And while the Babies “R” Us offer might be relevant at the moment, he might also appreciate offers from Best Buy or Applebee’s that are more relevant for the interests of his grown-up children. “Big Data” means much more than mere size. There is incredible value and opportunity to be derived from an in-depth understanding of the data: data analysis and insight by Communications Service Providers (CSPs) will provide a baseline view of how, when and where customers use their services. Of course, this insight begins with the customer’s data. This is a story about Pat. Pat is a man! MORE >>

Who is best poised to tap into that incremental online advertising revenue, other than the advertisers? Those industries that are best poised include: Online Analytic Vendors (Omniture, Unica.): Online ad spend is predicted to reach $100 Billion in 5 years, up from $61 Billion in 2010.  Paid search aside, which is dominated by the behemoths (Google & Yahoo), it will be those firms who can store online data, analyze it quickly and make the insights actionable within all channels in order to make the advertising more relevant to the consumer.  MORE >>

Start with analytic resources and skills, then based on the best resources / skills you can acquire, as well as your specific environment and analytic needs, determine the best analytic solution / tool(s).  In a recent post I provided thoughts on how to bridge the actionable analytics gap assuming the analytic skills, tools and resource gaps are fulfilled and yet a large analytic divide still may exist in your organization.  In this post I would like to go back and address analytic skills, resources and tools.  A few key considerations to keep in mind-. MORE >>

Likewise, for the best response to your marketing programs, interactions should be “cooked” according to your customers’ particular preference. There is no rule of thumb for developing the best model among the variety of analytical tools. Think of this analogy: vegetables don’t always taste great unless they are cooked. Furthermore, these vegetables won’t be loved unless they are cooked to reveal the right color and consistency thus making them appetizing. Analysis plays a critical role in this process. Also, demographic information is an important building block in this analysis. MORE >>

But there are some best practices that will ensure your social media activities are encouraging the right types of behaviors. We all know (but perhaps don't want to acknowledge) that brands shouldn't try to build relationships with their entire customer base; there is no need to focus on the person who buys once every ten months. Instead, spend your time, effort and resources on your top 10, 20 or 30% (depending on your business), increasing your understanding of your most valuable (current and potential) customers. To do that, you must think "direct". Build tighter relationships. MORE >>