The 2018 State of Analytics study highlights the Nordic region as a leader in adopting marketing technologies and advanced analytics, emphasizing the importance of data-driven decision-making in digital transformation. Forerunners in analytics report a 63% revenue boost compared to only 50% of followers, yet only a small percentage of companies effectively utilize analytics for customer journey management. The study indicates a notable gap in analytics familiarity among C-suite executives and underscores the need for enhanced analytics prioritization and investment.

2. State ofAnalytics
The State of Analytics Study2018
The Nordics are perceived as a European forerunner in the adoption of new marketing technologies and advanced analytics. This survey is
a step towards a better understanding of the present status of Nordic enterprises on the path to digitaltransformation.
As companies are embracing the opportunities of digital transformation and artificial intelligence, data and analytics have become a paramount
strategic issue for enterprises. Analytics spending has become the biggest single item in the 2017 US marketingbudgets.1
We are seeing the emergence of the digitally transformed, data-centric enterprisewhere:
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By 2021, 70% of digital advertising and marketing will be data-driven, augmented or automated using AI and machine learning
By 2020, 60% of B2B CMOs will be accountable for customer-oriented metrics such as those for loyalty, advocacy, and quality.
These will take their place alongside revenue-relatedmetrics.
By 2021, at least 15% of Businesses' standard customer experience decisions will be handled by algorithms, as companies shiftfrom
person-to-person (P2P) to machine-to-person (M2P) engagement and transaction.2
At the core of this transformation is data-centricity and a dramatic upgrade of enterprise-analyticcapabilities.
The study was conducted by Avaus Marketing Innovations, a leading data driven marketing agency, together with ISS, a leading marketing
research company. We asked Swedish and Finnish CMO’s, CTO’s and COO’s to assess the state of data and analytics in their companies, in four
major areas:
Investments
People, Processes and Leadership
Tools and Technologies
1 Strategy and Business Objectives 3
2 4
1
Gartner - CMO Spend Survey2017-2018
2
IDC - 10 CMO Predictions 2018

3. ExecutiveSummary: Data and Analytics Boost Revenue
in 63% of ForerunnerCompanies
Strategy and Business Objectives – Forerunners boost revenue
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Forerunners experience a significant boost of revenues/profits (63%) as a result of analytics initiatives,
compared to followers (50%)
Data and analytics are considered to be a driver for competitive advantage at a majority (57%) of all surveyed companies
More forerunners (43%) consider themselves being ahead of their competitors, than followers(34%)
Only 50% of forerunners and 44% of followers use data and analytics to manage customerjourneys
Investments – Tools and TechnologiesFirst
- Forerunners, are investing significantly more in analytics than followers:
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63% estimated higher investment in tools and technologies, while only 37% of followersdid
43% estimated higher investment this year in competencies/people than previously against 37% of followers
- Significantly, the majority of all respondents, including forerunners, were not able to justify/validate marketing budgets
with analytics
People Processes and Leadership – Prioritisation Main Hurdle
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Lack of analytics prioritisation by management is the main hurdle for analytics leverage. Critical analytics relatedskills
and supporting processes follow suit.
There is a strong prevalent trend from in-house resources, towards engagement of external analytics partners.
The main focus for analytics is customer insights and data management and technologies. Digital service (web,
mobile) analytics are important, but not at the top of the prioritylist.
Tools and Technologies – The C-Suite Needs to do theirHomework
- The C-suite is not familiar with the analytics tool their firms use. Roughly half of respondents were able to name
the tools in use in their company. Open source tools and technologies are gaining ground in theenterprise.
A forerunner group comprising 15% of all participating companies, were compared to a majority group of 85% of follower companies.The aim
was to emphasise the distance in analytics leverage between the best-of-breed companies and the rest.

4. Strategy and Objectives
Data and Analytics are a CompetitiveAdvantage
State ofAnalytics
D&A- a competitive advantagefor us
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 (respondents)
3%
20%
39%
31%
6%
3%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 (respondents)
OurD&A capabilitiesare ahead of competitors
11%
30%
42%
15%
57%
37%
Agree
Fully disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Fully agree
Agree
Fully disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Fully agree
Data and analytics are considered
a driver for competitive advantage
at 57% of companies. This is a low
figureconsidering the emphasis on
D&A in the present business
discussion.
A minority of 37% of the companies
considered themselves ahead of their
competition in data utilisation.
Surprisingly, many companies think
they are ahead of their competitors,
considering that only 15% of
companies qualify as forerunners.
Source: State of Analytics, Avaus2018

5. Download the full study here:
www.avaus.fi/state-of-
analytics/
State ofAnalytics