Why Truthset Just Launched the First Moody’s-Style Ratings for Data Quality

In the first interview from our Truth in Numbers series, Jon Watts, Managing Director of the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM), sits down with Scott McKinley, CEO at Truthset, to unpack a bold analogy: Why data quality should be labeled and certified like gasoline. From demography data to household graphs and IP accuracy, Truthset is pushing for a more transparent and effective data ecosystem.

Jon Watts: What is Truthset’s Data Ratings, and why compare it to gasoline

Scott McKinley: Just like fuel has octane levels—87, 89, 91—we believe audience data should come with quality labels. Some records are AAA-grade. Some are junk. Marketers deserve to know what they’re paying for. Our ratings give buyers transparency and control, and let sellers earn more for higher-quality data.

Jon Watts: How much money is being wasted today because of bad data?

Scott McKinley: A lot. In the open web, for every dollar spent, only about 10 to 11 cents reaches the intended target. Even good data degrades as it moves through the supply chain. We’ve been selling ourselves a lie—that our data is working. But it’s not. And marketers are footing the bill.

Jon Watts: So how do we fix it—what should marketers actually do?

Scott McKinley: First, admit there’s a problem. Then: check the recency of your data, buy directly from authenticated publishers, and reduce hops in your supply chain. Truthset Ratings makes this easier by letting you choose your data quality upfront—whether you want precision for modeling or scale for reach.