to him that millennials ‘think in more visual terms, than in textual terms.’" With cofounder John Tornow, James and Platzner built an algorithm that captures personalized consumer data from social media preferences. The technology feeds news articles in the form of picture-heavy content back to each consumer according to their tastes.{{cite web | url = https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-media-trends-65051e71-5f26-453b-b958-8fb9077ee6ee.html#story9 | publisher = Axios | title = Media Trends: The "Instagram for news" expands| access-date = 30 September 2018}}
Zig’s iOS application launched in January 2018. Reported by Billboard, first investors included Graydon Carter, Ron Meyer, and Quincy Jones. In May 2018 NBC News reported additional funding of $1.6 million from Alan Docter, Aviv Nevo, and LiveNation.{{cite web | url = https://www.nbcnews.com/card/what-s-graydon-carter-meet-zig-media-app-just-raised-n874466 | publisher = NBC News | title =What's Graydon Carter up to? Meet Zig, a media app that just raised $1.6 million | access-date = 30 September 2018}} In October 2018 The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Valence Media, part of Eldridge Industries, invested in Zig.{{cite web | url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/valence-media-invests-news-app-zig-1150458 | title = Valence Media Invests in News App Zig| work = The Hollywood Reporter | date = 9 October 2018| access-date = 9 October 2018}} In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard acquired Zig Media.
Technology
Users sign up for the Zig app or use Zig distribution channels to provide personalized media-consumption preferences to the platform’s algorithm.{{cite web |title=Graydon Carter backed media platform Zig launches |url=https://cheddar.com/videos/graydon-carter-backed-media-platform-zig-launches |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203122030/https://cheddar.com/videos/graydon-carter-backed-media-platform-zig-launches |archive-date=2018-02-03 |access-date=30 September 2018 |publisher=Cheddar}} The platform returns media in a visual format based on the user’s personalized preferences and tailors each news feed over time based on additional consumer data.{{cite web | url = https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/312955/new-mobile-platform-zig-delivers-customized-conten.html | publisher = Media Post | title = New Mobile Platform ZIG Delivers Customized Content
|access-date = 30 September 2018}} The technology tracks stories that users skip and click to optimize the news feed for each user.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/news-apps-to-replace-facebooks-news-feed/|title=Can't Get Your News From Facebook Anymore? Try These 6 Apps|last=Colt|first=Josie|date=February 3, 2018|magazine=WIRED|access-date=2018-11-21|language=en-US}}
In 2018, Fast Company compared Zig to Apple News and Flipboard with "more images and more personalization." CNBC explained that Zig "emphasizes photos over text" and reduces the time that consumers use to peruse the internet for news.
References
{{reflist|2}}