The Marketer’s Fool Proof Guide To Analytics

Bamboozled by analytics and how it should fit into your marketing strategy? Never fear! Daniel Ng, senior director for the APAC region at data analytics company Cloudera has some hot tips for you here.
These days, we hear of businesses tapping on data analytics to gain insights and make data-backed, informed decisions on almost anything. Be it market data for driving a promotional campaign or inventory data for planning storage or warehousing, businesses are looking to data to enhance business performance, identify issues or overcome challenges.
Data analytics, which used to be more strictly confined to data scientists or IT professionals within an organisation, has now extended to all lines of business. In fact, business leaders are now encouraging company-wide, data-driven strategies that are aligned across business units.
As such, marketers, the one unit of business that traditionally dabbled least in data science, have started putting data-driven insights at the heart of their campaign strategies. Data and analytics have become necessities for marketing departments as they strive to better understand their customers, execute successful omni-channel campaigns, and influence their target audience in today’s competitive marketplace.
While working with data has become a part of many businesses’ DNA, how do marketers know that they are getting the most use of their data to make smarter decisions?
As a marketer myself, here are a few tips and tricks that I have learnt along the way to kick-start a marketer’s analytics journey, ensuring that the data collected turns into actual insights that are useful for critical decision making.
A good workman always thanks his tools (and team)
What is your end-in-mind? This is something you need to ask yourself and the larger marketing team before building your marketing tech stack and deciding what tools you need. It is also essential to have buy in from various lines of business to align on these objectives. Be it for social listening, web analytics, predictive analytics, CRM, BI visualisation, or more, you will not know what is required to help you reach your goals unless you understand what you are trying to accomplish.
Once you have objectives, it helps to consult an expert. Not just any expert, but one who really understands data management so that you can ensure that the systems being put together make sense and are fool-proof. Having a technical marketing operations professional on your team will eventually allow richer customer analytics to be delivered to your executives anyway. It is also important that the foundation is well-set and that the tools are customizable, without having to rewrite the system for every new use case.
It is essential to have the right and business relevant plan, people and programs in place.
It’s all about the data (and customer)
Once the objectives and tools are sorted, for marketers, the depth and accuracy of data we collect on our customers will truly help define the insights and strategies we derive, and enable us to develop more meaningful relationships with our target audience in the long run.
For instance, how complete is the data we have and what other information do we need? At a customer touch-point, what else would we need besides a customer’s contact information and how do we get more details without bugging them too much?
Once again, the solution here lies with the tools. The right data enrichment tools help build a richer customer 360 view, without fatiguing the prospect with too many questions. Progressive profiling is a tried and true solution for capturing customer data, and has allowed us to do so over a period of time, without negatively impacting user experience. The more we know about our current and potential customers, the better we will be at audience segmentation, and at our jobs in general.
Put the pieces of the puzzle together
The data we get can be fragmented and it is important for marketers to piece the puzzle together to better understand the complete customer journey.
You may have the data, but are you seeing the full picture. Especially if you have multiple objectives and tech stacks (see point one), and a mix of structured and unstructured data. Unifying all the data will be key to deriving real analytic value and driving tangible customer insights.
Moreover, no matter how technologically advanced your data management tools have become, it is essential to be able to make sense of all the data you have and come up with a single version of the truth. After all, the data still needs to be prepared in a way that all marketers will find useful. This is where the human-touch in marketing will still remain essential.
Numbers talk
Of course, everything is measured by results these days. Marketers need to deliver results that will reflect the success of their data-driven strategies or campaigns. Will the campaign drive better sales? Is the marketing spend (and investment in data analytics) justifiable? Was there increased customer retention? These are some questions we can ask and nothing speaks louder than results.
Customers today are spoilt for choice and their buying behaviour is changing all the time. As such, it is becoming more challenging to gain and retain customers. The good news is that the key to building positive customer experiences and establishing long term positive relationships with your customers exists. It is in the data. It is in the data that we capture at the various customer touch-points, the market studies, the sales reports, and more. It is captured in the form of big data and here is where today’s marketers can gain their competitive advantage.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Australasia’s Promotional Product Association Charmaine Moldrich marketing analyticsLatest News

ghd Appoints GrowthOps Digital As Digital Marketing Partner
Global hair styling brand, ghd has today announced the appointment of GrowthOps Digital as its digital marketing partner.

Prahran Market Announces Masterchef Grand Finalist Simon Toohey As ‘Sustainable Simon’
Prahran Market is excited to announce Simon Toohey as the Market’s new sustainability guru ‘Sustainable Simon’

Xandr Shares Comprehensive Approach To Identity
Xandr today shared insight into its multi-faceted approach to identity solutions, to facilitate high-value transactions for buyers and sellers following the deprecation of third-party cookies and device IDs.

Bolster Group Launches Regional Tour ‘Small Town Big Sound’, For The Transport Accident Commission’s Vanessa
A nod to the colourful, late 70’s Aussie pub rock scene, Bolster Group has created the Small Town Big Sound campaign; collecting a handful of the nation’s locally adored bands to tour regional Victoria in the latest campaign for TAC’s Vanessa.

When It Comes Brand Building, Less Isn’t Always More
In this guest post, Hulsbosch’s creative director Marcel Wijnen, casts his design eye over what truly makes a brand and says it’s all about being true and essential… To do simple – and to be original – is a truly tough task. Not impossible, but not easy. Naturally, we can get lost in ‘striving for simplicity’ […]

Seven Victorian Charities Join Forces To Light Up Thousands Of Lives With ‘Power Up’ 2021 Campaign
Seven Victorian charities are uniting for a month-long virtual fundraising challenge - Power Up 2021 - between 28th February and 28th March. There’s no denying that 2020 affected everyone, but small charities experienced a huge drop in much needed donations and it is hoped the Power Up campaign will bring fundraising back to life.

