Forget The Big Data BS & Focus On The ‘Brilliant’ Basics
If Coca-Cola can get back to basics when it comes to handling data, the rest of us should be able to drop the bullshit and do the same, writes Ben Willee (pictured below), general manager and media director of full-service agency Spinach.
If you haven’t ditched it from your marketing vocab already, it’s time to get rid of the term ‘big data’. WTF does big data even mean? The idea that data has to be big, that it has to involve complicated data mining and algorithms is just complete bollocks. There’s really no such thing as big data – only relevant data.
Sitting through the presentations at ADMA’s Data Day, it occurred to me that many people are so caught up in the bullshit around data – they’re missing the point. So much of this is thought to be the responsibility of boffins in the corner, but Coca-Cola’s Justin de Graaf nailed it when he said he’s not doing anything that revolutionary – he’s just doing the basics really well. And the ‘brilliant basics’, as he called them, boil down to teams that work together to manage all parts of a touch point. He gave the example of data dictating a brief for Coke’s in-house creative team. He said: “Once we gave them that brief, we earned the keys to their heart, because creative teams get crappy briefs a lot. They actually talked about how the brief helped inspire them to build creative and to help generate content.”
It is, as Justin said, pretty basic stuff, but a lot of agencies out there are struggling to get these fundamentals right, especially when the task at hand calls for cross-agency collaboration.
It’s not that they don’t want to collaborate or that there’s a turf war – it’s because they can’t collaborate. Most media agencies don’t know how production schedules work, so they make arbitrary sweeping statements about creative impact and how to change it. On the flipside, most creative agencies haven’t been properly briefed on the role of each channel, let alone the different elements within it. As our marketing becomes more data-driven, this disconnect is a massive problem, especially when you consider Coke’s de Graaf and his point that to do data well, you need to reduce labour intensity. You’ve got to be quick to market, you’ve got to derive your learnings fast and be prepared to steer the ship in different directions. It’s really bloody hard to reduce that labour intensity if your teams, or agencies, aren’t good at collaboration.
Within this siloed model, people are often working with data from a sectarian point of view and they’re never going to get the best results doing it that way. They might be spending a lot of money to execute really sophisticated tools, but arguably they’re only unlocking one-third of the value of those tools.
The basic fact of the matter is that data isn’t about having a black box and pushing a couple of buttons. You’ve got to have a hypothesis to start with. And that hypothesis has to be driven by experience in category – knowing what does and doesn’t work in advertising. But if you don’t know where the gold nuggets are to go looking in the first place, you’re wasting your time. Experienced collaborators will identify and get to those problems more quickly and can use the data to get a better result.
To marketers out there, I say this: if your agency can’t tell you how they manage data in a straightforward way, they’re shit-talkers. If they don’t have an approach to using the data to improve more than just their patch, they’re caught up in big data BS, and you know how I feel about that.
Latest News
The Rock Surpasses Kylie Jenner As Instagram’s Most Valuable Influencer
Apparently The Rock is now Instagram's most valuable influencer. And just imagine when he becomes US President Rock.
Bearded Local Man Armed With VB Tinnie Crashes TV Report To Air His Thoughts On Border Closure
Australia has awoken to a new national hero this morning, as pissed, unemployed bloke unloads in impromptu TV interview.
Tuesday TV Wrap: Big Brother Closes In On The Voice
Why not read B&T's daily TV wrap while eating Alphabetti spaghetti. You'll get all the numbers and all the letters too.
Fashion Bible Vogue Forced To Pull “Bad Taste” Cover Over Depiction Of Mental Illness
Vogue are apparently in trouble, although not deep enough that it warrants a 'Devil Wears Prada' sequel.
Getty Images Inks Deal With W Series Esports League
Getty Images and W Series have announced an exclusive deal which sees Getty Images serve as the Official Photographic Partner of the newly launched W Series Esports League. Brand-new for 2020, the W Series Esports League will see W Series drivers from around the world compete in the first official women only simulated racing league. […]
What’s Next For Advertising On iPhones?
Wondering what's next for advertising on iPhones? You could give Tim Cook a call or, failing him answering, read this.
Australians Will Soon Become Walking Barcodes And We Need To Get Ready For It
Columnist argues Australians will soon become "walking barcodes" similar to that slightly bad Tom Cruise sci-fi film.
FutureBrand Australia CEO Rich Curtis Acquires The Global Branding Company’s Australian Operations
Rich Curtis has acquired FutureBrand’s Australian operations from Interpublic Group. The new ownership will enable the business to double-down on its commitment to the Australian market and invest locally, while still maintaining its global network via FutureBrand as an affiliate. Since opening its doors in 1999, FutureBrand has created and transformed iconic brands including Nespresso, […]
MasterChef’s Khanh Ong Reveals Contestants Handed A Cheat Sheet Prior To Filming
MasterChef contestants given "cheat sheets". B&T understands that's for Korean gamjatang and not for Year 12 chemistry.
Study: Aussies Still In Love With The Pub, But It’s For The Food, Not The Beer
Study confirms Aussies heading to the pub for the food, such is the pull of a gristly $7 steak smothered in Diane sauce.
