Google’s Director of Analytics on How to Analyze Data and Why You Shouldn’t Block Cookies.
Hartman’s latest book Digital Marketing Analytics: In Theory And In Practice explores the core skills of analytics that combine the art and science of data. Colleagues from the US office of Laba – the ELVTR project where Kevin created his new Digital Marketing Analytics course – spoke with Kevin about the future of data, personalized advertising and the coming shift in privacy.
About Investing in Analytics
What can you recommend to companies sitting on a pile of data?
I have three pieces of advice for these companies. One: hire a data analyst . Two: hire a second data analyst . And three: hire even more analysts .
In my experience list of oman cell phone numbers companies that struggle to extract valuable insights from their data simply don’t have enough people. Many companies fall into the trap of investing in technology – they think that’s it, that it’s enough. But it doesn’t work that way. People come first, and their skills help us understand the stories behind the numbers and the context in which they occur. This is what separates the companies that succeed in analytics from those that simply collect data.
So in your opinion, the people who operate the tools are more important than the tools themselves?
Certainly. My good friend Avinash Kaushik, a distinguished digital strategist and evangelist, has a great idea of the 10/90: If you have a budget for analytics, allocate 10% of that budget to tools and 90% to hiring people who will use them.
Investing six or seven figures in technology that no one will manage is like buying a sports car and not putting wheels on it. It just doesn’t make sense.
Are there any industries that you think should be more cautious about investing in data analytics?
Any industry where the conversion, or purchase google ads b2b: how to overcome platform limitations happens offline. These include consumer goods, automotive , and – although the coronavirus pandemic has caused quite a stir – cinemas and theaters. For these industries, developing a data collection and analysis system is more difficult.
There are companies that are ahead of the curve and those that are way behind. Those that are behind look at the challenges and think they will never be able to figure it out. And then there are those that are trying to do it but don’t want to work with partners like Google or Facebook. If you find data collection difficult, you need to learn how to be a good partner.
On Moral Responsibility
What are the risks of data manipulation?
There are a lot of them. This is because data is common and accessible. Now anyone can be an analyst and interpret it in any way they want.
Analysts have a huge responsibility. They must treat data honestly and not give in to the temptation to manipulate it to make it more appealing to their clients.
In my book I talk about three tasks of an analyst:
- understand how the data was collected;
- understand where they come from;
- appreciate what they can say.
Marketers and managers have this responsibility too. They need to know enough about the data they’re working with to be able to recognize when something’s wrong, question the results, and ask questions.
It seems like everyone should learn to recognize manipulated data.
Yes, I don’t expect board members to be business leads as data savvy as analysts, but they need to understand where the data they’re using comes from, how it was collected, and what’s behind it.
What’s more, they need to understand that there may be biases in the data, where they come from, and what responsibility they bear for that bias. Every manager needs to understand when something sounds too good to be true. Because it often is. They need to be able to identify those red flags.
It doesn’t matter whether the job title includes the word “analyst” – these days it’s important for everyone to understand the importance of analytics in everyday life and business.