Are Data Analytics too complex?
I’ve read several marketing articles lately complaining that analytics are too complex. Essentially these writers want to simplify everything down to one metric so marketing professionals can just look at the one metric, as one might look at a traffic signal, and wait for the light to turn green to proceed with their marketing efforts. Lots of folks seem to want data analytics to be simpler, like gut decisions.
The thing about gut instincts is those are developed over time, just like analytics. Gut instincts aren’t just something a person is born with. Having ‘a feeling’ isn’t some genetic thing a person is born with so that they instinctively know the right thing to do. These tried and true ‘gut instincts’ are based on data, stored in the person’s brain, and trusted because they have been proven via trial and error. Gut instincts take time.
Analytics are not a replacement for common sense and gut instincts; on the contrary they should come alongside proven methods. Data Analytics are another piece to add to your arsenal to make better decisions. Data is not going to tell us if something is attractive but data will tell us what consumers react to. Data isn’t going to tell us if a slogan is offensive, but it will help us know which phrases are more effective.
There is no magic button that will ever be found with data analytics. Rest assured, if that discovery were to happen we’d all be out of jobs.
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