South Australian Supermarket Chain Foodland Launches ‘Mighty’ New Campaign, Via KWP!
South Australia’s largest independent supermarket chain, Foodland – with its unforgettable jingle “Foodland, the mighty South Aussies, yeah” – will launch a new campaign on 7th March. The campaign coincides with the chain’s $251m expansion program to open twenty-five new stores, revamp fourty-seven and create 2,500 new jobs over the next five years. Agency KWP! […]

AFG Launches Brand Refresh From The Works Ahead Of Tech Launches
Ahead of major new technology launches, AFG (Australian Finance Group) has unveiled a new brand design, logo and campaign created by The Works.

Client Retentions Boost Carat’s Billings And Solidify Growth
Jim Groves, Managing Director of Carat Perth, announced today a significant growth period for the agency with the retention of three existing clients.

Julie Bishop, Thelma Plum And More: Klarna’s First Aussie Smoooth Session
A-listers turned out to Klarna's Sydney party last night. It did move significantly down the alphabet on B&T's arrival.

The Future Of Post-Pandemic Advertising Or Plain Gross? People Are Freaking Out Over This Racy Menswear Campaign
B&T warns this contains imagery of attractive people in various states of undress. And by "warn" we mean "encourage".

A Win For Privacy Or For Google? Ad Tech Industry Weighs In On Tracking Changes
Here, B&T asks "a win for privacy or for Google?" & you'd pick the splinters out of our arse such was the fence-sitting.

72andSunny Announce New Narratives: Mapping Modern Masculinity Event
72andSunny announces plans for a masculinity event, adding it's not compulsory to do donuts in a ute before attending.

Government Supports ‘Buy Aussie Now’ Marketplace With ‘Tick Of Approval’ For Australian Businesses
B&T always looks to buy Australian, except that is when it comes to sombreros, Shih Tzus or plundered Inca ruins.

Co-Founder Of Eyeota Returns As Head of Brand Solutions AU/NZ
Eyeota, the leading audience technology platform enabling the intelligent use of data, today announced its co-founder, Trent Lloyd, has been appointed Head of Brand Solutions, Australia/New Zealand.

Muval Launches First Broadcast And Digital Advertising Campaign, Targeting ‘Relocation Of The Nation’
Muval is an online booking platform for removalists, despite sounding like a psyllium fibre supplement for constipation.

The Indie Recipe: A Dash Of Agility And A Spoonful Of Adaptation
Here's the recipe for indie agency success! Sadly it doesn't go so far as tips on stealing your competitor's clients.

Clems Melbourne Launches New Content Division
Judging by the press photo, Clems content division enjoy a laugh. Unless they're learning of a colleague's termination?

The Wiggles Mash-Up Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant’ With Iconic Hit ‘Fruit Salad’ For Triple J
The Wiggles have done triple J's 'Like A Version' and, thankfully, no one had a bout of narcolepsy or a heart attack.

Yes, You Can Now Buy Cadbury Creme Egg-Flavoured Beer!
The hot cross bun said to be the ideal accompaniment to Cadbury Creme Egg beer. Followed by a trip to Weight Watchers.

WPP Snares Facebook’s Dave Rolfe For Global Head Of Production Role
Dave Rolfe named WPP's global head of production while confirming he's no relation to convicted sex pest Rolf Harris.

Thursday TV Wrap: Gogglebox Numbers Continue To Climb
With MAFS on hiatus, it was a Steven Bradbury sprint to the line for the networks last night. Sans the silly helmets.

Australian Community News Launches Travel Website
Clearly having not read a newspaper in the past 12 months, Australian Community News announces plans for travel website.

Moccona Launches New “Me-Time” Brand Platform, Via Edge
Moccona's the premium instant coffee of choice at the B&T office. Even if we do refill the jar with International Roast.

Network 10 And Nickelodeon International Partner For First-Time With Live Action Series
Dreading the fast-approaching school holidays? This may be of interest or even a bulk purchase at Dan Murphys.

Introducing The Zavy Social Scoreboard
Get yourself acquainted with the Zavy Social Scoreboard here. Why not mix a martini for added mood and intimacy.

Study: 81% Of Creatives Say COVID’s Hit Their Earnings, 40% Saying It’s More Than Halved
In lieu of the AstraZeneca vaccine, B&T's warding off the pandemic with a Vick's Vapor Rub & a Johnnie Walker & honey.

Priceline Pharmacy Celebrates Every Day Being A Festival of You, Via Whippet
Priceline celebrates the 'festival of you' in latest campaign. Particularly if you stink, itch, secrete or blister.

Foxtel Media Unveils Four New Digitally Enabled Cient Offerings
Miss the Foxtel Group 2021 Showcase yesterday? Watch a video replay of it in full here while pausing for toilet breaks.

“The Free And Open Internet Is A Force For Good”: Quantcast Reveals New Intelligent Audience Platform
On Thursday, Quantcast held their Virtual NOVA event, discussing the current state of the advertising industry, the end of third-party cookies, the open internet vs walled gardens, and data privacy and consent. The event coincided with the launch of their new Quantcast Platform. It is an intelligent audience platform powered by the company’s patented AI […]