Predictive analytics uses data about customers to help brands better understand their customers and build stronger relationships with them. This allows brands to personalize their marketing, improve customer retention, and gain insights for new product development. The document discusses how predictive analytics provides benefits such as increasing brand awareness, shaping brand preference, cultivating brand influencers, and collaborating on product development. It also outlines four steps for brands to start adopting predictive analytics, such as promoting a cultural shift to more individual customer relationships and acquiring a better understanding of customer behavior through data analytics.