Attributing users to audience segments

A system comprising:

• a server device configured to implement a streaming media server, the streaming media server configured to:
• integrate contextual markers into spot blocks of a media stream, the spot blocks positioned adjacent to particular media items included in the media stream;
• transmit the media stream, including the contextual markers, to a content distribution network for delivery to a user client device associated with a user, wherein the contextual marker identifies the particular media items adjacent to the spot blocks into which the contextual markers are integrated;
• and
• a data management platform configured to:
• receive from the user client device, messages including indications that the user client device has played out particular media items identified by the contextual markers;
• in response to receipt of the messages, record in a memory, an association between the user and the particular media items;
• identify at least one audience segment associated with the particular media items;
• generate segment association information, the segment association information associating the user with the at least one audience segment, based, at least in part, on the association between the user and the particular media items and the association between the particular media items and the at least one audience segment;
• transmit the segment association information to an advertisement server, the advertisement server configured to iteratively refine a targeting specificity of advertisement content provided to the streaming media server by the advertising server;
• and
• the streaming media server further configured to generate a media stream including spot blocks, the spot blocks including the advertisement content provided by the advertising server and the contextual markers.

A data management platform comprising:

• a network interface configured to receive, over time, from a user client device of a user, messages including indications that the user client device has played out particular media items included in a media stream, the messages generated by the user client device in response to encountering contextual markers integrated within spot blocks adjacent to the particular media items in the media stream, the contextual markers including information related to advertisement content included in the spot blocks and to the particular media items;
• a processor and associated memory coupled to the network interface, the processor and associated memory configured, in response to receipt of the messages, to:
• record in a memory an association between the user and the particular media items;
• identify at least one audience segment associated with the particular media items;
• increment an instance counter describing a number of instances the user has been associated with the particular media item by a value of one;
• and
• generate segment association information, the segment association information associating the user with the at least one audience segment based, at least in part, on the association between the user and the particular media item and the association between the particular media item and the at least one audience segment;
• and
• transmitting the segment association information from the data management platform to an advertisement server, the advertisement server configured to iteratively refine a targeting specificity of advertisement content provided to a streaming server by the advertising server based on the segment association information.