CMOs: 3 Ways to Accelerate Big Data Analysis Transformation in Your Company

Big data is exciting. As a CMO, you know Big Data is becoming more and more critical to your business' success. As an IMC graduate student in Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications in Northwestern University, I’ve been doing some research in how traditional companies transform into a data-centric company, and here are two articles that best address the issue.

The first article, titled “Getting big impact from big data” by David Court and published in January 2015 talks about how to take advantage of advancements in analytics and mobilize the organization to make a big impact on the company from big data. New data analysis techniques and tools are introduced to deal with the challenge of achieving scale of impact. The real challenges lie beyond new tools, and ask for more focus on change management, more job redefinition, and more cultural change.

Another article talks about data transformation is by Derek Steer, the Co-Founder/CEO of MODE.  This article, titled “Building credibility for your analytics team- and why it matters”, published on January 21^st, 2015 focuses on how to build credibility for the analytics team in the company and over time turns the company into a data-centric firm. First start with simple tasks, then analyze and communicate effectively with colleagues, think data as a conversation starter, not a diagnosis, and make the process of data analysis transparent and understandable to other teams.

After reviewing these articles, and based on my experience through the IMC program, here are three action items any CMO or marketing manager should immediately begin to think about and take actions on:

• Start small - Start with simple tasks that give immediate returns. This establishes the trust and over time builds confidence in the company.

• Redefine jobs - Automating part of the jobs requires redefining job responsibilities to best leverage and support the ongoing development of big data.

• Change culture - Build a foundation of data-driven culture in the company by developing competitions that reward and recognize the teams that can generate powerful insights through analytics.

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I am currently a graduate student in Northwestern University Medill School, and major in Integrated Marketing and Communications. I will graduate in December 2015 and am looking for employments in data analytics. If there is anything you would like to discuss with me, you can reach me @AmeliaChenZhao on Twitter.

CMOs: 3 ways to avoid big data mistakes

As a CMO, you know Big Data is increasing market share and bottom-line profitability for all types of businesses...only if you do it right. As a graduate student in the Northwestern Medill Integrated Marketing Communication program with an interest in data analytics, I have found 2 article highlighting important concepts about using Big Data successfully. 

Information week’s article Big Data Success Remains Elusive: Study reveals a cruel survey result that only 27% of the organizations described their big data projects as "successful". This survey is conducted by Capgemini Consulting involving 226 company respondents across regions and multiple industries. According to this article, big data failures are primarily the result of: 1)Inconsistency between big data analytics and business objectives. 2)Attempts to use their existing data management systems to process big data stream. 3)Scattered silos of data resulting in a lack of unified view of data. This article also suggests key success factors for big data approach, that is “a well-defined organizational structure”, “a systematic implementation plan”.

sources:  http://www.coredigitalworks.com/

Shanker Ramamurthy, Global Managing Partner of IBM, holds a similar opinion in his article Speed To Insight: Key To Big Data Success: Big data analytics should become ubiquitous across different departments in the business organization, including HR, sales, marketing, and etc. Another important factor he put forward is “speed” from data to decision-making. The case of Wellpoint http://www.antheminc.com/ is used to illustrate the importance of speed. This health benefit company implemented a system that quickly correlates clinical research, patient data, and clinical practice guidelines to shorten the pre-approval process so nurses are given best options for each patient in a matter of seconds. By doing this, WellPoint is reducing costs improving service, as well as catering appropriate treatment for each patient.

Based on these two articles and my industry studies as a graduate student in the Northwestern Medill IMC program, here are three actions I would recommend

to companies that want to succeed in big data approach.

l     Share Big Data Organizationally: Big Data Analytics impacts across divisions and requires integration of multi-sources. So create analytics teams to gather and use data uniformly throughout your organization

l        Bring into decision-making: Don’t isolate Big Data Analytics from you business process. Make it the engine to drive your business decisions and actions

l     Accelerate the speed: Shorten the time from data to insights . Be receptive to changes as business market is becoming real-time basis. Take timely actions accordingly!

In today’s business environment, becoming Big Data-centric is a shortcut to become competitive. While, as every other front-edged technology, big-data is like a vitamin tablet that take time to digest. In current stage, business organizations are still attempting this technology while separate it from its business process. I believe real benefits will be realized when big data analytics will be into its decision-making process as well as into operation across different departments in a timely manner.

Jill is a current master student in Northwestern University, studying marketing analytics. Before that, she graduated from Tsinghua University, experienced in management consulting and strategic marketing planning. She is dedicated in delivering actionable strategies and in-depth insights through data-driven methods. Feel free to comment and repost. Jill can be connected through Twitter and Linkedin. 

Agency Strategic Planners: 3 steps to better connect with your target audiences using storytelling.

As a strategic planner, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out and make an impression in consumers' mind. As a graduate student in Northwestern University's Medill Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program, I have been research making connections and have found two articles with key insights to consider".   

