Could you tell us a little about what you do?
As CMO, it is my responsibility to make sure as many businesses as possible hear about our technology. Alongside the usual mix of digital marketing, PR, events, partner marketing and lead generation, I am at pains to ensure we don’t just market our company and solutions using features and benefits, but that we tell interesting stories of how businesses are making headway in today’s data-driven age.
Whose job is it to interpret data, a marketer’s or a data scientist?
Both; it all depends for what purpose. Many start their data analytics and BI journey not really knowing what they are looking for, and yet they soon discover things about their operations and customers they previously didn’t know, which can be turned to their advantage. Clearly, a data scientist might be more adept at analysing and interpreting data, finding out nuggets of information that are valuable to the business, but a marketer should also be able to interpret data themselves. For the more business-oriented user, it is imperative the marketer has access to analytics and reporting tools that are intuitive and easy-to-use, otherwise the marketer will be dependent on the more tech-savvy data scientist.
Is predictive analytics the next development in data marketers should be concentrating on?
Absolutely. The whole big data movement has moved towards predictive analytics. Businesses need to be much more forward-looking than simply reacting to what happened yesterday. While it is always interesting to understand what occurred in the past and try to draw correlations from it in order to boost performance in the short term, it is a stark truth that companies should analyse data they have today in order to anticipate future outcomes and predict where success will come from tomorrow.
What advice would you give to a marketer looking to begin harnessing the power of data?
The biggest advice is to start small. Many marketers see value in data but often get jaded as they try to do too much too quickly and then realise the tools at their disposal cannot give them the answers they seek. Define an objective, set a hypothesis and then use data to prove or disprove it.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given in life?
Follow your own agenda and not that of others.
It may seem a selfish mantra, but in marketing I have learned over the years that it’s far better to ensure you meet your own goals and do what you think is right, rather than try to please everyone else. Marketing attracts attention from all facets of the business as many believe that theirs is the best idea. While I am always open to listening to others’ suggestions, it is far better I rely on my own beliefs and do what I think needs doing. That’s the best piece of advice I have been given in corporate life. Otherwise, I think the mantra of being nice to people on the way up the ladder is also valid, as you never know when you might meet or need them on the way down.
