Analysis of "Marketers Flunk the Big Data Test" by Patrick Spenner and Anna Bird

3. Big Data is a phrase used to
mean a massive volume of
both structured and
unstructured data that is so
large it is difficult to process
using traditional database and
software techniques.

5. Marketing is the activity, set of
institutions, and processes for
creating, communicating,
delivering, and exchanging
offerings that have value for
customers, clients, partners,
and society at large.

7. Marketers can use big data to better
develop an omnichannel approach,
using it to develop customer profiles
and begin to predict behaviors.
Marketers can personalize the way a
brand reaches their target
audiences, likely using multiple
channels but ensuring the message,
channel, device, and timing are all
in sync.

9. On average, marketers
depend on data for just 11%
of all customer-related
decisions.

10. When we tested marketers’ statistical
aptitude with five questions ranging from
basic to intermediate, almost half (44%) got
four or more questions wrong and a mere
6% got all five right. So it didn’t surprise us
that just 5% of marketers own a statistics
text book.

11. While most marketers underuse data, a
small fraction (11% in this study) just can’t
get enough. These data hounds consult
dashboards daily, and base most decisions
on data. They have a “plugged in”
personality type and thrive on external
stimulation — so they love data and all
forms of feedback including data on
marketing effectiveness, input from
managers or peers, and frequent
interaction with others.

13. Marketers need to have 3
qualities to perform well :
comfort with ambiguity, ability
to ask strategic questions based
on data, and narrow focus on
higher-order goals.
As marketers get better access
to raw numbers and big data
keeps growing, the importance
of this filtering ability will only
intensify.