The Future of Journalism Is Tiny, Targeted, and Timely

What news startups can learn from those targeted ads in your Instagram and Facebook feeds

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A couple of years ago, I started to notice how well I was being targeted by advertisements on Instagram. The perfect travel pants, epic kitchen knives, glow-in-the-dark undies. “I would buy any of these things! How do they know me so well?!” I would exclaim. I became fascinated not only with the targeted ads, but with the advertisers themselves — many of them being what are now referred to as “microbrands.”

Microbrands are goods or services that typically are:

• Sold exclusively online (not in retail stores or on Amazon)
• Composed of just one item, or a very small range of similar items
• Targeted to a niche audience within a larger established market
• Independently owned (not part of a traditional retailer or conglomerate)

While the worst of these companies — the “dropshippers” — are well documented, few have explored what microbrands offer for industries outside of fashion, beauty, health, and gadgets.