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SEPTEMBER 2015 •
PPB
• 73
Data is the sexy new tool for businesses that want to
know exactly what customers want, how they want to
get it and from whom they want it. But all that data is
problematic, says author and journalist Malcolm
Gladwell, because it can’t tell us why. Speaking at a
mobile marketing analytics event, Gladwell told tech-
nologists that data increases marketers’ confidence but
not their accuracy. That’s because data can’t reveal the
nature of consumer behavior—whether it’s generational
or developmental, he says.
So while data for sites such as Facebook and Snapchat
can tell marketers about the current climate, it doesn’t
reveal how those sites will be used in five or 10 years. So
what’s the lesson Gladwell wants marketers to learn?
Don’t use data to predict a target population’s online
behavior. Instead, he says, “find the truth in the data.”
IF YOU’VE SEEN one bank brochure, you’ve seen them all, right?
Consumer banks don’t always execute creative branding strategies,
and the vanilla approach hurts their efforts to attract customers. The
best way to determine what branding elements will help financial
institutions stand out against competitors is to invest in research,
according to The Financial Brand, a digital publication aimed at
financial institution marketing professionals.
Using research to determine what’s important to a target cus-
tomer can help banks craft messaging that reflects a broad strategy
and that also directly answers questions about specific attributes.
Once the value proposition is molded into a clear message, a design
can be created to illustrate the message.
The
BIG PROBLEM
With
BIG DATA
TECH TALK
Not content with simply providing news
on the go to its mobile customers,
The New
York Times
plans to launch mobile advertising
that focuses on key moments in the user’s day.
The idea is to pair ads, called Mobile
Moments, with
Times
pieces that keep readers
informed and inspired. Mobile Moments will
consist of targeted short stories called
Screenplays created by the
Times
’s commercial
content group, T Brand Studio.
“Mobile Moments is the first phase of a
long-term, mobile, native advertising solution
that will continue to evolve,” says Sebastian
Tomich, senior vice president of advertising
and innovation at
The New York Times
. “Based
on the success our newsroom has had with
moment-based targeting for its journalism, the
commercial side of our organization has adopt-
ed similar tools, templates and insights, and tai-
lored them to suit our advertisers’ needs.”
The news company has already experi-
enced success with moment-driven, personal-
ized journalism that’s delivered to mobile users
at specific times throughout the day, when
those users may be looking for particular types
of content.
The Times
has also begun creating
one-sentence stories for Apple Watch.
Scheduled for a fall launch, content for
Mobile Moments may be generated by an
advertiser or be custom-built by T Brand Studio.
Content may be a graphic, video, interactive
piece or a swipeable series of short stories.
BRANDABLE
Banking On Science
To Build A Brand
Targeted Advertising
At Your Fingertips
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