Big, Bad Data
“A collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools or traditional data processing applications.”
Big Data is originally a software engineering and computer science term coined by Doug Laney in a 2001 paper. It is defined succinctly by Wikipedia in the quote above, and certainly doesn’t read like the ‘current big thing’ in the marketing world, although that’s what all the experts seem to be saying….
When referring to the concept of Big Data, marketers are generally talking about the breadth and depth of data that is now available about our customers and marketplaces from a massive variety of sources. It’s easy to get overawed by the amount of information and sources available, and many have chosen to just ignore it, burying their heads in the sand instead of embracing the opportunities to mine it.
In my opinion, it really isn’t as grand or as terrifying as it sounds. All data is really only useful for one thing: giving us the means to get closer to our customers. It’s always been there, just not on this scale. Big Data just gives us the means to reach insights that we didn’t have the information to reach before. My advice would be to consider your sources, one at a time, and think creatively about how you can use them to create useful outputs.
You might need help to achieve this, after all it requires a clear combination of analytical and creative thinking – few people can effectively do it all themselves. Nevertheless, the key is to understand and embrace ‘Big Data’, not to be afraid of it. And recognise it simply as a tool for achieving bigger things.
