Why The Numbers People Ignore The Data

The whole point of measuring everything and putting a number to every act, result or sentiment is done in the name of efficiency and accuracy. The idea is that the more we measure, the better we get at what we do.

We’re all for numbers informing our decisions. (But we draw the line at letting the data determine what is and isn’t creative.) Now that we’re awash in data, swimming in numbers and drowning in analysis, why are so many number-crunchers ignoring what they can easily see?

According to WARC* the optimum split of long-term brand-building and short-term activation is 60% to 40%, respectively. However, in the past year we’ve seen a shift in budget/resource allocation to digital media tactics

In the most data-driven time in history, why aren’t clients and others seeing that advertising works, more specifically, that creativity is what builds brands, accelerates growth and lengthens a brand’s shelf life?

McKinsey: Top loyalty programs produce +15-25% annual revenue uplift

Source: Kantar – “Modern marketing dilemmas: How can you prove marketing adds value to your brand”

Here’s a thought: In the advertising world, the numbers will tell a much different story than the one that planners, strategists and big media have been peddling for years.

There’s been too many processes put in place. Too much reliance on attribution. Too much investment in the same dashboards everyone sees. Do you want to tell your CEO that you now want to tear down all your performance marketing metrics and processes and go to a mixed-modeling approach? Not today’s CMO.

It’s inertia at work, literally and figuratively. No one wants to take on that job of trying to sell the unknown (read: Creativity) to their bosses. They wouldn’t even get that far, as strategists, consultants and planners would certainly block their path.

via GIPHY

So Now What?

So they stick with what they’ve created and what they rely on. Looking at the real data would only disrupt this inertia.

The numbers show that dull ads don’t sell, counting clicks is fool’s gold and not balancing/integrating performance and brand is a huge mistake.

Advertising works when creativity’s words and images and sounds are allowed to run free. If you want proof, it’s all there in the numbers.