These days, big data is heavily depended upon by marketers. Without it, they would not know how plan and execute strategic campaigns. In a previous post, I wrote about how big data is used by companies, the government, non-profits and other organizations to reach their target audiences. It’s not Minority Report. Without big data, or any sort of data, even consumers would reap the benefit of finding what it is they are shopping for.
Yet, as big data is necessary, what about the creative side of marketing? Is there still room for imagination? How can big data and the creatives blend together?
Data has been used since the beginning of time by people who notched marks on bones to keep track of supplies, calculations, etc. Today, big data helps marketers interact with consumers in real-time. For this interaction, though, creatives are play a crucial role.
Big data marketers and creatives should not see each other as enemies. That may be too strong a word, but there is often a distrust between the two teams. Creatives are seen by marketers as eccentric and rule-breakers who don’t stick with the strategy, while creatives see marketers as unimaginative and staid.
As marketers seek to interact with their target audience more and more, they only way they can catch the attention of their target audience is by utilizing the strengths of the creatives, for it is they who will be able to craft compelling, attention-getting messages that capture consumers. Whether it be ad writing accompanied by visuals, or vice versa, creatives will take information gathered by big data and create great copy, e.g. if research shows that consumers who prefer a specific product engage in a certain activity or hobby, the creatives can craft an ad that reflects this fact.
Creatives can also help big data marketers be more imaginative and adventurous. For instance, marketers sometimes step on the creatives’ toes in deciding about packaging. Of course, they are concerned about brand representation and consistency, yet creatives can encourage boldness in which colors something is packaged in, since appearance does play a role in consumers’ first impression of a product; if it looks attractive, they’ll be seduced.
A successful campaign, in the end, happens when big data marketers and the creatives have collaborated without (or with the least amount of) arguing. The consumer will, in effect, benefit from this.
