Let me start off by admitting, upfront, that I am one of the world's biggest naysayers. Just ask around. The standing joke is that if you want the downside to, well, any situation--I am your gal. I
use data to build my thesis, persuade others that my solution is the only option, and tear apart my competitors' point of view. I am prefacing my viewpoint for you because it bears significance on how
you should interpret the rest of this diatribe.
I had an interesting experience this week. I was fortunate enough to be asked to be part of a panel concerning the use of new data from
an emerging video delivery platform. We were examining questions like, if this media delivery platform was able to provide new measurements (quantitative measures), not only how should it be used--but
what insights could it provide, and how could it change the currency being used by the industry (advertising, content and audience measurement) today. In other words, what is the value of new
quantitative data versus old quantitative data for advertisers?
Based on the work that I have been engaged in for a long time now, I felt that it was important that we not fall into the trap
of thinking about how new types of data measurement could be used to replace the lingua franca that currently drives the industry; rather, that we should think about this brave new world as a
place where there are no silver bullets, where you need to think about the world (more specifically, your customer) as not only a mixture of seemingly related data points but as a collage of
quantitative measurements colored by qualitative distinctions.
I would also argue that while technology makes us (researchers) smarter, that we must always look at the experience of each
consumer within his environment. It is not enough to say that 15 percent of [x] group said they behaved in [y] way or that 22 percent of [a] did [b] at a specific point in time. And finally, by
relying solely on one data type--whether that is quantitative or qualitative--you run the risk of missing your mark.
You see, while technology can arguably make us (researchers, advertisers,
marketers, product specialists) smarter, providing more and more data, sliced and diced in a myriad of ways, it also, by default, continues to fracture our customers. No matter what technology you
want to talk about--the iPod, DVR, VoD, Sony Walkman, broadband-enabled PCs, cell phones, VCRs, digital cable, you name it--technology has fragmented, and will continue to, fragment an already
hard-to-reach customer. Thinking about the world in the black and white of the numbers gives you no insight into the color of the behavior that is driven by the very same technology that is giving
you the data in the first place.
Now, this may make sense to you--or you may think I have finally lost it. But all I can do is implore you to really think about the way the world is changing
around you. Old methodologies can't be the your only Sherpa on this journey. This is a new game with new rules, and we need new tools that are holistic in their approach and that can provide a 3-D
profile of the customer. This isn't about survival, people; this is about leadership. Am I wrong? You tell me.