Advertising was founded on the grounds of creativity but is the future data? Data analytics is fast becoming the new norm for marketers everywhere. Insights from Big Data allow advertisements to become more targeted and personalised.

When we think about creativity in marketing, Don Draper comes to mind, but when we think data analytics the initial thought isn’t as extravagant as Madmen. While Mathsmen may be more conservative, their impact is becoming too hard to ignore. Now players like Accenture Interactive and Deloitte Digital have come to stake their claim in the industry.

At a university level it’s more common for the creative campaigns to be encouraged. However they can be expensive in reality, and if they fail to resonate are a waste of capital and labour. Budgets are always tight and history has shown when the going gets tough the first to feel the pressure is the marketing departments. It’s easy for executives to blame downturns on ineffective campaigns and start making cuts. So, if marketing departments want to prove their worth it needs measurables. For more on how Big Data has transformed marketing read this post here!

They say there’s no issue that data can’t fix they and that might just be true considering the following:

1. Data Identifies Those on the Fence and Targets Them.

Through Google analytics you can identify frequent repeat visitors on your website. These are people who are interested in your offering but are still unsure whether they should purchase it. This is a prime opportunity to retarget this audience and present them with a compelling special offer to push them over the fence. This doesn’t involve creativity per say but it is dependent on insights, and the best thing is the more you use targeted ads the more valuable data you will collect.

2. Data Driven Campaigns are Trackable and Scalable.

You can start a Google Ads campaign with a €10 daily budget and if it’s yielding no conversion you can simply switch it off. But on the flipside, if it’s taking off you can scale up to €20, €30, €40 a day. Compare this to a video campaign which will have an upfront cost irrespective of the scalability. This allows companies to quickly test, and use data to find the methods that works best for them. These descriptive statistics also show the executives that marketing isn’t just a creative exercise.

Check out 5 of the best digital marketing campaigns of all time here.

3. Qualitative Data Cuts out Creativity.

The normal marketing tactics are becoming played out and as a result less effective. What can we do to change that? Talk to your customers! Marketers are naïve if they think creativity is the only way to engage their customers. When in fact by looking through reviews and customers insights you can find out exactly what your customer is thinking and even go as far as to use the language of your customers in your message.

Data analysis is big, bold and new for the advertising industry. If data is to have a place at the core of marketing, organisations must find the balance of innovation and analytics. We must be operating at the intersection of the digital and physical worlds if were to truly connect with our customers.

Find out more about the future of data here.