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trust. On the internet, trust in a brand can be
destroyed in an instant, so safeguarding it is of
paramount importance. The good news for
serious brands is that, because the internet is so
full of scams, half-truths and outright lies, peo-
ple will continue to look to brands as a trusted
resource. Earn their trust—then work every
day, as hard as you can, to keep it.
2. Don’t just avoid evil—do good.
Google’s infamous tag line, “Don’t be evil” is
not the same thing as “Do be good”—and the
latter is a much better motto to live by. Young
people, particularly Millennials and the gener-
ation after them, Digital Natives, like their
consumption to reflect their values. More
often than not, they make buying decisions
based on what certain brands stand for,
whether it’s environmental friendliness (Prius),
fair-wage pay (Costco), LGBT equality
(Kellogg), sustainable energy (3M) or whatev-
er. Spin will only get you so far, though—at
some point it has to be backed up by honest,
well-intentioned action. The world is full of
cheaters and liars. Don’t be one of them.
3. Aim for fewer memes, more me.
Because messaging can no longer be controlled
by the messenger, brands have had to figure
out how to get customers themselves to spread
the word. One of the most effective ways to do
this is through a “meme” (an idea, behavior or
style that spreads person to person within a
culture). It grabs people’s imagination—such
as last summer’s Ice Bucket Challenge—and
goes viral. Modern marketers spend a great
deal of time trying to figure out how to create
successful memes. Some work, but most don’t,
because the nature of memes is that they are
spontaneous and unpredictable.
So-called meme marketing is still in its
infancy, but it is already giving way to a more
me-oriented form of messaging: the sort of
super-targeted, hyper-personalized messaging
that is becoming possible with the conver-
gence of Big Data, artificial intelligence, and
ubiquitous mobile and personal devices of all
kinds. There will always be a place on the
internet for absurd humor, but Big Data allows
companies to understand and connect with
each individual customer in ever more inti-
mate ways. In turn, each of those customers
has unprecedented control over the messages
they receive. Memes may work for a long time
to come, but more “me” is what people really
want. Learn how to give it to them.
4. Comfort the afflicted.
The speed of
technological and cultural change people are
experiencing today isn’t just mind-boggling—
it’s disorienting and, for some people, quite
scary. The world they used to know is disap-
pearing, and the world that is replacing it isn’t
84 •
PPB
• MARCH 2015
THINK
HEY, BIG DATA
Every time a cus-
tomer makes an online
transaction, they poten-
tially make information
about themselves
known to the vendor,
such as their age, post-
code and the value of
their purchase.
This kind of information can help firms draw up a
clear picture of their customers’ tastes and habits, so
they can anticipate their future needs and work out what
marketing messages are most likely to be effective.
Many people also volunteer information through
market research or perhaps on feedback forms, while
analytics of how well a company’s website is perform-
ing can also be a useful mine of data.
• What specific products are people searching for?
• What keywords and related terms are they search-
ing for online?
• What questions are they asking and what are they
talking about on social media platforms such as
Facebook and Twitter?
• Is online activity largely coming from desktop PCs
or web-connected smartphones and tablets?
• Are people who favor particular channels in a cer-
tain demographic group or geographical area?
It’s surprising how much information customers
disclose about themselves when they engage with a
brand, but perhaps even more surprising is that firms
have the capability to track all this activity.
Using big data for customer segmentation means
firms could:
• Establish a competitive advantage over their rivals
by offering tailored, relevant and timely marketing
campaigns for different consumer subsets
• Align themselves better to meet client and cus-
tomer needs, so they can bring relevant products
and services to the market faster
• React more quickly to customers’ needs and circum-
stances and tailor communications to reflect this
evolving understanding of what they want
• Operate more efficiently, with resources devoted
to areas likely to generate the highest returns,
rather than be risked on projects that might be
less successful
• Spend money more appropriately across the busi-
ness, particularly in areas such as marketing and
R & D
Such decisions could be the decisive factor in
enabling a business to stand head and shoulders
above other firms in the same industry.
Excerpted with permission from the white paper “How Big
Data Can Drive Marketing Innovation” produced by distrib-
utor 4imprint Direct Limited, part of 4imprint Group plc.