Is your Data Obsession Making You a Bad Marketer?
By: Fitore Miftari
Tags: Strategic Communication, Data Analytics, Creative Process, Marketing Strategies, Philosophy

Many years ago, I heard a quote that got stuck in my head and never left. The quote was in German, and I didn’t speak English yet. At that time, I believed everything I read, so I was sure it was a quote from George Bernard Shaw. But as I am trying to find the English version of this great Irish writer’s words, I realize it might not even really be a quote of his. Nonetheless, this quotation has come up quite often in my head, and therefore I will take it upon myself to translate the saying that could be from George Bernard Shaw:

“Tradition is like a street lamp. The stupid hold onto it, while for the smart, it brightens their way.”

This saying recently crossed my mind again in a meeting, but I had changed the words. I had thought,

“Data is like a street lamp. The stupid hold onto it, while for the smart, it brightens their way.”

No, I am not comparing data to tradition. I am saying that focusing on data for the sole purpose of “data” is a foolish idea. I see way too many people obsessing over data in today’s workforce but not using it efficiently. Data should be there to indicate directions and show where the past has led you to. We should never follow it blindly. We need to manage our obsession with data.

In Marketing and other semi-creative fields, I see people either ignoring data completely or focusing on data so much that there is no space for innovation and significant improvement. Maybe we should focus more on letting data brighten our way instead of holding on to it too tightly.

Data is a story of the past with which you can make predictions for the future, but it is all happening in a predictable linear way. What happens to creativity, to inventing new paths, that might even lead to new and overwhelming results? The unpredictable is quite challenging to grasp or even consider. I am an employee who works in the office every day and knows how fast and stressful some decisions and meetings can be. I strongly suggest that Data needs to be considered, not only with an analytical mindset but also from a creative perspective.

Don’t get me wrong. I love data, and it gives me incredible insights, but after I receive the data, I sit on my desk and allow my mind to go further. I ask myself why certain variables are indicating specific trends? Is the data leading us in a direction that aligns with our company values? Or even, what if we move into a completely new and unconventional path, and what data should we measure then?

I would like to see more experimenting, breaking barriers, and sometimes even breaking the variables we have defined. Maybe we will get new insights to improve the way we do things, to evolve. Sometimes we might even need to reconsider the system we are working in to make space for a better one. This idea applies to people in my field and everyone else who got so accustomed to blindly relying on data.

So my verdict is: Use data the way it is supposed to be used. Take a break from holding onto it and let data brighten a new path for you and your team!