In a recent article from AdAge "Starbucks Launches First Brand Campaign 'Meet Me at Starbucks'", Columnist Maureen Morrison explained that the coffee giant made an unusual move by not directly featuring its products in the spot. Rather it used a slice of life technique to document a  day in starbucks lovers life. Shot in 59 different stores across 28 countries, the documentary demonstrated the broad appeal and universal community bond that Starbucks stands for. The touchy documentary also illustrated people from different background and different life path, but united by one single brand, and how they incorporate Starbucks as a ritual in their daily lives. The video offers a great content piece to connect its seemingly remote and unrelated customers around the world. Most importantly, with this movie, people identify themselves with others and embrace starbucks community. 

Similarly, Ogilvy & Mather New York did a stunning job in their ``A Ticket To Visit Mom” campaign for British Airways. Using documentary as the format of storytelling, the spot touched the heart of millions Indian migrants in North America by the imagery and sound of their childhood memory. The featured ad also went to won the Chiat Day award 2014. The key concept here is that British Airway did not just sell the product attribute of ``Most Frequent Fight To India From North America Than Any Other Airlines”. It told a story of reunion and love that evoked the deepest human connection in its target audiences. Such strategy produced a significantly favourable result that differentiates British Airways from competitors. 

Based on my assessment of above articles and draw from my experiences as a graduate student in Northwestern University Medill IMC program, here are three action items I recommend you to implement immediately to strengthen the connection with your key audiences:   

1. Trigger Emotions - As ad agencies are in the business of persuasion, there is nothing more important than triggering an emotion among consumers therefore create a point of difference in their mind. By making documentaries, in which nothing is staged or scripted but pure human emotions, brands connect individuals in a genuine way that every consumer can identify themselves with. This is especially true for global brand and category leader, documentaries provides a narrative that brand aficionados can reconfirm their own community and share the passion and enthusiasm they have alike the emotion embedded in the customer experience becomes the center of the conversation.

1. Think of Higher Level Needs - Michael Porter said that only cost leadership and brand differentiation create value for a company. Storytelling enables brand differentiation. Brands need to create sentimental value for the audiences - not only to satisfy their physical, emotional needs, but also spiritual needs. As members of the society, people desire peer recognition and community connection. They are in a journey of constantly redefining the brand and themselves - it is not a simple consumption relationship anymore.

1. No Hard Selling - The product should not be in the center stage but the people who interact with the brand and make their own story. In other words, tell the story through consumers words. The principle here is to create authentic, genuine emotions that will resonate with customers and not pushing the product directly. By helping customers to achieve their mission, brands will receive credits automatically.

All in all, consumers are looking for genuine connections that they can trust and rely on, rather than the conventional transactional relationship. In both Starbucks and BA commercials, the center piece is the customers personal journey. No more words needed to be explained, by the storytelling, the brand will be inked in their subconscious thus influence their future behavior.

Lynn Lin previously worked in global consulting firm Protiviti Inc. as a risk management consultant. Currently she is pursuing her Masters degree in Integrated Marketing Communications in Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. As a aspiring strategic planner, Lynn Lin specializes in brand management and digital marketing strategy. She also holds a Bachelor degree in Business and Management from Aston University in United Kingdom.
Questions and comments? Please contact me:Twitter @lynnlinimc  Linkedin 
Website: www.istrialin.com

Northwestern announces a Free MOOC on Content Strategy for Professionals

On January 13, 2014, Northwestern University will add to its record of designing learning systems for the future by offering a unique new MOOC (massive open online course). It is entitled Content Strategy for Professionals - Engaging Audiences for Your Organization and can be found on the Coursera platform. Enrollment is free and open now at: http://bit.ly/1iPXyba

Northwestern produced the MOOC because professionals in every organization – for-profit, non-profit, volunteer, and government – face an enormous challenge. With ever-more information competing for people’s limited time, they need to know how to develop and deploy more engaging content to reach key individuals inside and outside their organization with important information.

The Content Strategy MOOC has been developed to meet this challenge. In the MOOC, 10 expert Northwestern professors share their new insights and actionable advances. The faculty come from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications and the Kellogg School of Management. They are led by John Lavine, professor and director of Northwestern’s Media Management Center.

“Content strategy is a conversation that provides thought-leadership.” Lavine explained. “Regardless of their level, area of work, or expertise, professionals who use content strategy have new knowledge that enables them to be far more effective with words, graphics, video, social and mobile media. They learn how to give their most important stakeholders trustable, transparent, actionable information that those individuals will value and use.”

The MOOC is divided into six modules with each broken into a number of succinct, easy to complete sessions that will easily fit each user’s schedule. It is a rigorous program, but because it is for professionals, there are no exams or term papers.  There is, however, a case study that weaves throughout the MOOC, allowing the participants to build their content strategy skills and receive feedback on them.

In addition, the MOOC features videos and multimedia from companies and organizations around the world. They are best practice examples of what an effective content strategy looks like in action. The MOOC also has an electronic toolkit for the participants to use in the future to help them and their colleagues as they encounter new challenges in their organization.

“The goal of the MOOC,” Lavine concluded, “is to give those who take it the content strategy knowledge and skills to advance their enterprise and their own careers. It is free, and we welcome those who are interested to join us on January 13^th.”

For more information, view a short video at:  http://bit.ly/18wZ65n