In Part II of this blog, Anametrix CEO Pelin Thorogood talks with Ryan Swan, director of business analytics at Symantec, one of the world’s largest software companies. Here they explore the future of business analytics to drive multichannel marketing and where the field of data science is going.
We’re seeing the convergence of marketing channels across traditional, online, social and mobile – along with advances in the underlying analytics technology. Where do you see these trends going in the next few years?
Looking not too far down the road, I believe companies will invest less and less in traditional marketing channels. Online, social and mobile offer ways not only to reach customers, but also to gain tangible intelligence about them. Using this data, the marketing team can quickly make changes in campaigns and offers, test out different hypotheses, different programs, determine what is most effective with customers. It’s not just a matter of where buyers “hang out.” As a marketer or analyst, you can add so much more value when you have the data generated by these channels. There’s a great deal to be learned, which can help marketers change their paths, adjust campaigns for more value.
What does your crystal ball tell you about the future of business analytics in marketing and other business functions?
The data scientist can have a tremendous impact on an organization. That’s where the idea of “sexy industry, sexy field” comes into play. Everyone recognizes how much impact you can really have in helping an organization be successful. I’m seeing that people in this field don’t have to do a slow climb up the career ladder. They can make career advances very quickly because there’s so much value to be added if you have the right people.
But it’s no longer enough just to manage complex data sets or provide data. Insights analysts must justify that data, understand what it means to the organization and apply it to make business decisions. It’s not easy to find people who can handle these large data sets, synthesize the information and apply it to the business. People with these skill sets are in high demand. They are the analysts who can manage the data and turn it around quickly to support business decisions.
Marketing teams and data scientists typically don’t speak the same language. How do you solve this problem at Symantec?
That’s one of the biggest challenges we face as an organization. Analysts and marketers don’t always speak the same language. We’ve done some interesting tests in creating dual-track presentations. One presentation was oriented to analysts, the other to the marketers. The presentations said roughly the same thing, but they were constructed completely differently. This test is one example we use to help show our analysts how to communicate more like a marketer.
We continually work at training our analysts to think and communicate as marketers. That’s not necessarily easy to do after years of training. But it’s ultimately where the value is. It doesn’t matter if you have a lot of valuable knowledge. You must be able to help convert that knowledge into actionable programs. We are focusing on finding and nurturing the talent to tackle this problem.
Are there any other valuable lessons you’ve learned that might help others with regard to BI and Big Data that you’d like to share?
Don’t be constrained by how things have worked in the past. The world of business and technology is moving quickly. We are having many interactions with our customers every day. We now have the ability to hear what they are telling us. I recommend that you show just how valuable this knowledge can be to the business, and the organization will absolutely respond. That’s how you break down barriers. Synthesize the data for the business user and provide the insight quickly. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned.
Ryan, thanks for your views and insights on the world of business analytics. We wish you well as you continue to add value to the Symantec business with your team of analysts.