Generation Influence: Gen Z Study Reveals A New Digital Paradigm
Study finds Gen Zs are most digital savvy ever! But it'll all be in vain if they refuse to floss & eat their vegetables.
“Highly Offensive!” Online Retailer Busted For Selling Islamic Prayer Mats As “Frilled Greek Carpets”
Retailer slammed for selling prayer mats as Greek carpets. And, just to confirm, Muslims are pissed off, not the Greeks.
whiteGREY Wins GSK Digital And Social To Extend Relationship
whiteGREY continues with its recent purple patch. Yes, B&T accepts that sentence lacks any form of colour coordination.
Thinkerbell And Ebony Gaylor Launches Social Cause Consultancy D.O.A
Thinkerbell and Ebony Gaylor (NOT Gloria Gaynor as B&T first reported) have launched a social cause consultancy.
Meet The Women Leading Tech: Newcastle City Council Former Information Technology Manager Claire Bath
B&T heads to Newcastle for latest Women Leading Tech. And we didn't even ask, "What's your favourite Silverchair song?"
Newsreader Katrina Blowers Launches Claiming Your Confidence, The Podcast
Big names share their biggest confidence challenges on Claiming Your Confidence, The Podcast, hosted by Channel Seven Newsreader and author Katrina Blowers. The new show launches July 13 on iTunes and Spotify with three episodes dropping on week one: featuring Sunrise Host Edwina Bartholemew, Comedian Merrick Watts and record-breaking Ultra Runner Jacqui Bell. Each week […]
Production house Sam I Am Steps Up Roster With Five Fresh Directors
Full service production house Sam I Am has announced the arrival of five new commercial directors including writer-director Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien Curran (pictured), designer-turned-director Sinéad McDevitt along with directors Anita Lee, Dominic Allen and Joris Noordenbos. Writer-director Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien Curran creates work defined by rich visuals across both comedy and drama. She has directed […]
The Monkeys Appoints New Creative Director Thomas Marcusson
The Monkeys appoints Swede Thomas Marcusson who's both a deft hand with an Alan key & pronouncing Ikea's "FEMMEN VÅG".
DiDi Partners With Urban List For Make It A Date Campaign
DiDi Australia has partnered with lifestyle publisher Urban List for its Make It A Date campaign, encouraging Australians to reconnect and commit to meaningful time with one another as COVID-19 restrictions lift across cities. The collaboration sees Urban List provide curated in-app destinations and venue recommendations to inspire Aussies to ‘make it a date’ and […]
Archetype Appointed By HTC, Tile And Upright Technologies
Strategic communications and marketing agency, Archetype, has been appointed by HTC, Tile and Upright Technologies to drive awareness and sales for each brand’s consumer technology products. The agency has put its strategic and holistic thinking first, evolving the approach to market for all three product offerings. The new additions to Archetype’s portfolio showcase the agency’s […]
Carat Retains Tip Top Bakeries Continuing A Twelve-Year Relationship
Tip Top persists with its "good onya, mum" jingle and confirms that men still can't make sandwiches or cook toast.
Wrike Introduces New Marketing Tool
Wrike unveils new marketing tool that apparently comes wrapped in excess bubble wrap for those who enjoy a good popping.
SCA’s Live Radio Streaming Audience Up 35% Year On Year
SCA’s live radio streaming continues to rise with 1.1million listeners recorded at the end of June 2020, up 35 per cent year on year. Catch up radio podcasts continue to be on trend with a total of 3.2 million downloads recorded at the end of June, this is a 49 per cent year on year […]
How To Tell A Good Story & Get People To Give A F@ck About Your Brand
Yes, B&T's taken to swearing in this headline but, rest assured, the article is largely profanity-free for most parts.
Woman Drops Pants And Urinates During TV Reporter’s Live Cross
First a drunk, unemployed man crashes a TV report and now this! B&T hopes the Walkley Award judges are reading today.
SWM Enhances Audience Intelligence With New Location Data Partner
Seven West Media has enhanced its audience intelligence offering for advertisers thanks to a new partnership with Australian mobile location intelligence platform LANDMARKS ID. LANDMARKS ID enables SWM to integrate its technology directly into the 7plus app to collect, analyse and provide rich audience profiles on 7plus app users. The new partnership improves SWM’s ability […]
LVLY Co-Founder Hannah Spilva: “Agencies Should Focus On Outcomes & Not Hours”
In exciting news for people who like to skive off work early, Hannah Spilva says outcomes are more important than hours.
Customer Leakage Between Woolies, Coles & Aldi, With Online Grocery Taking Bigger Slice Of Pie
B&T has used the expression "customer leakage" in this headline, yet it's nothing to do with the incontinence pad aisle.
Be A Space Invader In A Virtual World: A New Fashion Frontier
Fashion is apparently going virtual, however, that doesn't mean you'll suddenly be able to squeeze into a size small.
TikTok Strikes Back On Calls For App To Be Banned In Australia
This headline declares "TikTok strikes back". Although that's not a Dark Lord of the Sith and his illegitimate son.
